CHRONIC FATIGUE ETIOLOGY AND RECOVERY IN COVID-19 PATIENTS: THE ROLE OF FATIGABILITY
Trainee: Djahid Kennouche
Collaborators: Prof Jérôme Morel (CHU Saint-Etienne) and many researchers and clinicians in St-Etienne (HPL, Clinique Mutualiste), Lyon (INMG, HCL) and Grenoble (CHU).
SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY
Chronic fatigue is the most common and debilitating symptom in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. Indeed, it has been widely reported that patients who stayed in ICU for prolonged periods report persistent feelings of tiredness for months to years after ICU discharge. This symptom seems particularly pronounced in Covid-19 patients and may affect their quality of life by decreasing their capacity to perform simple tasks of daily life.
The aim of the present project is to determine whether deteriorated neuromuscular function (i.e. increased fatigability) is involved in the feeling of fatigue of Covid-19 patients. Because the causes of fatigue are multi-factorial, a large battery of tests will allow us to better understand the origin of chronic fatigue. A better knowledge of chronic fatigue etiology and its recovery will allow to optimize rehabilitation treatments to shorten the persistence of chronic fatigue and in fine improve life quality.
Key words: Intensive care unit, fatigue, neuromuscular function, cardiorespiratory function, exercise.