이 페이지는 자동 번역되었으며 번역의 정확성을 보장하지 않습니다. 참조하십시오 영문판 원본 텍스트의 경우.

Fatigue in Long COVID (FALCON)

2026년 7월 7일 업데이트: Jason Busse, McMaster University

Fatigue in Long COVID Managed With Conservative Care: An International, Randomized Controlled Trial (FALCON Trial)

Long COVID affects about 6 in 100 people after a COVID-19 infection. It can cause ongoing problems like ongoing tiredness, muscle pain, and "brain fog." We know very little about which treatments might be helpful for long COVID.

The goal of this trial is to compare two treatments for people with long COVID to try to manage their symptoms. The main question is to assess whether the Lightning Process is effective for people living with long COVID compared to activity pacing. Each person will be placed into one of the two groups randomly (by chance, like flipping a coin). Activity pacing helps people balance rest and daily activities. The Lightning Process teaches ways to change thought patterns and body responses to symptoms. We will include 100 adults with long COVID. Everything will be done online, including filling out surveys about health and daily life. The goal is to find out which approach helps people feel better and improve their daily activities.

연구 개요

상태

아직 모집하지 않음

정황

상세 설명

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented global health crisis, affecting millions globally and causing significant health and economic consequences. Although most people recover from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a substantial minority, approximately 6 to 15%, develop persistent symptoms that last for months and impair daily function, commonly referred to as post-COVID-19 condition or long COVID. Common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, myalgia, dyspnea, sleep disturbance, and cognitive dysfunction ("brain fog"). The prevalence of long COVID is difficult to establish because most symptoms are nonspecific and many data sources rely on study designs that cannot confidently attribute symptoms to prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite this uncertainty, converging evidence points to a large global burden, with >65 million people estimated to be living with functional limitations attributed to long COVID. The Lightning Process (LP), is a mind-body training program that is hypothesized to help individuals to develop a conscious influence on their level of functioning, using practical tools such as discussion, gentle movement and meditation-like techniques. Emerging evidence suggests that gradually re-engaging long COVID patients in physical activation and modifying unhelpful beliefs may promote recovery. There are currently no established treatments for long COVID, and patients often use activity pacing to manage their symptoms. The purpose of this trial is to establish the efficacy and safety of LP vs. activity pacing in adults living with long COVID. We hypothesize that in our trial, people randomized to LP will report greater improvement in fatigue compared to those receiving activity pacing. Our trial will enroll people living with long COVID who are motivated and show willingness to change their condition through intervention. The trial will assess whether, among adults living with long COVID (post COVID-19 condition) and persistent, function limiting symptoms, LP improves fatigue and other patient important outcomes, compared to activity pacing.

The primary objective is to assess the effect of LP vs. activity pacing on fatigue among adults with long COVID.

The secondary objectives are to assess the effect of LP vs. activity pacing on

  • Physical functioning
  • Pain severity
  • Post exertional malaise
  • Health related quality of life
  • Somatic symptom severity
  • Functional impairment
  • Respiratory function
  • Adverse events and serious adverse events

Both LP and pacing interventions span 26 weeks. Patients assigned to the LP intervention will complete a brief preparatory phase, then attend three consecutive core sessions. The LP protocol includes two follow-up calls one week apart and a booster call at week 26. Patients assigned to the pacing intervention complete 15 sessions over 24 weeks-four weekly sessions, then sessions every two weeks until week 26.

Participants will complete outcome measures at 6 months, coinciding with the immediate the end of the intervention, and at 9 and 12 months. The post-treatment time point estimates the proximal effect of LP compared to pacing, where contamination is lowest, co-interventions are least likely to diverge across arms, and any harms (e.g., post-exertional worsening) are most plausibly related to the assigned strategy.

연구 유형

중재적

등록 (추정된)

100

단계

  • 해당 없음

연락처 및 위치

이 섹션에서는 연구를 수행하는 사람들의 연락처 정보와 이 연구가 수행되는 장소에 대한 정보를 제공합니다.

연구 연락처

  • 이름: Dr. Jason Busse, PhD, Professor
  • 전화번호: (905) 525-9140
  • 이메일: bussejw@mcmaster.ca

연구 연락처 백업

참여기준

연구원은 적격성 기준이라는 특정 설명에 맞는 사람을 찾습니다. 이러한 기준의 몇 가지 예는 개인의 일반적인 건강 상태 또는 이전 치료입니다.

자격 기준

공부할 수 있는 나이

  • 성인
  • 고령자

건강한 자원 봉사자를 받아들입니다

아니

설명

Inclusion Criteria:

  • The inclusion criteria for participants are:

    1. Adults aged 18 to 65 years
    2. Meeting the WHO clinical case definition for long COVID and
    3. Self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and brain fog.
    4. Reporting a minimum score of ≥35 on the Checklist Individual Strength CIS-fatigue domain.
    5. Able to speak and read English
    6. Scoring higher in contemplation, action or maintenance scores than the precontemplation phase on the readiness to change questionnaire
    7. Provides consent for study participation.
    8. Consistent access to an internet-connected device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop) that can facilitate access to the study interventions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The exclusion criteria are:

    1. Long COVID participants whose presentation is primarily restricted to anosmia.
    2. Participants with Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) or serious organic sequelae of COVID-19, such as structural lung injury attributable to mechanical ventilation or other organ damage requiring ongoing specialist management.
    3. Participants who will not be able to attend intervention sessions or follow up visits due to anticipated significant life changes or relocation.
    4. Unable to provide informed consent (e.g. cognitive disability, language barrier)
    5. Co-morbidities that likely to impair function for as long or longer than long COVID
    6. Current participation in psychotherapy, structured physical rehabilitation (e.g., physiotherapy or occupational therapy), or another trial that does not permit co-enrollment.

공부 계획

이 섹션에서는 연구 설계 방법과 연구가 측정하는 내용을 포함하여 연구 계획에 대한 세부 정보를 제공합니다.

연구는 어떻게 설계됩니까?

디자인 세부사항

  • 주 목적: 치료
  • 할당: 무작위
  • 중재 모델: 병렬 할당
  • 마스킹: 없음(오픈 라벨)

무기와 개입

참가자 그룹 / 팔
개입 / 치료
실험적: Lightning Process
Lightning Process is a mind body intervention that focusses on identifying and interrupting negative thoughts that may affect fatigue.
LP is a mind body intervention which is delivered over 3 consecutive days to individuals or in groups via video technology. The sessions are approximately 4 hours long. Experienced LP practitioners will deliver the LP intervention remotely and individually. The intervention is comprised of a preparation phase, core sessions, and follow-up. Preparation consists of an audio home-study module (about 4 hours total) and about 1 hour of preparatory coaching by telephone or videoconference in the days to weeks before delivery of the LP intervention to orient participants to the approach and address any questions.
활성 비교기: Activity pacing
Activity pacing is a self-management strategy that balances activity and rest to manage fatigue, allowing individuals to maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day.
Activity Pacing, a self-management strategy that balances activity and rest to manage fatigue, allowing individuals to maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day. The aim of activity pacing is to avoid symptom exacerbations whilst achieving as much as possible with limited energy. Pacing focusses on developing awareness not only of the symptoms but also more subtle indicators that herald a future exacerbation of symptoms (listening to your body) and becoming aware of effect of activity or lack of rest on disability. Senior occupational therapy students will deliver activity pacing remotely and individually by videoconference.

연구는 무엇을 측정합니까?

주요 결과 측정

결과 측정
측정값 설명
기간
Fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue)
기간: 12 months
The primary outcome will be the mean change in fatigue scores between Lightning Process and activity pacing group at 12 months post randomization. This will be assessed on the fatigue domain of the 8-item Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-fatigue) at 12 months follow-up. The CIS-fatigue domain consists of 8 items with a total score ranging from 8 to 56, with higher scores indicating more severe fatigue.
12 months

