🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 170 (from laksa181)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa170.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/long-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/long-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/long-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self","crawl_time":1776415971,"first_indexed_time":1714657350,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,uclahealth!www,\/news\/release\/long-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self s443","src_root_hash":"15898094397791395770","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Long COVID patients report improvements following self-regulation therapy, study finds - Psychiatry | UCLA Health","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"A new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies.\nThe small-scale\nstudy\nLink is external\n, published in the\nJournal of Psychosomatic Research\n, recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature. \nClinical psychologist Dr.\nNatacha\nEmerson\nLink is external\n, the study’s lead author and\nassistant clinical professor in the \nUCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral\nSciences\nLink is external\n, said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve \nboth the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID.\nImmediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention. \nStudy participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point.\n“\nOur biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said.\nAn estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year.\n“It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID\nare not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.” \nEmerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.”\nThe authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements. \nEmerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol. \nArticle: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999,\nhttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111625\nLink is external","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/long-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self#main-content)\n\nExplore links (header)\n\nExplore UCLA Health\n\n- [UCLA Health Home](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/discover\/about)\n- [Cancer Center](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/cancer)\n- [Hospitals & Clinics](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/locations)\n- [School of Medicine](https:\/\/medschool.ucla.edu\/)\n- [Academic Departments](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/departments)\n- [News & Insights](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news)\n- 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[Psychiatry](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/medical-services\/psychiatry)\n\nPsychiatry\n\n# Long COVID patients report improvements following self-regulation therapy, study finds\n\nUCLA Health researchers say findings show potential for low-cost, non-invasive symptom relief\n\n![Rendering of a coronavirus](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/landscape_3x2_016000_640x427\/public\/images\/c1\/istock-1366654397.jpg?f=4d01a217&itok=N35O59py)\n\nCredit: Getty Images\n\nMarch 13, 2024\n\nBy [Will Houston](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/will-houston)\n\n3 min read\n\nA new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies.\n\nThe small-scale [study Link is external](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0022399924000370?dgcid=author), published in the *Journal of Psychosomatic Research*, recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature.\n\nClinical psychologist Dr. [Natacha Emerson Link is external](https:\/\/profiles.ucla.edu\/natacha.emerson), the study’s lead author and assistant clinical professor in the [UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Link is external](https:\/\/www.semel.ucla.edu\/psychiatry), said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve both the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID.\n\nImmediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention.\n\nStudy participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point.\n\n**“**Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said.\n\nAn estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year.\n\n“It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID are not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.”\n\nEmerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.”\n\nThe authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements.\n\nEmerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol.\n\n*Article: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999,* [*https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111625* Link is external](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111625)\n\n[View All News & Insights](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news)\n\n## Related Content\n### Articles:\n- [Covid-19](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/search?f%5B0%5D=tag%3A78736)\n- [Psychiatry](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/search?f%5B0%5D=tag%3A78846)\n- [Science & Research](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/search?f%5B0%5D=topic%3A80101)\n\n### Services:\n- [Long COVID Treatment](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/medical-services\/long-covid)\n- [Psychiatry Services](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/medical-services\/psychiatry)\n## Physician\n![Natacha D. Emerson, PhD](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/square_006000_240x240\/public\/images\/emerson-natacha-1922533314.jpg?h=ba8973e9&f=07b7801c&itok=1wcFa7sK)\n\nNatacha D. Emerson, PhD\n\nPediatric Psychology\n\n[Natacha D. Emerson, PhD](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/providers\/natacha-emerson)\n\n## Media Contact\nWill Houston\n\n(310) 948-2966\n\n[whouston@mednet.ucla.edu](mailto:whouston@mednet.ucla.edu)\n\nShare:\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclahealth.org%2Fnews%2Frelease%2Flong-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self)\n- [X-Twitter](https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclahealth.org%2Fnews%2Frelease%2Flong-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclahealth.org%2Fnews%2Frelease%2Flong-covid-patients-report-improvements-following-self)\n\n## Related Articles\n![Microscopy image showing senescent macrophages in red and cholesterol-laden lipid droplets – a key driver of senescence – in green. ](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/landscape_3x2_012000_480x320\/public\/images\/ff\/main-image_0.png?f=021bcd0b&itok=ift2vBjZ)\n\n### [UCLA scientists identify zombie immune cells as a driver of fatty liver disease, inflammation and aging](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/ucla-scientists-identify-zombie-immune-cells-driver-fatty)\nApril 16, 2026\n\n5 min read\n\n![Headshot of Dr. Zhentao Yang](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/landscape_3x2_012000_480x320\/public\/images\/07\/zhentao-yang-extended.jpg?f=0802bcbe&itok=4lPMYiTQ)\n\n### [Dr. Zhentao Yang receives Young Investigator Award to advance melanoma treatment strategies](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/dr-zhentao-yang-receives-young-investigator-award-advance)\nApril 15, 2026\n\n2 min read\n\n![Skeletal muscle of mammal Tissue under the microscope.](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/landscape_3x2_012000_480x320\/public\/images\/e4\/istock-1324069523.jpg?f=7f903065&itok=7cr-4K0o)\n\n### [UCLA researchers awarded \\$1.6M NIH R01 grant to combat accelerated muscle aging after cancer treatment](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/ucla-researchers-awarded-16m-nih-r01-grant-combat)\nApril 14, 2026\n\n2 min read\n\n[View all Science & Research articles](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/search\/?f%5B0%5D=topic%3A80101)\n\n[![UCLA Health](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/themes\/custom\/uclahealth\/dist\/images\/ucla-health-logo-footer.svg)](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/)\n\n- ### CONNECT WITH US\n  - 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We care.](https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/patient-resources\/support-information\/patient-experience\/we-listen-we-care)\n\n© 2026 UCLA Health","attrs_readable_markdown":"A new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies.\n\nThe small-scale [study Link is external](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0022399924000370?dgcid=author), published in the *Journal of Psychosomatic Research*, recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature.\n\nClinical psychologist Dr. [Natacha Emerson Link is external](https:\/\/profiles.ucla.edu\/natacha.emerson), the study’s lead author and assistant clinical professor in the [UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Link is external](https:\/\/www.semel.ucla.edu\/psychiatry), said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve both the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID.\n\nImmediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention.\n\nStudy participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point.\n\n**“**Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said.\n\nAn estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year.\n\n“It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID are not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.”\n\nEmerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.”\n\nThe authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements.\n\nEmerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol.\n\n*Article: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999,* [*https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111625* Link is external](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111625)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	A new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies. The small-scale study Link is external , published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research , recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature. Clinical psychologist Dr. Natacha Emerson Link is external , the study’s lead author and assistant clinical professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Link is external , said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve both the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID. Immediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention. Study participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point. “ Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said. An estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year. “It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID are not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.” Emerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.” The authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements. Emerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol. Article: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111625 Link is external
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[Contact Us](https://www.uclahealth.org/contact-us) Breadcrumb 1. [Home](https://www.uclahealth.org/) 2. [Medical Services](https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services) 3. [Psychiatry](https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/psychiatry) Psychiatry # Long COVID patients report improvements following self-regulation therapy, study finds UCLA Health researchers say findings show potential for low-cost, non-invasive symptom relief ![Rendering of a coronavirus](https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_3x2_016000_640x427/public/images/c1/istock-1366654397.jpg?f=4d01a217&itok=N35O59py) Credit: Getty Images March 13, 2024 By [Will Houston](https://www.uclahealth.org/news/will-houston) 3 min read A new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies. The small-scale [study Link is external](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399924000370?dgcid=author), published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature. Clinical psychologist Dr. [Natacha Emerson Link is external](https://profiles.ucla.edu/natacha.emerson), the study’s lead author and assistant clinical professor in the [UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Link is external](https://www.semel.ucla.edu/psychiatry), said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve both the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID. Immediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention. Study participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point. “Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said. An estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year. “It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID are not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.” Emerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.” The authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements. Emerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol. Article: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111625 Link is external](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111625) [View All News & Insights](https://www.uclahealth.org/news) ## Related Content ### Articles: - [Covid-19](https://www.uclahealth.org/news/search?f%5B0%5D=tag%3A78736) - [Psychiatry](https://www.uclahealth.org/news/search?f%5B0%5D=tag%3A78846) - [Science & Research](https://www.uclahealth.org/news/search?f%5B0%5D=topic%3A80101) ### Services: - [Long COVID Treatment](https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/long-covid) - [Psychiatry Services](https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/psychiatry) ## Physician ![Natacha D. Emerson, PhD](https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_006000_240x240/public/images/emerson-natacha-1922533314.jpg?h=ba8973e9&f=07b7801c&itok=1wcFa7sK) Natacha D. 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Readable Markdown	A new UCLA-led study suggests that some people living with long COVID may be able to alleviate certain symptoms by using short-term, self-regulating therapies. The small-scale [study Link is external](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399924000370?dgcid=author), published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, recruited a group of 20 long COVID patients, many of whom had been experiencing symptoms for more than a year. Each participant underwent six sessions of biofeedback therapy, which involves the practice of breathwork and relaxation techniques paired with visual feedback to teach self-regulation of autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature. Clinical psychologist Dr. [Natacha Emerson Link is external](https://profiles.ucla.edu/natacha.emerson), the study’s lead author and assistant clinical professor in the [UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Link is external](https://www.semel.ucla.edu/psychiatry), said her study sought to test whether biofeedback would improve both the physical symptoms associated with long COVID and the psychological distress that often accompanies untreated chronic symptoms. While biofeedback has been established for chronic somatic symptoms, this is the first study to explore its effects in long COVID. Immediately following the six-weeks of treatment, participants self-reported significant improvements in physical, depression and anxiety symptoms as well as in sleep and quality of life. The benefits were also sustained three months later without further intervention. Study participants also reported fewer visits to their medical providers and reduced use of prescribed medications at this three-month time point. “Our biggest hope is that we’ve identified a way to alleviate chronic physical symptoms that are not successfully treated by standard biomedical approaches, and that we did so with a short-term, non-pharmacological model that is easily scalable,” Emerson said. An estimated 65 million people worldwide are reported to have long COVID, which causes a constellation of physical and mental health symptoms including brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. A patient is considered to have long COVID if they have persistent symptoms for at least three months, though many patients report ongoing symptoms lasting more than a year. “It is important to underscore that while this behavioral intervention may help symptoms, patients with long COVID are not in control of their symptoms and are not faking or exaggerating what they report to their doctors,” Emerson said. “Whether it is a racing heart rate, chronic cough, or fatigue, these are real symptoms, just not rooted in a disease process. Instead, we think the autonomic nervous system is off balance and signaling fight or flight mechanisms, similarly to what we see in panic attacks.” Emerson adds: “What is exciting is that we are restoring hope in people who feared they would be disabled long-term. And if this tool works, it is one they can practice long term and might apply to future periods of stress.” The authors said the study has several limitations including a small sample size and lack of a control group for comparison. Additionally, some patients were co-enrolled in other treatments such as acupuncture or psychotherapy, which may have contributed to overall improvements. Emerson and colleagues hope to replicate findings through a randomized control trial, including comparing biofeedback to other treatments such as psychotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. Other areas of study could include the addition of brain imaging techniques or inflammation-based biomarkers such as cortisol. Article: An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID Published March 7, 2024, Emerson et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research 179, 2024, 11625, ISSN 0022-3999, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111625 Link is external](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111625)
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