Fluctuations Identified in Subjective Neurological Recovery From Long COVID

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- A mobile phone application can characterize patterns of recovery from neurological manifestations of post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (Neuro-PASC), with fluctuations in subjective recovery seen for improvers, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in BMC Neurology.Grace K. Lank, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues characterized Neuro-PASC symptom evolution using a mobile phone application and assessed user experience. The Neuro-COVID Recovery Care Companion (NCRCC) mobile application consists of questionnaires integrated within Northwestern Medicine's online MyChart platform. Patients with neuro-PASC completed daily surveys of 12 symptoms, and their perceived percent recovery was compared to their pre-COVID baseline.Data were analyzed from 63 participants presenting an average of 12.7 months after onset of symptoms, including 27 and 36 improvers and nonimprovers, respectively (42.9 and 57.1 percent, respectively). The researchers found that fewer women were improvers (50 versus 75.7 percent). Patients presenting with a constellation of anosmia, dysgeusia, and a lack of insomnia were less likely to be improvers in a multiple correspondence analysis. More fluctuations in subjective recovery were seen for improvers versus nonimprovers, with greater mean variance (7.01 versus 3.79) and positive recovery slope (5.84 versus 0). At initial assessment, there were no differences seen in quality of life or cognition, but a trend toward increased processing speed and decreased sleep disturbance was seen for improvers after three months. The NCRCC application was reported by both groups as easy to use, useful, and satisfactory."The success of the app for long COVID indicates that similar symptom trackers could be created for other chronic conditions," Igor J. Koralnik, M.D., also from the Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter