Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41521322›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2026

Characterizing Neuro-PASC outcome with the mobile Neuro-COVID recovery care companion application.

Grace K Lank, Shreya Budhiraja, Jordan I Gaelen, Shreya Mukherjee, Tracey Singer, Aditi Venkatesh, Millenia Jimenez, Janet Miller, Melissa Lopez, C J Duax and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Grace K LankDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Shreya BudhirajaDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Jordan I GaelenDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Shreya MukherjeeDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Tracey SingerDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Aditi VenkateshDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Millenia JimenezDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Janet MillerDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Melissa LopezDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
C J DuaxNorthwestern Medicine Information Technology Department, Chicago, IL, USA.
David BlahnikNorthwestern Medicine Information Technology Department, Chicago, IL, USA.
Doug KingNorthwestern Medicine Information Technology Department, Chicago, IL, USA.
Barbara A HansonDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Aasheeta P BawaNorthwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Shreyas BharadwajDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Ayush BatraDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Eric M LiottaDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Igor J KoralnikDavee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. igor.koralnik@northwestern.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLong COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), affects 14 million people in the US. Neurologic manifestations of PASC (Neuro-PASC) are particularly debilitating. However, the evolution of these symptoms and factors associated with recovery are poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize Neuro-PASC symptom evolution using a mobile phone application and assess user experience.

methodsThe Neuro-COVID Recovery Care Companion (NCRCC) mobile application consists of questionnaires integrated within Northwestern Medicine's online MyChart platform which interfaces with the electronic medical record. Neuro-PASC patients completed daily surveys of twelve Neuro-PASC symptoms and their perceived percent recovery compared to their pre-COVID baseline. Patients also completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) quality-of-life (QoL) surveys and NIH toolbox cognitive assessments at baseline and at 3-month follow up. Participants were retrospectively classified as "Improvers" or "Non-Improvers" based on the slope and range of their percent subjective recovery.

resultsData from 63 participants presenting an average of 12.7 months after symptom onset were analyzed, including 27 (42.9%) Improvers and 36 (57.1%) Non-Improvers. Fewer women were Improvers (50% vs 75.7%; p = 0.04). Multiple correspondence analysis showed that patients presenting with a constellation of anosmia, dysgeusia, and a lack of insomnia (p = 0.023) were less likely Improvers. Improvers had more fluctuations in their subjective recovery than Non-Improvers with greater mean variance (7.01 vs 3.79; p = 0.0004) and positive recovery slope (5.84 vs 0; p < 0.0001). There were no differences in QoL and cognition at initial assessment, but Improvers showed a trend toward increased processing speed and decreased sleep disturbance after 3 months. Both groups found the NCRCC application easy-to-use, useful, and satisfactory.

conclusionsOur findings reveal previously unrecognized fluctuations in subjective recovery of Neuro-PASC, and that women and patients presenting with anosmia and dysgeusia are less likely to improve one year from COVID-19 onset. We found broad alterations in QoL in both groups suggesting that strategies to reduce sleep disturbance and improve cognition may contribute to subjective improvement. Our results suggest similar mobile applications may benefit patients with other ill-defined chronic diseases, by equipping and empowering them on their often windy road to recovery.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mobile ApplicationsNervous System DiseasesAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQuality of LifeRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesApplicationCOVID-19Long COVIDNeurologyPost-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC)Symptom tracker

Identifiers

PMID41521322
PMCPMC12794446

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.