Long COVIDCOCO-Long'RunNCT05851859
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Breathing Control Technique on Long COVID Symptoms at the Reunion University Hospital
A study testing Cardiac coherence in people with Long COVID, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion at 2 sites in France.
Trial summary
Despite the controversy, on October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Long Coronavirus disease (COVID) by officially defining it: " symptoms appeared 3 months after the onset of the primary infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), persisting for at least 2… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Long COVID
- What is being tested?
- Cardiac coherence
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesFrance
- Study dates
- 5 May 2025to Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients over the age of 18,
- living in Reunion and
- having a diagnosis of Long COVID according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition will be included in this study.
- These patients must attest to their primary infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and present a negative antigen test at the time of inclusion.
Who cannot join
- Patients:
- with a chronic or disabling respiratory pathology preventing respiratory training (asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), active tuberculosis, pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19, etc.) practicing or having practiced a regular respiratory control technique (yoga, Cardiac coherence training, etc.) in the last 6 months
- taking a beta-blocker, betamimetic, anti-arrhythmic, morphine, antidepressant treatment (Escitalopram)
- having a pacemaker or severe heart disease
- Current and known pregnancy or breastfeeding woman
- with a cognitive deficit
- under guardianship/curators or under judicial protection
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
CHU de la Réunion
Saint-Denis, 97400
Léa BRUNEAU, MD, +262262906883, lea.bruneau@chu-reunion.fr
Léa BRUNEAU, MD
- Not yet recruiting
CHU de la Réunion
Saint-Pierre, 97448
Lucie AUZANNEAU, 02 62 35 99 49 ext. +262, lucie.auzanneau@chu-reunion.fr
Patrick GERARDIN
About this study
Official title: Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Breathing Control Technique on Long COVID Symptoms at the Reunion University Hospital
Despite the controversy, on October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Long Coronavirus disease (COVID) by officially defining it: " symptoms appeared 3 months after the onset of the primary infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), persisting for at least 2 months and which cannot be explained by any other condition ". Long COVID can affects any type of patient and has polymorphic and fluctuating symptoms over time.
The Reunion Island is a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean accounting more than 860,000 inhabitants. It has recorded since March 11, 2020, nearly 491,825 cases of COVID-19 and 961 deaths of hospitalized patients. Reunion's population is multi-ethnic and younger than the metropolitan France's one. It also has a higher prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, two serious form factors of COVID-19. This specific context makes this island a particular study site for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Long COVID.
Read more
In addition, some studies have confirmed the involvement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the symptomatology of Long COVID and demonstrated that patients with a Long COVID present a dysfunction of their ANS which is objectified by a reduced Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The regulation of heart rate by the ANS is strongly favored by respiration. A regular slow and deep breathing training helps to adjust the baroreflex, which connect heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. The result of this training is an induced state called "cardiac coherence" (CC).
The investigator therefore hypothesize that respiratory training to CC could "re-educate" the ANS and durably improve the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID.
- Conditions
- Long COVID
- Being tested
- Cardiac coherence
- Medical subject headings
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cardiac coherenceOther
Use of Cardiac coherence (complementary respiratory training) during 6 month
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary respiratory training to cardiac coherence (CC) | Experimental | The " intervention " group will benefit from a complementary respiratory training to CC during 6 months in addition to the usual care procedure. Receives: Other: Cardiac coherence |
| Usual care procedure in the event of Long COVID | No intervention | The " control " group will follow a usual care procedure in the event of Long COVID |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the reduction in the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID.
