HEARTLOC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
HEART rate variability biofeedback in Long COVID (HEARTLOC)
IRAS ID
304567
Contact name
Manoj Sivan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Long COVID is a highly debilitating illness which develops after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19). It affects as many as 1 in 7 people following COVID-19 infection and produces a vast array of symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness, fast heart rate, blood pressure disturbance, temperature disturbance, and dry mouth. Many of these symptoms can be explained by the nervous system being predominantly in a stress or ‘fight or flight’ response, also known as dysautonomia. One way of assessing whether this is the case is by measuring heart rate variability. This is the time variation between heart beats and is a marker of how stressed the nervous system is or how strong is the ‘fight or flight’ response. Heart rate variability (HRV) can be measured using devices which are worn round the wrist or attach to the body directly. A higher HRV reading corresponds with a more relaxed nervous system and lower readings with a more stressed nervous system. Monitoring HRV in real-time and implementing interventions such as a breathing regime in order to maximise HRV is known as HRV biofeedback (BFB). The body can be trained out of the fight or flight response and into the ‘rest and digest’ mode response of the nervous system in this way and potentially significantly improve symptoms.
The aim of this study is to use HRV biofeedback with a structured breathing regime to determine the effect on symptoms of long COVID. We will recruit 30 participants from the Leeds COVID rehabilitation service. The time commitment for participants will be approximately 6 weeks.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0271
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion