Aussie cfs study/MRI scan abnormalities

[heapsreal]

Study showing brain abnormalities in cfs, interesting, they even mention how sick we are without even taking into consideration our crappy immune system,

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
BREAKTHROUGH BY INTERDISCIPLINARY
ADELAIDE RESEARCH GROUP
A team of independent Adelaide researchers has made a breakthrough
in CFS research using new approaches to the analysis of magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain.
Applying this to MRI scans of individuals with the much maligned
chronic fatigue syndrome, they have discovered previously
unsuspected changes in brain structure and function in CFS.
Said Dr Richard Kwiatek, lead clinician of the group, Whilst
acknowledging that our results need to be independently confirmed,
they show striking changes in the midbrain which plays critical and
primitive regulatory roles in the nervous system.
We now know why patients with CFS are so sick: its because a very
basic and important control centre in the brain is almost certainly
affected. And this is without factoring in already known problems
with their peripheral immune system.
Traditionally, CFS sufferers have been viewed with suspicion by the
medical and psychiatry establishments as the diagnosis of CFS is
based on symptoms alone and no objective diagnostic test exists.
Many individuals fight for years with insurance companies to be
believed.
Although objective changes have previously been detected in CFS,
they require sophisticated and expensive research techniques, are not
found in all individuals with the condition, and are more likely a
consequence of the disease rather than its cause.
The beauty of our technique is that, at least at the group level, it
clearly demonstrates a difference in the functioning of the CFS brain
and that of healthy individuals.
The Adelaide teams study was funded by John T. Reid Charitable
Trusts, supported by the Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation.
It was today published online in the journal NMR in Biomedicine.
Dr Kwiatek is available for further comment on 08 8267 1767.

 

[Lynn]

Thanks for posting this heapsreal. It is very interesting research. One more study that shows there is something evidently physically wrong with us.

Though my question is how many such studies do researchers need to do to prove that this is a real disease that needs real funding for research? I am so frustrated by it all! I am feeling a little disenchanted on this May 12th ME/CFS Awareness Day.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Lynn

 

[Esther12]

Thanks for posting this heapsreal. It is very interesting research. One more study that shows there is something evidently physically wrong with us.

I guess that depression etc would be likely to have physical differences in the brain too (edit - not that I'm saying I think this is anything like that - I've no idea. Just that there will be an ambiguity between neurology and psychology). Still, this is another piece of the puzzle, and will hopefully lead on to more work. It would be great to have a meaningful diagnostic test.

 

[heapsreal]

Thanks for posting this heapsreal. It is very interesting research. One more study that shows there is something evidently physically wrong with us.

Though my question is how many such studies do researchers need to do to prove that this is a real disease that needs real funding for research? I am so frustrated by it all! I am feeling a little disenchanted on this May 12th ME/CFS Awareness Day.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Lynn

I hear ya Lynn, it would be good to have all these cfs/me studies together and sit a heap of politicians down and make them read them and then ask them what are they going to do about it???
Theres an aussie NK/natural killer cell study on cfs that finishes soon, not sure when results will be published but the people running the study are going overseas to talk about their results, so we will see what comes of that too, fingers crossed.

 

[anne_likes_red]

Thanks for posting heaps

Go the independant researchers!

 

[maddietod]

Applying this to MRI scans of individuals with the much maligned
chronic fatigue syndrome, they have discovered previously
unsuspected changes in brain structure and function in CFS.

I find it amazing that there's structural change in the brain. I wonder what that looks like?

 

[ixchelkali]

Here's a link to the abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nbm.1692/abstract

I thought the damage to the hypothalamus was especially interesting; that would explain many of the symptoms.

 

[Enid]

Very interesting - thanks for posting heapsreal - always wanted to know quite what the "high spots" were in my own MRI brain scan.

 

[Snow Leopard]

There was already a thread on this research:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/show...brainstem-dysfunction-amp-altered-homeostasis

The paper is available in the usual place.

Here's a link to the abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nbm.1692/abstract

I thought the damage to the hypothalamus was especially interesting; that would explain many of the symptoms.

The Hypothalamus observation was not strong.

Although item 8 was only signi?cant before correction for multiple comparisons, it was included because there was an a priori hypothesis for that location (hypothalamus).

On the other hand, they also found.

The plot shows relative volume versus fatigue duration at the peak voxel in the corticospinal tract and indicates a volume loss of 1% per year.

Which seems slightly worrying.

There is also discussion about elevated heart rate, reduced heart rate variability while sleeping which relates to a previous paper I posted about.

 

[taniaaust1]

I guess that depression etc would be likely to have physical differences in the brain too (edit - not that I'm saying I think this is anything like that - I've no idea. Just that there will be an ambiguity between neurology and psychology). Still, this is another piece of the puzzle, and will hopefully lead on to more work. It would be great to have a meaningful diagnostic test.

The following comment of theirs "at least at group level" tells me that there wasnt "always obvious" difference between the controls and the ones with ME/CFS so hence this wont be able to be used for a diagnostic test.

The beauty of our technique is that, at least at the group level, it
clearly demonstrates a difference in the functioning of the CFS brain
and that of healthy individuals.

thanks heapsreal as that post cleared up something for me.. I knew the adelaide research team was still working together but wasnt 100% they were still using the name adelaide research team. They also are now obviously being funded differently to where they used to (years back used to have a bank as a trustee for a research fund which the SA CFS society helped them to set up, so the info i've put into the wiki in the past is now wrong..got to change it)

 

[taniaaust1]

Im wondering if they will prospose anything to fix this abnormality they found?? (I may pay one of them a visit at some point and find out.. in the past he had no suggestions to give me on top of everything Im already doing).

If any of their patients are about and going to see them soon, could you please pm me and let me know if they are doing anything new treatment wise in regards to that finding..