Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQEEG-NFTNCT07005921
QEEG-NEUROFEEDBACK FOR COGNITIVE REHABILITATION IN LONG COVID-19 SURVIVORS WITH BRAIN FOG
A study testing qEEG-neurofeedback in people with Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome and Long COVID, run by Jade Carvalho Da Silva at 1 site in Brazil.
Trial summary
The pandemic has highlighted social, economic, educational, and political issues that have affected the health and quality of life of millions of Brazilians. Currently, attention and memory impairment remains predominant among the cognitive symptoms of Coronavirus observed in adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVID, Brain Fog
- What is being tested?
- qEEG-neurofeedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBrazil
- Study dates
- 10 Jun 2025to 14 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 to 60 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
The inclusion criteria were: 1) Present a history of positive diagnosis of COVID, 2) Present post-COVID-19 syndrome, as defined by the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 3) Present a score equal or lower than 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), 4) Be over 18 years old and under 60 years old, 5) Not use psychoactive substances, such as methylphenidate, benzodiazepines and hypnotics, 6) Not have a history of neurological and/or psychiatric diseases prior to or subsequent COVID-19, 7) Authorize participation in the study through the informed consent form. The exclusion criteria were: 1) Present physical or cognitive repercussions resulting from other diagnoses prior to or subsequent to COVID-19, 2) Discontinue participation in the study, 3) Present a history of attention and memory impairment prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: QEEG-NEUROFEEDBACK FOR COGNITIVE REHABILITATION IN LONG COVID-19 SURVIVORS WITH BRAIN FOG: A Sham-controlled, Double-blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
The pandemic has highlighted social, economic, educational, and political issues that have affected the health and quality of life of millions of Brazilians. Currently, attention and memory impairment remains predominant among the cognitive symptoms of Coronavirus observed in adults. The persistance of the reffered impairment after 12 weeks of COVID-19 is known as cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome. Despite studies indicating the negative effects of COVID-19 on attention and memory, there is a gap in the literature regarding the investigation of QEEG-neurofeedback training (QEEG-NFT) efficacy for neurocognitive rehabilitation in COVID survivors with brain fog. In this context, quantitative electroencephalogram neurofeedback training (EEGq-NFT) is a promising non-invasive intervention designed to improve cognition, such as attention and working memory. By modifying electrophysiological patterns in the cerebral cortex. Considering the information presented, the question is what is the efficacy of EEGq-NFT training in rehabilitating attention and working memory in adults with cognitive impairment due to post-COVID-19 syndrome. This study aims to verify the efficacy of EEGq-NFT to rehabilitate cognition, more specifically attention, working memory and speed processing, in adults with cognitive impairment related to post-COVID-19 syndrome. A total of 40 participants were be randomly assigned to an EEGq neurofeedback training group (n = 13), an active control group called SHAM EEGq-neurofeedback (n = 13), and a waiting list control group (n = 14). The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at frontal and central areas were used, with a total of 13 sessions. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention, working memory and speed processing levels. Statistical analyses were performed using JASP and R softwares with statistical significance set at p < 0.05 for a 95% confidence interval. The research followed all ethical standards for studies involving human subjects and was submitted for review and approval at the Research Ethics Committee.
- Conditions
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVID, Brain Fog
- Being tested
- qEEG-neurofeedback, SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback
- Keywords
- Attention, Memory, Self-awareness, COVID-19, COVID-19 syndrome, long COVID, post-COVID-19, Quality of life, Brain Fog
- Medical subject headings
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Mental Fatigue, COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
qEEG-neurofeedbackBehavioural
Also called Experimental Group, Group 1
The participants were submitted to a qEEG-neurofeedback intervention in order to verifify its feasibility to enhance cognition. The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4 were performed, with 10 sessions of qEEG-neurofeedback training, 2 sessions for pre and post test, and 1 session for follow-up after 30 days of intervention. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention and working memory levels. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) were used for neurological and cognitive assessment. Participants will receive feedback based on their theta/beta ratio in the frontal and central cortical areas (electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4).
SHAM qEEG-neurofeedbackBehavioural
Also called SHAM, Group 2
The participant were submitted to an inactive qEEG-neurofeedback that appears to be the same as a functional procedure or device. Participants did not receive feedback based on their theta/beta ratio in the frontal and central cortical areas (electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| qEEG-neurofeedback | Experimental | The participants were submitted to a qEEG-neurofeedback intervention in order to verifify its feasibility to enhance cognition. The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4 were performed, with 10 sessions of qEEG-neurofeedback training, 2 sessions for pre and post test, and 1 session for follow-up after 30 days of intervention. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention and working memory levels. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) were used for neurological and cognitive assessment. Receives: Behavioral: qEEG-neurofeedback |
| SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback | Sham comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback |
| wait list control group | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from Baseline in the Mean of Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST), and Five Digit Test (FDT) at 5 weeks
Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment 2 (BPA-2) evaluates overall attention capacity, which is a somatory of specific types of attention, namely, concentrated attention (CA), divided attention (DA) and alternating attention (AA). Digit Span Test (DST) assesses auditory memory and working memory (in direct and reverse order). It consists on sequences of digits, which increase in length, ranging from two to nine items in sequence that must be repeated. The Five Digit Test measures Executive Functions. It involves routines of reading and number counting, with four tasks: reading digits from 1 to 5; counting quantities from 1 to 5; the ability to ignore an automatic processing routine (digit reading) in favor of a controlled one (digit counting) in incongruent stimuli; and the ability to alternate between reading and counting processes. Participants will achieve a response if they score a performance status of to 3 on a classification ranging from 1 (inferior) to 5 (superior).