mean score on the Long COVID Symptom Tool (ST) scale Score 0 to 53 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (7)
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of overall symptoms over time
Long COVID Symptom Tool (ST) scale Score 0 to 53 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: T0, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : fatigue
The 11-item Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS-11) score 0 to 11 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : dyspnoea
Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnoea scale score 0 to 5 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : Anxiety and Depression
Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) Score 0 to 42 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : cognitive disorders
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score 0 to 30 / Higher score mean better outcome
Measured: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, version 5 (PCL-5) Score 0 to 80 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to CC on the impact of the disease on daily life
Long COVID Impact Tool (IT) scale Score 0 to 60 / Higher score mean worse outcome
Measured: T0, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 May 2023
- Study start5 May 2025
- Primary completionNov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Long COVIDStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05851859
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2022/CHU/35
- Other IDs
- 2023-A00796-39
- Acronym
- COCO-Long'Run
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 4 May 2023
- Last updated
- 14 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Breathing Control Technique on Long COVID Symptoms at the Reunion University Hospital
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05851859
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- COCO-Long'Run / 2022/CHU/35
- Conditions
- Long COVID
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la RéunionUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 May 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Despite the controversy, on October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Long Coronavirus disease (COVID) by officially defining it: " symptoms appeared 3 months after the onset of the primary infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), persisting for at least 2 months and which cannot be explained by any other condition ". Long COVID can affects any type of patient and has polymorphic and fluctuating symptoms over time.
The Reunion Island is a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean accounting more than 860,000 inhabitants. It has recorded since March 11, 2020, nearly 491,825 cases of COVID-19 and 961 deaths of hospitalized patients. Reunion's population is multi-ethnic and younger than the metropolitan France's one. It also has a higher prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, two serious form factors of COVID-19. This specific context makes this island a particular study site for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Long COVID.
In addition, some studies have confirmed the involvement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the symptomatology of Long COVID and demonstrated that patients with a Long COVID present a dysfunction of their ANS which is objectified by a reduced Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The regulation of heart rate by the ANS is strongly favored by respiration. A regular slow and deep breathing training helps to adjust the baroreflex, which connect heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. The result of this training is an induced state called "cardiac coherence" (CC).
The investigator therefore hypothesize that respiratory training to CC could "re-educate" the ANS and durably improve the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary respiratory training to cardiac coherence (CC) | Experimental | Other: Cardiac coherenceThe " intervention " group will benefit from a complementary respiratory training to CC during 6 months in addition to the usual care procedure. |
| Usual care procedure in the event of Long COVID | No intervention | –The " control " group will follow a usual care procedure in the event of Long COVID |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients over the age of 18,
- living in Reunion and
- having a diagnosis of Long COVID according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition will be included in this study.
- These patients must attest to their primary infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and present a negative antigen test at the time of inclusion.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- with a chronic or disabling respiratory pathology preventing respiratory training (asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), active tuberculosis, pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19, etc.) practicing or having practiced a regular respiratory control technique (yoga, Cardiac coherence training, etc.) in the last 6 months
- taking a beta-blocker, betamimetic, anti-arrhythmic, morphine, antidepressant treatment (Escitalopram)
- having a pacemaker or severe heart disease
- Current and known pregnancy or breastfeeding woman
- with a cognitive deficit
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac coherenceUse of Cardiac coherence (complementary respiratory training) during 6 month | Other | Complementary respiratory training to cardiac coherence (CC) |
Primary outcome
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the reduction in the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID.
Time frame: 6 months
mean score on the Long COVID Symptom Tool (ST) scale Score 0 to 53 / Higher score mean worse outcome
7 secondary outcomes
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of overall symptoms over time
Time frame: T0, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : fatigue
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : dyspnoea
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : Anxiety and Depression
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : cognitive disorders
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the decrease of specifics symptoms : Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to CC on the impact of the disease on daily life
Time frame: T0, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Long COVID
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Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Recruiting
Whole-body Cryotherapy in Those With Chronic Fatigue: A Feasibility Study
ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia (FM)
Not yet recruitingPhase 3
The Study of Brave-LC LDN Treatment Trial
Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Active, not recruitingObservational study
Epigenetic Changes in Long COVID Patients
Long COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVID Symptoms
Enrolling by invitationPhase 2
Immunotherapy for Neurological Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
Systemic Inflammation, Neuroinflammation
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cardiac coherence in people with Long COVID, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion at 2 sites in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Léa BRUNEAU (02 62 90 68 83 ext. +262, lea.bruneau@chu-reunion.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a respiratory training to cardiac coherence on the reduction in the symptomatology of patients with Long COVID. (time frame: 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Sep 2026.