2차 결과 측정

결과 측정
측정값 설명
기간
Respiratory function (Dyspnea-12)
기간: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in respiratory functioning will be assessed with the Dyspnea-12 (D-12) Scale which measures the current level of a patient's breathlessness severity, incorporating both physical and affective aspects, and does not depend on activity limitation. Each item scored from 0-3, for a total score range of 0-36. Higher scores indicate worse dyspnea.
6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Post Exertional Malaise (De Paul Symptom Questionnaire)
기간: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in post exertional malaise (PEM) will be measured using a brief questionnaire derived from De Paul Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ). It is a 5-item self-report tool that evaluates common symptoms of long COVID, including worsening after physical or mental activity, recovery duration and activity intolerance. Each item is scored 0-4 on 5-point Likert scale. A score of ≥2 for frequency and ≥2 for severity on any item suggests PEM.
Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Daily Pain (Brief Pain Inventory Short Form)
기간: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in pain will be assessed using Brief Pain Inventory short form (BPI-SF). This is a 9-item questionnaire used to evaluate the severity of a patient's pain and the impact of their pain on daily functioning. The BPI-SF evaluates pain severity at its worst, least, and average during the previous week, as well as current pain level, with 0 representing no pain and 10 the worst pain imaginable.
6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue)
기간: 6 months and 9 months
Change in fatigue scores will be measured at 6 and 9 months post randomization. This will be assessed on the fatigue domain of the 8-item CIS-fatigue scale at 6 and 9 months follow-up.
6 months and 9 months
Physical function (SF-12)
기간: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in physical functioning will be measured using Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) scale, a 12-item questionnaire that assesses physical and mental health status.
Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Health related quality of life (EuroQol-5 Dimensions)
기간: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Health related quality of life will be measured using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) scale that provides a generic measure of health for clinical and economic appraisal. Its a continuous (scale 0-100). Higher scores relate to better health.
Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Severity of somatic symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-15)
기간: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in somatic symptoms will be measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) that screens for somatization concerns and monitors symptom severity. Its a continuous (scale 0-30). Higher scores relate to greater somatic symptom severity.
6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Functional impairment (Work and Social Adjustment Scale)
기간: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Change in functional impairment will be measured through Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) scale. Its a 5-item continuous scale (0-40) of functional impairment attributable to an identified problem. Higher scores relate to severely impaired.
6 months, 9 months, and 12 months
Adverse Events (AEs)
기간: Up to 12 months
To ensure participant safety, adverse events (AEs) will be documented at each follow-up visit.
Up to 12 months
Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
기간: Up to 12 months
To ensure participant safety, serious adverse events (SAEs) will be documented at each follow-up visit.
Up to 12 months

공동 작업자 및 조사자

여기에서 이 연구와 관련된 사람과 조직을 찾을 수 있습니다.

연구 기록 날짜

이 날짜는 ClinicalTrials.gov에 대한 연구 기록 및 요약 결과 제출의 진행 상황을 추적합니다. 연구 기록 및 보고된 결과는 공개 웹사이트에 게시되기 전에 특정 품질 관리 기준을 충족하는지 확인하기 위해 국립 의학 도서관(NLM)에서 검토합니다.

연구 주요 날짜

연구 시작 (추정된)

2026년 11월 1일

기본 완료 (추정된)

2028년 12월 1일

연구 완료 (추정된)

2028년 12월 1일

연구 등록 날짜

최초 제출

2026년 6월 25일

QC 기준을 충족하는 최초 제출

2026년 7월 7일

처음 게시됨 (실제)

2026년 7월 13일

연구 기록 업데이트

마지막 업데이트 게시됨 (실제)

2026년 7월 13일

QC 기준을 충족하는 마지막 업데이트 제출

2026년 7월 7일

마지막으로 확인됨

2026년 7월 1일

추가 정보

이 연구와 관련된 용어

개별 참가자 데이터(IPD) 계획

개별 참가자 데이터(IPD)를 공유할 계획입니까?

IPD 계획 설명

The study protocol will be published and publicly available. We will share the de-identified data with investigators who have ethics approval for the specific secondary analysis and sign a data sharing agreement. Due to privacy concerns, the complete data files will not be shared online.

IPD 공유 기간

The study protocol will be publicly available upon study commencement.

IPD 공유 액세스 기준

Anonymized data will be shared upon reasonable request from other researchers for use in specific research projects on long COVID when the main analyses are completed and published.

IPD 공유 지원 정보 유형

  • 연구_프로토콜

약물 및 장치 정보, 연구 문서

미국 FDA 규제 의약품 연구

아니

미국 FDA 규제 기기 제품 연구

아니

이 정보는 변경 없이 clinicaltrials.gov 웹사이트에서 직접 가져온 것입니다. 귀하의 연구 세부 정보를 변경, 제거 또는 업데이트하도록 요청하는 경우 register@clinicaltrials.gov. 문의하십시오. 변경 사항이 clinicaltrials.gov에 구현되는 즉시 저희 웹사이트에도 자동으로 업데이트됩니다. .

긴 COVID에 대한 임상 시험

Lightning Process에 대한 임상 시험

3
구독하다