Cognitive-sensorimotor effects on walking and balance after long COVID
Enhancing Veterans Long-COVID Care: A Cognitive-Sensorimotor Framework to Understand Gait and Balance Dysfunction
This project will test whether thinking, vision, sensation, and muscle changes explain walking and balance problems in adults with long COVID.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 136 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development Federal |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Trial ID | NCT06850350 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is an observational study that compares adults with and without post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) to understand contributors to gait and balance dysfunction. Researchers will measure cognition, vision, proprioception, muscle strength, and motor performance and will test gait and balance under cognitive dual-task conditions and in sensory-challenging environments. The protocol emphasizes real-world functional mobility tests designed to reveal how cognitive and sensorimotor deficits interact to impair walking and stability. Findings are intended to inform Veteran Health Administration diagnostic and standard-of-care protocols for restoring mobility and independence in affected patients.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults over 18 with a prior positive COVID test, whose COVID illness began more than three months ago, and who could walk 10 meters with or without assistance before their COVID illness are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with severe unrelated cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurologic, or musculoskeletal conditions, recent concussion or chronic pain syndromes that mimic long COVID, severe cognitive impairment preventing consent, or those who had severe COVID requiring ICU hospitalization are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to evidence-based diagnostic and treatment protocols that improve walking, balance, and independence for people with long COVID.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research in other populations has shown that cognitive and sensorimotor impairments can drive gait and balance problems, and emerging PASC studies suggest similar links, but application specifically to long COVID-related mobility dysfunction is still relatively new.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Older than 18 years of age * Positive PCR or Rapid COVID-19 test in the past * Onset of COVID-19 illness greater than 3 months prior to their participation in the study * Self-reported ability to walk 10 meters with or without external assistance prior to COVID-19 illness Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of severe cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and/or neurological and musculoskeletal disorders unrelated to COVID-19 (e.g., amputation, stroke, spinal cord injury) * Cognitive impairments precluding ability to provide informed consent. * Severe acute COVID-19 infection requiring hospitalization or diagnosed post-intensive care syndrome. * Presence of musculoskeletal, inflammatory, or neurological conditions mimicking Long COVID-19 symptoms (e.g., concussion within last 5 years, Chronic fibromyalgia, Myofascial pain syndrome, etc.)
Where this trial is running
Chicago, Illinois
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL — Chicago, Illinois, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Matthew J. Major, PhD — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL
- Study coordinator: Matthew J Major, PhD
- Email: Matthew.Major2@va.gov
- Phone: (312) 569-6166
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.