10 December 2025 : Clinical Research
Virtual Pet–Assisted Therapy to Alleviate Symptoms of Long COVID: A Prospective Pilot Interventional Study
Ruka Kamo ABCDEF 1, Taiju Miyagami
ABCDEFG 2*, Mizue Saita ABCDEFG 2, Nanami Hara B 3, Yuichiro Mine B 1, Tsubasa Nishina B 1, Yukiko Fukui ADE 2, Yoshinao Harada ACD 4, Mihoko Niitsuma ABCDE 3, Toshio Naito ACDEG 2
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.950105
Med Sci Monit 2025; 31:e950105
Table 2 Score of individual symptoms.
| Before VAT | After VAT | I value | Effect size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 6.3±2.6 | 5.7±2.9 | 0.004 | 0.22 |
| Generalized pain | 2.1±3.5 | 2.1±3.5 | 0.860 | – |
| Muscle pain | 1.9±3.1 | 2.0±3.2 | 0.323 | – |
| Limited movement | 2.4±3.2 | 2.3±3.2 | 0.667 | – |
| Abdominal symptoms | 2.6±2.9 | 2.6±2.8 | 0.756 | – |
| Dyspnea | 2.3±3.0 | 1.9±2.8 | 0.038 | 0.14 |
| Olfactory dysfunction | 1.7±3.1 | 1.6±2.8 | 0.253 | – |
| Gustatory dysfunction | 1.1±2.6 | 1.1±2.5 | 1.000 | – |
| Sleep disturbance | 4.3±3.3 | 4.2±3.1 | 0.732 | – |
| Memory impairment | 4.8±3.0 | 4.2±3.2 | 0.015 | 0.19 |
| Tinnitus | 2.3±2.9 | 1.8±2.5 | 0.012 | 0.19 |
| Dizziness | 2.9±3.1 | 2.8±3.1 | 0.507 | – |
| VAT – virtual-pet-assisted therapy: The Scores of individual symptoms are shown as mean±SD. | ||||