“Investigation of motoneurone firing behaviour and associations with symptom severity in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis“ (ECU Aus, 2023)

[JasonPerth]

I dont think ive seen this one posted.

This is a study from ECU - Perth Australia.

I personally found it extremely hard to find and only randomly came across the Research when searching for nearby studies in my City, and then came across this link and made contact.

I then became patient #1 of 14. With 14 controls.

I hope they have got the numbers. Nobody here knew about it because it was Funded by the UK ME. So even Emerge Australia didnt know about it to make contact with patients registered. I advised them to contact Emerge to get more people.

Regarding the research, im not smart enough to know the exact thing they are looking for, probably another small biomarker and difference between ME and Controls

As you can see from the attached image, my leg was strapped to a plank and straps with electrodes where attached to a mucle opposite my calf, they then had me to vertical pulls with my right foot against the strap to activate the Muscle at 25% 50% 75% 100%. They then had me follow a mountain line on the screen, where i could see the pressure i was using and had to follow the line/up the pressure to as close as i could to the moving line, up and then down a few times.

I dont think it caused me PEM. I think what caused me more issue was the drive too and from as i am mostly bedridden besides a drive to the doctor every 2 months that im slowly struggling more and more to attend , they did offer me a Taxi.

https://www.ecu.edu.au/newsroom/art...new-technology-to-investigate-chronic-fatigue

 

[Wishful]

That seems like worthwhile research. I think it's likely that (many of) the muscle problems are neurological, with ME interfering with the control loop that drives muscles, rather than a problem with the muscles or blood flow.

I still think they should do an experiment with driving muscles via electric signals, to see if ME muscles perform differently than those of controls. They could even test muscle tissue out of the body, subjecting it to serum from PWME vs non-ME.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

How interesting!

I'd like to know whats going on with my hip flexors: that seem atrophied. Why is this area so Profoundly Weak and causes me to almost become paralyzed, if I walk more than oh two blocks.

I have assumed it's some type of fibromyalgia in those muscle groups/ somehow to me it feels muscular/not getting oxygen delivered perhaps.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

the muscle problems are neurological

thats sort of what I meant by muscular: not being sent correct messages or not obtaining oxygen from blood or an interaction of all that.

 

[Murph]

Interesting study, different technique in use to most other studies. I'm not super convinced it either creates a useful biomarker or a pathway to a treament. I kind of think they're using this technique because that's the technique they know how to use. But still it doesn't hurt for researchers to measure and investigate a range of things. Lots of teams doing metabolomics with very little to show for it!


Text from link OP posted above:

Research first uses new technology to investigate Chronic Fatigue​

New technology will be used in an innovative research project giving hope and help to more than 250,000 Australians living with Chronic Fatigue.

Motoneurones firing

Published: 02 Aug 2023 3 minute read
By ECU Newsroom in Research


New technology will be used in an innovative research project giving hope and help to more than 250,000 Australians living with Chronic Fatigue.

A team of Edith Cowan University (ECU) researchers from the School of Medical and Health Sciences have been awarded $52,000 in funding from the medical research charity, ME Research UK, for an "Investigation of motoneurone firing behaviour and associations with symptom severity in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome".

The charity commissions and funds scientific investigations into the causes, consequences and treatments of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME/CFS).

ECU's Professor Janet Taylor, Dr Chris Latella, lecturer in Strength and Conditioning and neurophysiological researcher, and Professor Tony Blazevich, lecturer and researcher in biomechanics and clinical neurophysiology, will be working directly with the nationwide registry and support group Emerge Australia on the project.

Dr Chris Latella explains just how devastating the impacts of the syndrome can be, with as many as 25% of people living with it becoming housebound or bedbound, and many never making a full recovery.
"There is minimal chronic fatigue research and support services in WA, so we hope this project will open new avenues of research about this debilitating syndrome," said Dr Latella.

"'High-density electromyography' technology is gaining a lot of traction in neurophysiology research, but ECU’s research team will be the first to utilise the technology in this population."

"No clear cause has been identified for the muscle weakness or difficulties with physical tasks experienced by those with ME/CFS. With high-density electromyography, electrical activity of the muscles during contractions can be recorded through a grid of electrodes on the skin and then decoded using computer algorithms to give information about motor nerve behaviour.

"By comparing the motor nerves of people with ME/CFS to healthy controls during contractions we will determine whether differences in their firing behaviour exist. We will then determine whether changes in motor nerve behaviour are associated with specific ME/CFS symptoms."

Emerge Australia is a national patient organisation providing education, advocacy, research and support services for people living with ME/CFS. https://www.emerge.org.au/.

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Featuring​

Read more about Dr Christopher Latella​

Read more about Professor Janet Taylor​

Read more about Professor Anthony Blazevich​

Tony Blazevich is Professor of Biomechanics in ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences.

​

 

[JasonPerth]

Yeh I’ve recently deteriorated from very mild and being fine to walk to severe with lots of muscle loss so hopefully there is a clear distinction between my Result and a Healthy control. Compared to someone who might be might and still able to walk with all walking muscles fine.
I found it extremely hard to slowly go up and down with the pressure, my foot kept doing random contractions if thats the correct word to use, especially when going up. like i couldnt do it in one motion that the line requests. Mine was more like a ladder because i just cant go up with the ankle in one motion

Is anyone else similar (when applying pressure downwards)