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Neuroinflammation in the Brain of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

hamsterman

Senior Member
Messages
183
Location
Los Angeles
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29348371/

I don't understand why this can't be seen on the regular PET scans that some ME patients have. Maybe these scans were done in a different way?
It's a shame they can't/won't run with this, just do it on a bigger sample size and then develop it as a test for a subgroup of ME patients, if it isn't in all ME patients

Apparently, it requires a different flavor of imaging. https://solvecfs.org/2016-ramsay-research-team-1-update/

Dr. Younger is using a magnetic resonance spectroscopic thermometry (MRSt) technique to assess absolute temperature across the entire brain... and brain chemistry.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
I don't understand why this can't be seen on the regular PET scans that some ME patients have. Maybe these scans were done in a different way?

They use special compounds (such as the PK11195 used in the original Japanese study) which bind to activated microglia in the brain.

The PET scan is then able to detect these compounds like PK11195, and in that way can detect activated microglia that the compound attaches to in the brain (microglia are activated during brain inflammation, so if you detect activated microglia, you detect the neuroinflammation).


Using PK11195, which also written as [11C]PK11195, is old hat these days, and better and more sensitive markers of microglial activation have now been developed such as DPA-714, also written as [18F]DPA-714.
 
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62milestogojoe

What's a forum then?
Messages
221
Location
UK
How can we get THIS paper in English? Anyone know? If so, please tag me.
Not available yet in English but a quick translation of the extended Japanese abstract gives-
hypoperfusion and degraded synthesis of glutamate, aspartic acid and acetylcarnitine in the frontal lobe, cingulate gurus, basal ganglia, hippocampus.
Also, decreased serotonin transporter density in anterior cingulate gurus (in particular in intermediate region)

More to come hopefully, hopes that gets you started. Appears to be very different from the 2014 study.
 

andyguitar

Moderator
Messages
6,585
Location
South east England
Having had a look at some papers about the 'Anterior cingulate gurus' what I find most interesting about this research is the finding of decreased serotonin transporter density in that area. I hope that if the researchers follow on from this research they look into the possibility that the reduction in the density of the serotonin transporter(SERT) causes elevated levels of Hydrogen Peroxide resulting in inflammation and dysfunction of the mitochondria in that area. And that this is the main cause of symptoms. But then I would say that as I have been saying that for a while now.
 

62milestogojoe

What's a forum then?
Messages
221
Location
UK
Not available yet in English but a quick translation of the extended Japanese abstract gives-
Not too much info here but it is the introduction in full
In our study using PET scanning, hyoperfusion and low synthesis in the frontal lobe, cingulate gyrus, temporal and occipital cortex, basal ganglia, hippocampus of acetylcarnitine- mediated neurotransmitters such as glutamate, aspartic acid, aminobutyrl acid, has been reported,
There was a decrease in serotonin transporter density in the anterior cingulate gyrus, and in particular the serotonin transporter density in the intermediate region of of the cingulate gyrus had a negative correlation with the pain score. Furthermore, in MRI studies, the volume reduction level of bilateral prefrontal cortex correlated with severity of fatigue.
Dysfunction of the central nervous system is considered to be the cause of fatigue even in tother fatigue-related neurological deseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, post polio fatigue synrome, etc.
Neuroinflammation in the cerebrum is thought to be the cause of disease progress. It is suggested that it is involved. There are reports that the level of inflammatory cytokines of peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid which may be indicative of neuroinflammation in the brain are higher in the ME/CFS patient group than in the healthy contol group.
However, in order to clarify the presence of intracerebral neuritis and its involvement in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, we evaluated intracerebral neuroinflammation directly using imaging techniques such as PET, it is necessary to investigate the relationship with the severity of symptoms (?).
Neuroinflammation in the brain can be visualized by observing activation of microglia or astrocytes.
 

andyguitar

Moderator
Messages
6,585
Location
South east England
Hi @echobravo there is a thread which i think is called 'Anyone else have a massive improvement from Tyrosine' that is worth you having a look at. Reduction in the activity of the Serotonin transporter-SERT- is the way some anti- depressants are designed to work. Some supplements also have this effect. However this may not be the same as the decrease in the density of the transporter the researchers talk about.
 
Messages
45
Location
Netherlands
Disappointing news, this article is a re-write of the 2014 paper. Translated it yesterday and re-write was confirmed by Osaka office. On the positive side, the Prof is still working on a new study.

Japan is working on a second study on braininflammation. They started in sept. 2017. It is difficult to complete an extensive study like this with 100 or more subjects in a couple of months. Maybe one year work needed, find patients, collect data, analyse data, write paper, review paper, publish paper..
We are so in need of biomedical facts...everything depends on that..so many years lost..:(
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
This is an older study on EEG that I’m currently interested in as temporal lobe imbalance was mentioned for myself
Using EEG to distinguish chronic fatigue syndrome patients from healthy controls and depressed patients, BMC Neurology, 1 July 2011
 
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raghav

Senior Member
Messages
809
Location
India
@wastwater What sort of temporal lobe imbalance do you have. I have left hippocampal sclerosis also called mesial temporal sclerosis. I want to know whether it can cause chronic fatigue ? Any idea on this ?
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
It was an unqualified person at a biofeedback place that mentioned this to me
I do wonder if it maybe left sided deafness that was picked up in my case
I’m not sure if temporal lobe imbalance is even a real term so I ended up with more questions that answers but would still like an nhs eeg
I did see something on there being links to Cfs autism and schizophrenia but there just ideas I think
You’re condition may be something different not sure of cfs link