Author(s): SANAL-HAYES, N., HAYES, D.L., MCLAUGHLIN, M., BERRY, E., SCULTHORPE, N. , Institution: UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Abstract-ID: 276

Background:
Psychological well-being, cognitive function, dexterity, bimanual coordination, and the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) have not previously been directly compared between individuals with long COVID and those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study therefore compared these outcomes in individuals with long COVID (mean illness duration ≈16 months) and ME/CFS (mean illness duration ≈16 years), relative to age-matched healthy controls.
Methods:
Psychological well-being was assessed using a battery of validated questionnaires, including the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea Scale, Self-Efficacy for Living with a Chronic Condition (SELTC), Edinburgh Neurological Symptoms Questionnaire (ENS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test, and Trail Making Tests A and B. These assessments were administered remotely via a purpose-built mobile application. Dexterity and bimanual coordination were measured in person using the Purdue Pegboard Test. PTSD and CPTSD were assessed in person using the International Trauma Questionnaire, a self-report measure aligned with International Classification of Diseases diagnostic criteria.
Results:
Individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS showed broadly comparable performance across measures of psychological well-being and cognitive function. Both patient groups reported significantly worse outcomes than healthy controls for pain, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. No significant group differences were observed for cognitive function measures. Performance on the Purdue Pegboard Test was similar between the two patient groups, with both demonstrating poorer dexterity and bimanual coordination relative to controls. The prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD was higher in both patient groups compared with controls, with individuals with long COVID exhibiting higher prevalence rates than those with ME/CFS.
Conclusion:
These findings indicate that individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS experience comparable impairments in psychological well-being, dexterity, and bimanual coordination relative to healthy controls, despite differences in illness duration. However, PTSD and CPTSD were more prevalent in individuals with long COVID than in those with ME/CFS.