Transcranial stimulation as a possible therapeutic proposal in long COVID.
Lidiane Palheta Miranda Dos Santos, Julliana Vieira Leão, Ketelen Yasmim Braga de Moraes Silva and 6 others
PMID 41835098WHAT IT FOUND
tDCS combined with structured rehabilitation or cognitive training reduced fatigue and improved cognition in post-COVID patients, while tDCS alone showed limited or inconsistent effects.
Most studies were small, heterogeneous, and relied on concurrent therapies, so the specific contribution of stimulation cannot be isolated.
Key findings
01High-definition tDCS applied over the motor cortex significantly reduced fatigue scores compared to sham when both groups also received individualized rehabilitation programs.
02tDCS paired with cognitive training showed significant improvements in inhibitory control and processing speed, whereas tDCS monotherapy did not significantly improve cognitive function.
03Studies combining neuromodulation with rehabilitation consistently produced superior outcomes compared to conventional therapies alone, though protocols and populations varied widely.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review is narrative, not systematic, so it may be subject to selection bias. Most included studies had small sample sizes (e.g., case reports, pilots with <50 participants). Protocols varied widely in electrode placement, intensity, and duration, preventing direct comparison. In many trials, tDCS was given concurrently with other active treatments (rehab, cognitive training), so the specific effect of stimulation cannot be isolated. The authors acknowledge that the underlying pathophysiology of long COVID is not fully understood, complicating target selection.
Declared interests
The work was supported by Brazilian government agencies (SECTET, CAPES, CNPq). The authors declared financial support for the work and its publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the positive findings as evidence that tDCS alone works. In the studies showing benefit, tDCS was consistently paired with structured rehabilitation or cognitive training, and the review explicitly states that the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. tDCS monotherapy showed limited or no significant effects.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →