National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Motor Memory Assessment

for Post-COVID Syndrome

Background: Most people who get COVID-19 seem to recover with no long-term effects. However, some people who recover from acute COVID-19 infections report lingering symptoms. This is called long COVID. Many people with long COVID report symptoms related to the nervous system; these can include problems with fatigue, speech, and memory. Objective: To test motor memory in people with long COVID, compared to healthy volunteers. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 90 years who are also enrolled in study protocol 000089. Healthy adults are also needed. Design: Participants will be screened by telephone. They will confirm they are able to type without discomfort using their nondominant hand. They will confirm they have access to a computer connected to the internet. All study tasks will be done online. Participants will complete 2 tasks in 2 days. Participants will be sent a link to a website. The website will give them instructions. They will place the fingers of their nondominant hand over 4 numbers on the keyboard and type a sequence (eg, 4-1-3-2-4). They will type this sequence as often as they can in 10 seconds. Then they will rest for 10 seconds before repeating the task. They will repeat this pattern for 15 minutes. After they finish the typing task, participants will take a 10-minute questionnaire. They will answer questions about their experiences with COVID-19 and memory issues; they will say which hand they use for tasks such as brushing their teeth or throwing a ball. Participants will get a notice to repeat the typing task 22 hours after they finish the first one. They should complete the second task within 28 hours....