CFS LESIONS- MRI QUESTION FOR NEUROLOGIST

[Recovery Soon]

Hi guys/girls.

Im going to a world class neurologist on Thursday to get my MRI results. My understanding is that CFS patients have shown lesions on the brain in a very specific area (I believe the work was done by Dr. Paul Cheney and possibly others).

The location of the lesions seems to be located in a different region of the brain than the lesions associated with MS, which leads to most neurologists overlooking the ones associated with CFS.

Does anyone know which area of the brain would indicate CFS lesions? And/or has any other info regarding this topic that might be helpful in my conversation?

I already know the Neurologist has not found MS lesions (though both my siblings have MS), but I would like to point him in a direction he might not be looking if it could possibly uncover any CFS related clues/abnormalities.

It is very difficult to get an appointment with this physician, so I really would like to get the most out of this opportunity.

Thanks!
Brian

 

[Enid]

Don't know if this is any use but Neurologist Kings College London reported "patchy high signal changes on the MRI scan of the brain" (amongst other things). MS was ruled out Whatever the difference would be great to find.

 

[August59]

Wasn't there some reference to MRI studies from the Australian Symposium that was held back in December. I'm sure it is on here if it was. Good luck!

 

[WillowJ]

See some MRI studies on this thread:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/show...rch-references&p=150863&viewfull=1#post150863

 

[Recovery Soon]

See some MRI studies on this thread:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/show...rch-references&p=150863&viewfull=1#post150863

Excellent. Thanks Willow.

 

[SaveMe]

normal MRI will not show punctate lesions in the forefront of the brain.

you'll need an f-mri, pet, or spect for that one

 

[taniaaust1]

Info from ME/CFS A clinical case definition fand guidelines for medical practitioners.. an overview of the Cnadian Consensus Doc. says on the page for the abnormalities found in CFS/ME

"MRI brain scans" Elevated numbers of punctuate lesions, particularly in the frontal lobes and subcortical areas, suggest demyelination or edema "

 

[SaveMe]

Info from ME/CFS A clinical case definition fand guidelines for medical practitioners.. an overview of the Cnadian Consensus Doc. says on the page for the abnormalities found in CFS/ME

"MRI brain scans" Elevated numbers of punctuate lesions, particularly in the frontal lobes and subcortical areas, suggest demyelination or edema "

please provide link. Are you sure it doesnt read "functional MRI" ?

 

[WillowJ]

yes, while the tests you mentioned, SaveMe, are more likely to find abnormalities in more ME/CFS patients, some ME/CFS patients do have abnormalities on regular MRI's. you can find this on the studies in my post on the thread linked above.

links to the Canadian guidelines can be found on the diagnostic guidelines thread

 

[WillowJ]

Excellent. Thanks Willow.

most welcome

 

[August59]

Here is the info from the Australian Science conference that I was trying to remember:

Kwiatek on Brainstem Dysfunction Richard Kwiatek (Adelaide, Australia) is a rheumatologist with a particular interest in neuro-imaging. MRI was performed to look for brainstem dysfunction in CFS. Whole-brain optimised voxel-based volumetry and novel quantification of T1-weighted and T-2 weighted signal levels in structural MRI were used. Voxels build a 3-D map of the brain. In the CFS patients seated pulse pressure was reduced, and seated heart rate and asleep heart rate were increased, compared to controls. This was then correlated with brain change, other symptoms and fatigue.

Prefrontal white matter volume reduced with increasing sleeping heart rate in CFS with the opposite in controls. Midbrain white matter volume reduced with increasing fatigue. There was a strong correlation between total brainstem grey matter volume and seated pulse pressure in the CFS patients.

Brainstem grey matter changes suggest a failure of cerebrovascular auto-regulation, potentially mediated by astrocytes. Astrocyte dysfunction may therefore be central to CFS pathogenesis. There seems to be disrupted autonomic nervous system homeostasis. He does not feel it is reduced blood volume that will be causing this.

http://phoenixrising.me/?p=2043

 

[Enid]

Very interesting thanks August - looking for more explanation of my brain MRI "high spots" - the symptoms here all fit in with problems at the time too - the autonomic nervous system homeostasis disruption sounds pretty convincing to me.

 

[insearchof]

Lesions are also noted to be found in ME patients in a specific region as well(unfortunately I can't recall the area) A vasculitis irregular pattern is also sometimes seen.

This does show up on standard MRIs and the reports refer to weighted signal levels..and can be mistaken for lesions associated with dementia.

Hyde in Missed Diagnosises states that patients with this vasculitis pattern are some of the most severely effected.