Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Breathing Control Technique on Long COVID Symptoms at the Reunion University Hospital (COCO-Long'Run)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion

Status

Begins enrollment this month

Conditions

Long COVID

Treatments

Other: Cardiac coherence

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05851859

2022/CHU/35

2023-A00796-39 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Despite the controversy, on October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Long Coronavirus disease (COVID) by officially defining it: " symptoms appeared 3 months after the onset of the primary infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), persisting for at least 2 months and which cannot be explained by any other condition ". Long COVID can affects any type of patient and has polymorphic and fluctuating symptoms over time.

The Reunion Island is a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean accounting more than 860,000 inhabitants. It has recorded since March 11, 2020, nearly 491,825 cases of COVID-19 and 961 deaths of hospitalized patients. Reunion's population is multi-ethnic and younger than the metropolitan France's one. It also has a higher prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, two serious form factors of COVID-19. This specific context makes this island a particular study site for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Long COVID.

In addition, some studies have confirmed the involvement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the symptomatology of Long COVID and demonstrated that patients with a Long COVID present a dysfunction of their ANS which is objectified by a reduced Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The regulation of heart rate by the ANS is strongly favored by respiration. A regular slow and deep breathing training helps to adjust the baroreflex, which connect heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. The result of this training is an induced state called "cardiac coherence" (CC).

The investigator therefore hypothesize that respiratory training to CC could "re-educate" the ANS and durably improve the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID.

Enrollment

200 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients over the age of 18,
living in Reunion and
having a diagnosis of Long COVID according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition will be included in this study.
These patients must attest to their primary infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and present a negative antigen test at the time of inclusion.

Exclusion criteria

Patients:

with a chronic or disabling respiratory pathology preventing respiratory training (asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), active tuberculosis, pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19, etc.) practicing or having practiced a regular respiratory control technique (yoga, Cardiac coherence training, etc.) in the last 6 months
taking a beta-blocker, betamimetic, anti-arrhythmic, morphine, antidepressant treatment (Escitalopram)
having a pacemaker or severe heart disease
Current and known pregnancy or breastfeeding woman
with a cognitive deficit
under guardianship/curators or under judicial protection