Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Autonomic Function Recovery in Post-Covid-19 Young Adults After Immunization: An Observational Follow up Case-control Study

Ana Paula Coelho Figueira Freire
* ORCID logo ,
Shaan Amin
,
Fabio Santos Lira
ORCID logo ,
Ana Elisa von Ah Morano
ORCID logo ,
Telmo Pereira
,
Manuel J. Coelho-e-Silva
ORCID logo ,
Armando Caseiro
,
Diego Giulliano Destro Christofaro
,
Vanessa Ribeiro-Santos
,
Osmar Marchioto Júnior
,
Ricardo A Pinho
,
Bruna Spolador de Alencar Silva
*
Version 1 : Received: 23 November 2022 / Approved: 28 November 2022 / Online: 28 November 2022 (03:39:10 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Freire, A.P.C.F.; Amin, S.; Lira, F.S.; Morano, A.E.A.; Pereira, T.; Coelho-E-Silva, M.-J.; Caseiro, A.; Christofaro, D.G.D.; Ribeiro dos Santos, V.; Marchioto Júnior, O.; Pinho, R.A.; Silva, B.S.A. Autonomic Function Recovery and Physical Activity Levels in Post-COVID-19 Young Adults after Immunization: An Observational Follow-up Case-Control Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2251. Freire, A.P.C.F.; Amin, S.; Lira, F.S.; Morano, A.E.A.; Pereira, T.; Coelho-E-Silva, M.-J.; Caseiro, A.; Christofaro, D.G.D.; Ribeiro dos Santos, V.; Marchioto Júnior, O.; Pinho, R.A.; Silva, B.S.A. Autonomic Function Recovery and Physical Activity Levels in Post-COVID-19 Young Adults after Immunization: An Observational Follow-up Case-Control Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2251.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has detrimental multi-system consequences. Symptoms may appear during the acute phase of infection, but literature on long-term recovery of young adults after mild-to-moderate infection is lacking. Heart rate variability (HRV) allows observation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation post SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, physical activity (PA) helps improve ANS modulation, where investigation of PA influence on ANS recovery is vital to reduce risk and severity of symptoms. Clinicians may use this research to aid development of non-medication interventions. At baseline, 18 control (CT) and 20 post-COVID-19 (PCOV) participants were observed where general amnamnesis was performed, followed by HRV and PA assessment. 10 CT and 7 PCOV subjects returned for follow-up (FU) evaluation 6 weeks after complete immunization (2 doses) and assessments were repeated. Over the follow-up period, decrease in sympathetic (SNS) activity (mean heart rate: p=0.0024, CI=-24.67- -3.26; SNS index: p=0.0068, CI=-2.50- -0.32) and increase in parasympathetic (PNS) activity (mean RR:p=0.0097, CI=33.72-225.51; PNS index: p=0.0091, CI=-0.20-1.47) were observed. At follow-up, HRV was not different between groups (p>0.05). Additionally, no differences were observed in PA between moments and groups. This study provides evidence of ANS recovery after SARS-CoV-2 insult in young adults over a follow-up period, independent of changes in PA.

Keywords

COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; exercise; autonomic nervous system; sympathetic nervous system; parasympathetic nervous system; COVID-19 vaccination; post-acute sequelae of COVID-19; communicable diseases

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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