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Neurofeedback Therapy for Long COVID
Many individuals continue to experience persistent cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges weeks or months after an initial COVID-19 infection.
Often referred to as Long COVID or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), these ongoing symptoms can be confusing, frustrating, and isolating. Especially when standard medical tests do not always provide clear explanations. Research suggests that Long COVID is a complex, multi-system condition that may involve ongoing immune activation, autonomic nervous system disruption, and changes in brain function.
Long Covid Symptoms
People experiencing Long COVID have reported a wide range of symptoms that may fluctuate over time. These can include:
- Cognitive fatigue or “brain fog”
- Difficulty with attention, memory, or processing speed
- Sleep disruption or unrefreshing sleep
- Heightened anxiety or low mood
- Sensory sensitivity (light, sound, or stimulation)
- Head pressure or headaches
- Reduced stress tolerance or emotional reactivity
How does Long COVID show up in the brain?
Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies suggest that Long COVID may be associated with alterations in functional brain networks, including changes in cortical connectivity, autonomic regulation, and brainwave patterns related to attention, arousal, and executive functioning. Similar patterns of dysregulation have been observed in conditions involving chronic stress, inflammation, or post-viral syndromes.
These findings support the idea that Long COVID symptoms may reflect shifts in how the brain and nervous system are communicating and regulating themselves, rather than structural damage alone (Yong, 2021). Neurofeedback works at the level of brain activity patterns, offering a way to gently support neural flexibility and regulation over time.
How does Neurofeedback help Long COVID?
Emerging research suggests that neurofeedback may be relevant for individuals experiencing symptoms commonly reported in Long COVID, such as cognitive fatigue, attention difficulties, emotional dysregulation, and sleep disturbances-symptoms that have also been observed in other conditions involving nervous system stress or dysregulation.
While outcomes vary from person to person, many individuals report improved clarity, emotional steadiness, and resilience over the course of training .
What other therapies do we offer that can help?
In addition to Neurofeedback (NFB), Boston Neurodynamics provides a range of complementary, evidence-informed therapies.
These modalities are designed to support brain and body regulation and can be used individually or in combination.
- Bioregulation Therapy (BRT): Uses gentle electromagnetic signals to encourage the body’s natural self-regulation and restore balance in the nervous system.
- Photobiomodulation (PBM): Uses light (photonic) energy to modulate the function of cells; this is accomplished by stimulating molecular entities capable of absorbing discrete wavelengths.
Clear the Neuro-Inflammation and Mental Fog of Long COVID.
Long COVID can leave the nervous system in a state of chronic, low-grade neuro-inflammation, disrupting sleep, energy, and cognitive clarity. If you are struggling with “brain fog” and autonomic dysregulation, neurofeedback can help retrain and stabilize dysregulated cortical activity, helping your brain recover its pre-illness processing capacity.
Selected Long COVID and Neurofeedback related research
- Antony, A. R., & Haneef, Z. (2020). Systematic review of EEG findings in 617 patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Seizure, 83, 234-241.
- Boissoneault, J., Letzen, Janelle, Lai, S., O’Shea, A., Craggs, J., Robinson, M. E., & Staud, R. (2016). Abnormal resting state functional connectivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: An arterial spin-labeling fMRI study. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 34(5), 603-608.
- Dani, M., Dirksen, A., Taraborrelli, P., Torocastro, M., Panagopoulos, D., Sutton, R., & Lim, P. B. (2021). Autonomic dysfunction in ‘long COVID’: Rationale, physiology and management strategies. Clinical Medicine, 21(1), e63-e67.
- Flor-Henry, P., Lind, J. C., & Koles, Z. J. (2010). EEG source analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 181(2), 155-164.
- Gogia, B., Thottempudi, N., Ajam, Y., Singh, A., Ghanayem, T., Dabi, A., Fang, X., Masel, T., & Rai, P. (2021). EEG characteristics in COVID-19 survivors and non-survivors with seizures and encephalopathy. Cureus, 13(10), e18476.
- Kopańska, M., Banaś-Ząbczyk, A., Łagowska, A., Kuduk, B., & Szczygielski, J. (2021). Changes in EEG recordings in COVID-19 patients as a basis for more accurate QEEG diagnostics and EEG neurofeedback therapy: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(6), 1300.
- Kubota, T., Gajera, P. K., & Kuroda, N. (2021). Meta-analysis of EEG findings in patients with COVID-19. Epilepsy & Behavior, 115, 107682.
- Le Bon, O., Neu, D., Berquin, Y., Lanquart, J.-P., Hoffmann, R., Mairesse, O., & Armitage, R. (2012). Ultra-slow delta power in chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychiatry Research, 200(2-3), 742-747.
- Maksoud, R., du Preez, S., Eaton-Fitch, N., Thapaliya, K., Barnden, L., Cabanas, H., Staines, D., & Marshall-Gradisnik, S. (2020). A systematic review of neurological impairments in myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome using neuroimaging techniques. PLOS ONE, 15(4), e0232475.
- Marshall, M. (2021). COVID and the brain: Researchers zero in on how damage occurs. Nature, 595(7868), 484-485.
- Poenaru, S., Abdallah, S. J., Corrales-Medina, V., & Cowan, J. (2021). COVID-19 and post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A narrative review. Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease, 8, 1-16.
- Sherlin, L., Budzynski, T., Kogan Budzynski, H., Congedo, M., Fischer, M. E., & Buchwald, D. (2007). Low-resolution electromagnetic brain tomography (LORETA) of monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome. NeuroImage, 34(4), 1438-1442.
- Wu, T., Qi, X., Su, Y., Teng, J., & Xu, X. (2016). Electroencephalogram characteristics in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 12, 241-246.
- Zinn, M. A., Zinn, M. L., Valencia, I., Jason, L. A., & Montoya, J. G. (2018). Cortical hypoactivation during resting EEG suggests central nervous system pathology in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Biological Psychology, 136, 87-99.