Title : Electroacupuncture-based medicament testing as an investigational diagnostic and functional assessment tool in long Covid
Abstract:
Background. Long COVID is associated with persistent multisystem symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet objective tools to assess ongoing regulatory dysfunction remain limited. Previous research has explored electroacupuncture-according-to-Voll (EAV) diagnostics and medicament testing (MT) as bioelectrical techniques for evaluating altered electrodermal activity. Within this framework, MT may function both as an investigational diagnostic probe and as a functional, biofeedback-like tool for assessing individualized antiviral dose responsiveness.
Methods. Adult outpatients meeting clinical criteria for Long COVID underwent EAV assessment to identify measurement points (MPs) with reduced electrodermal activity. MT was subsequently conducted using chosen antiviral and immunomodulatory preparations to evaluate regulatory responsiveness. In a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study, MT was also applied to determine individualized ribavirin dosing based on electrodermal activity normalization at selected MPs. Patterns of MT reactivity and dose responsiveness were analyzed to explore reproducibility and potential functional associations.
Results. Decreased electrodermal activity was consistently observed at MPs associated with autonomic, immune, and circulatory regulatory pathways. In some patients, MT with selected agents normalized electrodermal activity at affected MPs. In the randomized controlled study, the MT-derived ribavirin dose varied across individuals. It showed an inverse association with the degree of baseline electrodermal reduction, suggesting that MT captures a functional dimension of regulatory disturbance relevant to antiviral dosing requirements.
Conclusions. These findings suggest that EAV-based MT may represent a non-invasive investigational diagnostic and functional assessment tool for Long COVID, capable of identifying altered electrodermal regulation and exploring individualized antiviral dose responsiveness within the same regulatory framework. As the approach relies on bioelectrical rather than virological confirmation, results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating; nevertheless, the data support further interdisciplinary research into electrodermal diagnostics and personalized therapeutic strategies in post-viral disease.
Keywords: Long COVID; electrodermal activity; electroacupuncture; medicament testing; diagnostic tools; individualized dosing; post-viral syndromes; public health.
