by Simon McGrath Last Monday, 22 April, saw the launch of the new UK Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalitis Research Collaborative (CMRC). Set up by Stephen Holgate, MRC professor of immunology, and backed by the UK’s main research funders (MRC, Wellcome Trust and NIHR) it aims “to create a step change in the amount and quality of research into chronic fatigue
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Simon McGrath on some important recent research into cognitive deficits in ME/CFS. Brain fog is a major issue for ME/CFS patients, with 80-95% reporting memory or concentration problems. And while researchers have often found evidence of ‘cognitive deficits’ in laboratory testing, a surprising number of studies have failed to find deficits, leaving some to even speculate that patients’ cognitive problems
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Simon McGrath explains how Mady Hornig is applying tools used to understand other complex illnesses in an effort to unlock the secrets of ME/CFS. In a recent article I looked at the huge studies Professor Mady Hornig has underway looking for pathogens or signs of immune abnormalities in ME/CFS. While these are immensely impressive, I thought they were eclipsed by
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by Simon McGrath For me, the star attraction of Nancy Klimas’ recent CFS/GWI conference was always going to be Professor Mady Hornig and her talk. Hornig might not be well known by ME/CFS patients – yet – but her boss is: Ian Lipkin, who so skillfully handled the XMRV ‘dediscovery’ study (which she worked on too). Despite disproving a link
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by Simon McGrath A new study, from Julia Newton’s group in Newcastle, UK, has found evidence that reduced blood flow to the brain is associated with muscle abnormalities in CFS patients. Earlier work by the same group had found that with many CFS patients, muscles don’t regulate acid levels properly after exercise. Another study, by Ben Natelson, had shown reduced
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