A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome

Abstract Following the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a large number of people continue to report Post-COVID symptoms (PCS). A wide variety of symptoms are described, including fatigue, post-exertional malaise and cognitive impairment. However, adequate objective diagnostic tests for...

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Main Authors: Moritz Güttes, Marianna Lucio, Adam Skornia, Eva Rühl, Fritz Steußloff, Julia Zott, Christian Mardin, Wolfgang Mehringer, Marion Ganslmayer, Georg Michelson, Bettina Hohberger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76827-7
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author Moritz Güttes
Marianna Lucio
Adam Skornia
Eva Rühl
Fritz Steußloff
Julia Zott
Christian Mardin
Wolfgang Mehringer
Marion Ganslmayer
Georg Michelson
Bettina Hohberger
author_facet Moritz Güttes
Marianna Lucio
Adam Skornia
Eva Rühl
Fritz Steußloff
Julia Zott
Christian Mardin
Wolfgang Mehringer
Marion Ganslmayer
Georg Michelson
Bettina Hohberger
author_sort Moritz Güttes
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Following the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a large number of people continue to report Post-COVID symptoms (PCS). A wide variety of symptoms are described, including fatigue, post-exertional malaise and cognitive impairment. However, adequate objective diagnostic tests for PCS are not yet available. Since the neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 could be a possible factor for cognitive impairment, the aim of this study was to clarify whether visual reaction time (RT) in a stereoscopic setting can be a marker in PCS diagnostics. The Virtual-Reality-Oculomotor-Test-System (VR-OTS) was used testing binocular vision in 9 gaze directions via stereoscopic stimuli displayed in a virtual reality (VR)-environment (disparity: 275″, 550″, 1100″) in 179 individuals: 130 patients with PCS and 49 healthy controls. The results from the generalized linear models indicated that both group membership (PCS vs. control) and covariates (age and sex) yielded statistically significant different RT across the models. Accounting for the effect of covariates a statistically significant difference of RT was observed between patients with PCS and controls (disparity 275″ p-value = 0.001; 550″ p-value = 0.001; 1100″ p-value = 0.003). Patients with PCS performed worse in RT in all gaze directions, respectively. Adjusting for the influence of covariates, correct responses (CR) differed significantly between patients with PCS and controls (disparity 275″ p-value < 0.001; 550″ p-value = 0.003; 1100″ p-value = 0.019). Statistically significant effects of covariates on RT were observed for sex (disparity 275″ p-value = 0.047; 550″ p-value = 0.012; 1100″ p-value = 0.005) and age (disparity 275″ p-value < 0.001; 550″ p-value < 0.001; 1100″ p-value < 0.001). However, regarding covariates, no significant effects were found for CR, except for age at disparity 275″ (p-value = 0.035). The present data suggested that the mentioned variables uniquely contributed to explain the variation of the response variable (RT, CR). RT and CR detecting 3D-stimuli in a virtual 3D- environment might offer novel functional diagnostic approaches in PCS.
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spelling doaj-art-b80dedc5e0514c94be045f8dd67b68502025-08-20T03:53:57ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114111210.1038/s41598-024-76827-7A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndromeMoritz Güttes0Marianna Lucio1Adam Skornia2Eva Rühl3Fritz Steußloff4Julia Zott5Christian Mardin6Wolfgang Mehringer7Marion Ganslmayer8Georg Michelson9Bettina Hohberger10Department of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergResearch Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum MünchenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE), Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab (MaD Lab), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)Department of Internal Medicine 1, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- NürnbergAbstract Following the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a large number of people continue to report Post-COVID symptoms (PCS). A wide variety of symptoms are described, including fatigue, post-exertional malaise and cognitive impairment. However, adequate objective diagnostic tests for PCS are not yet available. Since the neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 could be a possible factor for cognitive impairment, the aim of this study was to clarify whether visual reaction time (RT) in a stereoscopic setting can be a marker in PCS diagnostics. The Virtual-Reality-Oculomotor-Test-System (VR-OTS) was used testing binocular vision in 9 gaze directions via stereoscopic stimuli displayed in a virtual reality (VR)-environment (disparity: 275″, 550″, 1100″) in 179 individuals: 130 patients with PCS and 49 healthy controls. The results from the generalized linear models indicated that both group membership (PCS vs. control) and covariates (age and sex) yielded statistically significant different RT across the models. Accounting for the effect of covariates a statistically significant difference of RT was observed between patients with PCS and controls (disparity 275″ p-value = 0.001; 550″ p-value = 0.001; 1100″ p-value = 0.003). Patients with PCS performed worse in RT in all gaze directions, respectively. Adjusting for the influence of covariates, correct responses (CR) differed significantly between patients with PCS and controls (disparity 275″ p-value < 0.001; 550″ p-value = 0.003; 1100″ p-value = 0.019). Statistically significant effects of covariates on RT were observed for sex (disparity 275″ p-value = 0.047; 550″ p-value = 0.012; 1100″ p-value = 0.005) and age (disparity 275″ p-value < 0.001; 550″ p-value < 0.001; 1100″ p-value < 0.001). However, regarding covariates, no significant effects were found for CR, except for age at disparity 275″ (p-value = 0.035). The present data suggested that the mentioned variables uniquely contributed to explain the variation of the response variable (RT, CR). RT and CR detecting 3D-stimuli in a virtual 3D- environment might offer novel functional diagnostic approaches in PCS.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76827-7
spellingShingle Moritz Güttes
Marianna Lucio
Adam Skornia
Eva Rühl
Fritz Steußloff
Julia Zott
Christian Mardin
Wolfgang Mehringer
Marion Ganslmayer
Georg Michelson
Bettina Hohberger
A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
Scientific Reports
title A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
title_full A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
title_fullStr A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
title_full_unstemmed A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
title_short A case-control study of reaction time deficits in a 3D virtual reality in patients with Post-COVID syndrome
title_sort case control study of reaction time deficits in a 3d virtual reality in patients with post covid syndrome
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76827-7
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