TABLE 4.
QASAT Grading Results
| Diagnosis | 95% CI, F, and p | p | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controls | POTS | PASC | PASC‐POTS‐controls | PASC‐controls | PASC‐POTS | ||
| N | 15 | 10 | 9 | ||||
| QASAT‐Sympathetic sudomotor score (ESC), range 0–6, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.4 (1.6) | 1.3 (1.4) | 0.05–1.77, F (2, 18) = 0.799, p = 0.465 | NA | 0.994 | |
| QASAT‐Parasympathetic cardiovagal score (deep breathing), range 0–3, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.09–0.34, F (2, 31) = 4.53, p = 0.018 | 0.014 | 0.297 | |
| QASAT‐Increased heart rate response to tilt test, range 0–10, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 8.5 (1.4) | 1.6 (2.4) | 2.84–3.86, F (2, 31) = 112.7, p < 0.001 | 0.088 | <0.001 | |
| QASAT‐Sympathetic adrenergic score (Valsalva maneuver), range 0–3, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.7 (0.7) | 0.82–1.35, F (2, 31) = 21.11, p < 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.978 | |
| QASAT‐Sympathetic adrenergic score (tilt test), range 0–10, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.3) | 0.9 (2.7) | −0.11 to ‐0.97, F (2, 31) = 0.973, p = 0.389 | 0.358 | 0.764 | |
| QASAT‐Cerebral blood flow response to tilt test score, range 0–10, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 7.6 (1.8) | 6.7 (2.4) | 4.19–5.32, F (2, 31) = 16.28, p < 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.382 | |
| QASAT‐Cerebral blood flow, total score, range 0–11, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 8.1 (1.7) | 7.4 (2.1) | 4.67–5.69, F (2, 31) = 125.4, p < 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.582 | |
| QASAT‐pET‐CO2‚ score, range 0–10, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 6.6 (3.2) | 0.9 (2.0) | 1.78–3.21, F (2, 31) = 35.41, p < 0.001 | 0.547 | <0.001 | |
| QASAT‐Autonomic failure, n (%) | No | 15 (100.0) | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.999 | ||
| Yes | 10 (100.0) | 9 (100) | |||||
| QASAT‐Autonomic failure score, range 0–24, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 12.6 (3.9) | 7.1 (4.6) | 5.44–7.70, F (2, 31) = 49.48, p < 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.002 | |
| QASAT‐ENFD, range 0–8, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.6 (3.2) | 2.4 (2.7) | 0.88–2.45, F (2, 31) = 5.628, p = 0.008 | 0.028 | 0.993 | |
| QASAT‐SGNFD, range 0–8, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.0 (1.9) | 2.2 (2.8) | 0.43–1.74, F (2, 27) = 4.52, p = 0.020 | 0.015 | 0.318 | |
| QASAT‐Total score, range 0–54, mean (SD) | 0.0 (0.0) | 30.5 (4.6) | 20.7 (9.7) | 15.07–19.04, F (2, 31) = 98.96, p < 0.001 | <0.001 | 0.015 | |
CI = confidence interval; ENFD = epidermal nerve fiber density; ESC = electrochemical skin conductance; F = bioavailability; PASC = post‐acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019; POTS = postural tachycardia syndrome; QASAT = Quantitative Scale for Grading of Cardiovascular Autonomic Reflex Tests and small fibers from skin biopsies; SGNFD = sweat gland nerve fiber density.