Measured: From baseline to the end of treatment at 5 weeks. Finally, at follow-up 30 days post treatment.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Jun 2025
- Study start10 Jun 2025
- Primary completion14 Aug 2026
- Study completion14 Aug 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeStudies 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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Jade Carvalho Da Silva
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Santos Dumont Institute
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Jade Carvalho Da Silva, Santos Dumont Institute
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07005921
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 7.593.695
- Acronym
- QEEG-NFT
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- QEEG-NEUROFEEDBACK FOR COGNITIVE REHABILITATION IN LONG COVID-19 SURVIVORS WITH BRAIN FOG: A Sham-controlled, Double-blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07005921
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- QEEG-NFT / 7.593.695
- Conditions
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Long COVID, Brain Fog
- Keywords
- Attention, Memory, Self-awareness, COVID-19, COVID-19 syndrome, long COVID, post-COVID-19, Quality of life
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Jade Carvalho Da SilvaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Santos Dumont Institute
- Study start
- 10 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 Aug 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Jun 2025 (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.
The pandemic has highlighted social, economic, educational, and political issues that have affected the health and quality of life of millions of Brazilians. Currently, attention and memory impairment remains predominant among the cognitive symptoms of Coronavirus observed in adults. The persistance of the reffered impairment after 12 weeks of COVID-19 is known as cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome. Despite studies indicating the negative effects of COVID-19 on attention and memory, there is a gap in the literature regarding the investigation of QEEG-neurofeedback training (QEEG-NFT) efficacy for neurocognitive rehabilitation in COVID survivors with brain fog. In this context, quantitative electroencephalogram neurofeedback training (EEGq-NFT) is a promising non-invasive intervention designed to improve cognition, such as attention and working memory. By modifying electrophysiological patterns in the cerebral cortex. Considering the information presented, the question is what is the efficacy of EEGq-NFT training in rehabilitating attention and working memory in adults with cognitive impairment due to post-COVID-19 syndrome. This study aims to verify the efficacy of EEGq-NFT to rehabilitate cognition, more specifically attention, working memory and speed processing, in adults with cognitive impairment related to post-COVID-19 syndrome. A total of 40 participants were be randomly assigned to an EEGq neurofeedback training group (n = 13), an active control group called SHAM EEGq-neurofeedback (n = 13), and a waiting list control group (n = 14). The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at frontal and central areas were used, with a total of 13 sessions. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention, working memory and speed processing levels. Statistical analyses were performed using JASP and R softwares with statistical significance set at p < 0.05 for a 95% confidence interval. The research followed all ethical standards for studies involving human subjects and was submitted for review and approval at the Research Ethics Committee.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| qEEG-neurofeedback | Experimental | Behavioral: qEEG-neurofeedbackThe participants were submitted to a qEEG-neurofeedback intervention in order to verifify its feasibility to enhance cognition. The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4 were performed, with 10 sessions of qEEG-neurofeedback training, 2 sessions for pre and post test, and 1 session for follow-up after 30 days of intervention. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention and working memory levels. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) were used for neurological and cognitive assessment. |
| SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback | Sham comparator | Behavioral: SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback |
| wait list control group | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
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 |
|---|---|---|
| qEEG-neurofeedbackAlso: Experimental Group, Group 1The participants were submitted to a qEEG-neurofeedback intervention in order to verifify its feasibility to enhance cognition. The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4 were performed, with 10 sessions of qEEG-neurofeedback training, 2 sessions for pre and post test, and 1 session for follow-up after 30 days of intervention. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST) and Five Digit Test (FDT) were employed to measure attention and working memory levels. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) were used for neurological and cognitive assessment. Participants will receive feedback based on their theta/beta ratio in the frontal and central cortical areas (electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4). | Behavioural | qEEG-neurofeedback |
| SHAM qEEG-neurofeedbackAlso: SHAM, Group 2The participant were submitted to an inactive qEEG-neurofeedback that appears to be the same as a functional procedure or device. Participants did not receive feedback based on their theta/beta ratio in the frontal and central cortical areas (electrodes Fp1, Fp2, Fz, F3, F4, Cz, C3, C4). | Behavioural | SHAM qEEG-neurofeedback |
Primary outcome
Change from Baseline in the Mean of Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST), and Five Digit Test (FDT) at 5 weeks
Time frame: From baseline to the end of treatment at 5 weeks. Finally, at follow-up 30 days post treatment.
Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment 2 (BPA-2) evaluates overall attention capacity, which is a somatory of specific types of attention, namely, concentrated attention (CA), divided attention (DA) and alternating attention (AA). Digit Span Test (DST) assesses auditory memory and working memory (in direct and reverse order). It consists on sequences of digits, which increase in length, ranging from two to nine items in sequence that must be repeated. The Five Digit Test measures Executive Functions. It involves routines of reading and number counting, with four tasks: reading digits from 1 to 5; counting quantities from 1 to 5; the ability to ignore an automatic processing routine (digit reading) in favor of a controlled one (digit counting) in incongruent stimuli; and the ability to alternate between reading and counting processes. Participants will achieve a response if they score a performance status of to 3 on a classification ranging from 1 (inferior) to 5 (superior).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing qEEG-neurofeedback in people with Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome and Long COVID, run by Jade Carvalho Da Silva at 1 site in Brazil.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 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 1 site in Brazil. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from Baseline in the Mean of Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test (DST), and Five Digit Test (FDT) at 5 weeks (time frame: From baseline to the end of treatment at 5 weeks. Finally, at follow-up 30 days post treatment.). 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 25 Sep 2026.