The findings are consistent with a July study by Dr. The vast majority had small fiber neuropathy - damage to small nerve fibers that detect sensations and regulate involuntary bodily functions such as the cardiovascular system and breathing. 'We looked with every single major objective diagnostic test,' Oaklander said. All but one had had mild cases of COVID-19, and none had nerve damage prior to their infections.Īfter ruling out other possible explanations for the patients' complaints, the researchers ran a series of tests to identify whether the nerves were involved. Oaklander and colleagues focused on patients with symptoms consistent with a type of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy. Anne Louise Oaklander, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a lead author on the study published in Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation.Īs many as 30% of people who have COVID-19 are believed to develop long COVID, a condition with symptoms ranging from fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, cognitive difficulties, chronic pain, sensory abnormalities and muscle weakness. 'I think what's going on here is that the nerves that control things like our breathing, blood vessels and our digestion in some cases are damaged in these long COVID patients,' said Dr. The study involved in depth exams of 17 people with so-called long COVID, a condition that arises within three months of a COVID-19 infection and lasts at least two months. CHICAGO, March 1 (Reuters) - A small study of patients suffering from persistent symptoms long after a bout of COVID-19 found that nearly 60% had nerve damage possibly caused by a defective immune response, a finding that could point to new treatments, U.S.

Nerve pain months after emg test