Evolution of musculoskeletal symptoms in Long COVID syndrome: a lexical analysis to approach requirements for an interdisciplinary management

Long COVID syndrome is characterized by new, returning, or persistent symptoms after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among the potential long-term effects of COVID-19, several different musculoskeletal symptoms have been reported in many patients with an important impact on quality of life. The rehabilitation needs of Long COVID patients could be dynamic. However, to date there are no studies that have evaluated how the rehabilitation needs of patients with Long COVID syndrome have changed over time. We conducted a literature review to summarize the most recurrent manifestations of the Long COVID syndrome during the three years of the pandemic, as well as the evolution of musculoskeletal symptoms, through lexical analysis. This approach allowed us to investigate the literature, highlighting how the most used words to describe Long COVID symptoms and outcomes have changed over different periods. Our analysis showed an increasing involvement of the musculoskeletal system in Long COVID symptomatology, as evidenced by the progressive growth of fatigue and weakness symptoms over time. In addition, arthralgia has always been associated with Long COVID. The lexical analysis we conducted emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary management, as the symptoms reported are interconnected. Moreover, this novel approach highlights that the Long COVID syndrome can be interpreted as a dynamic entity requiring up-to-date rehabilitative interventions. The worldwide healthcare systems should be founded on multidisciplinary teams to guarantee early and comprehensive rehabilitation to reduce the socio-sanitary burden associated with this syndrome.

ChatGPT in the development of medical questionnaires. The example of the low back pain

In the last year, Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), a web software based on artificial intelligence has been showing high potential in every field of knowledge. In the medical area, its possible application is an object of many studies with promising results. We performed the current study to investigate the possible usefulness of ChatGPT in assessing low back pain. We asked ChatGPT to generate a questionnaire about this clinical condition and we compared the obtained questions and results with the ones obtained by other validated questionnaires: Oswestry Disability Index, Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, and Numeric Rating Scale for pain. We enrolled 20 subjects with low back pain and we found important consistencies among the validated questionnaires. The ChatGPT questionnaire showed an acceptable significant correlation only with Oswestry Disability Index and Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale. ChatGPT showed some peculiarities, especially in the assessment of quality of life and medical consultation and treatments. Our study shows that ChatGPT can help evaluate patients, including multilevel perspectives. However, its power is limited, and further research and validation are required.

Effects of the Full-Body in-Bed Gym program on quality of life, pain and risk of sarcopenia in elderly sedentary individuals: preliminary positive results of a Padua prospective observational study

Age-related muscle loss poses a significant health concern in an aging population. This study aimed to assess the impact of a home Full-Body in-Bed Gym protocol on quality of life, pain and risk of sarcopenia in elderly subjects. A total of 22 subjects with a median age of 71.90 years were included in the study. Patients participating in the Full-Body in-Bed Gym program, with a frequency of three times a week for two months, demonstrated a significant enhancement in their quality of life, as indicated by the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) Mental Component Summary (p = 0.04), and an improvement in pain levels (p = 0.03). Although not statistically significant, there was also an improvement in sarcopenia risk. Patients were given the freedom to decide whether to continue treatment after the evaluation of outcomes. Patient compliance with the exercise protocol over six months indicated its feasibility and sustainability, even in the long term. These findings suggest that the Full-Body in-Bed Gym protocol may play a valuable role in mitigating age-related muscle loss, emphasizing the importance of further investigation into such rehabilitation and prevention strategies.