Body Weight May Have a Role on Neuropathy and Mobility after Moderate to Severe COVID-19: An Exploratory Study

Background and Objectives: Among the extra-pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, neuromuscular signs and symptoms are frequent. We aimed to assess the correlation between neuromuscular abnormalities (electrophysiological) and mobility measures (Berg Balance Scale and Timed-Up-and-Go test) twice, at least 6 weeks after hospital discharge and 6 months later, taking into account cognitive performance, nutrition, muscle strength, and submaximal exercise capacity. Materials and Methods: 43 patients (51.4 ± 9.3 years old) accepted to participate in the study; they had a dyspnea score ≤ 3 (Borg scale), and no history of neurology/neuromuscular/orthopedic disorders, but high frequency of overweight/obesity and weight loss during hospital stay. The two evaluations included physical examination, cognitive assessment, nutritional evaluation, muscle strength (hand-grip and quadriceps dynamometry), electromyography, Barthel Index, Six-Minute- Walk-Test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale and Timed-Up-and-Go test. Bivariate and repeated measures covariance analyses were performed (significance level of 0.05). Results: Electrophysiological abnormalities were evident in 67% of the patients, which were associated with diminished performance on the 6MWT, the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed-Up-and-Go test. At each evaluation and between evaluations, scores on the Berg Balance Scale were related to the body mass index (BMI) at hospital admission and the 6MWT (MANCoVA R ≥ 0.62, p = 0.0001), while the time to perform the Timed-Up-and-Go test was related to the electrophysiological abnormalities, weight loss during hospital stay, sex, handgrip strength, and the 6MWT (MANCoVA, R ≥ 0.62, p < 0.0001). We concluded that, after hospital discharge, patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 may have neuromuscular abnormalities that can be related to BMI/weight loss, and contribute to mobility decrease. In patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 and high BMI/ large weight loss, neuromuscular and intended mobility assessments could be required to provide early rehabilitation. Apart from the 6MWT, handgrip dynamometry and the Timed-Up-and-Go test were useful tools to quickly assess fitness and mobility.