IJERPH Special Issue "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Medical, Nursing and Public Health Management"

[Pyrrhus]

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)

"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Medical, Nursing and Public Health Management"

Dear Colleagues,

A topical collection on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is being organized in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. For detailed information on the journal, I refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest public health challenges ever encountered in terms of environmental risk, public health policy, and clinical management. The illness has also highlighted the emergence of a highly disabling “Long-COVID” syndrome which has many features in common with ME/CFS, including unrelenting fatigue, memory and concentration impairment, persisting and disabling pain, and impaired muscle function. Despite improvements in individual clinical and intensive care outcomes, the Long-COVID syndrome may onset from any level of severity of the presenting illness.

ME/CFS has become an illness of increased interest due to its overlapping features with Long-COVID. Hence, this Special Issue aims to investigate developments and discoveries in ME/CFS and the impact of environmental and public health management in emerging illnesses, such as COVID-19.

Prof. Dr. Donald Staines
Prof. Dr. Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
Guest Editors

 

[Pyrrhus]

In this issue:

Network Analysis of Symptoms Co-Occurrence in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Kujawski et al., 2021)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10736

Excerpt:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a heterogenous disorder of multiple disabling symptoms with complex manifestations. Network analysis is a statistical and interrogative methodology to investigate the prevalence of symptoms (nodes) and their inter-dependent (inter-nodal) relationships.

In the present study, we explored the co-occurrence of symptoms in a cohort of Polish CFS patients using network analysis. A total of 110 patients with CFS were examined (75 females). The mean age of the total sample was 37.93 (8.5) years old while the mean duration of symptoms in years was 4.4 (4). Post-exertional malaise (PEM) was present in 75.45% of patients, unrefreshing sleep was noted in 89.09% and impaired memory or concentration was observed in 87.27% of patients. The least prevalent symptom was tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes, noted in 34.55% of the total sample.

Three of the most densely connected nodes were the total number of symptoms, sore throat and PEM. PEM was positively related with impairment in memory or concentration. Both PEM and impairment in memory or concentration presence are related to more severe fatigue measured by CFQ and FIS. PEM presence was positively related with the presence of multi-joint pain and negatively with tender lymph nodes and muscle pain. Sore throat was related with objective and subjective autonomic nervous system impairment. This study helps define symptom presentation of CFS with the pathophysiology of specific systems and links with multidisciplinary contemporary molecular pathology, including comparative MRI.

 

[Pyrrhus]

In this issue:

Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review (Du Preez et al., 2021)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10708

Excerpt:

The transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of ion channels is involved in the molecular mechanisms that mediate neuroimmune interactions and activities. Recent advancements in neuroimmunology have identified a role for TRP cation channels in several neuroimmune disorders including amyotropic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

ME/CFS is a debilitating disorder with an obscure aetiology, hence considerable examination of its pathobiology is warranted. Dysregulation of TRP melastatin (TRPM) subfamily members and calcium signalling processes are implicated in the neurological, immunological, cardiovascular, and metabolic impairments inherent in ME/CFS.

In this review, we present TRPM7 as a potential candidate in the pathomechanism of ME/CFS, as TRPM7 is increasingly recognized as a key mediator of physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms affecting neurological, immunological, cardiovascular, and metabolic processes. A focused examination of the biochemistry of TRPM7, the role of this protein in the aforementioned systems, and the potential of TRPM7 as a molecular mechanism in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS will be discussed in this review.

TRPM7 is a compelling candidate to examine in the pathobiology of ME/CFS as TRPM7 fulfils several key roles in multiple organ systems, and there is a paucity of literature reporting on its role in ME/CFS.

 

[Pyrrhus]

In this issue:

Impact of Life Stressors on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: An Australian Longitudinal Study (Balinas et al., 2021)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10614

Excerpt:

(1) Background:
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multifaceted illness. The pathomechanism, severity and progression of this illness is still being investigated. Stressors have been implicated in symptom exacerbation for ME/CFS, however, there is limited information for an Australian ME/CFS cohort. The aim of this study was to assess the potential effect of life stressors including changes in work, income, or family scenario on symptom severity in an Australian ME/CFS cohort over five months;

(2) Methods:
Australian residents with ME/CFS responded to questions relating to work, income, living arrangement, access to healthcare and support services as well as symptoms experienced;

(3) Results: thirty-six ME/CFS patients (age: 41.25 ± 12.14) completed all questionnaires (response rate 83.7%). Muscle pain and weakness, orthostatic intolerance and intolerance to extreme temperatures were experienced and fluctuated over time. Sleep disturbances were likely to present as severe. Work and household income were associated with worsened cognitive, gastrointestinal, body pain and sleep symptoms. Increased access to healthcare services was associated with improved symptom presentation;

(4) Conclusions:
life stressors such as work and financial disruptions may significantly contribute to exacerbation of ME/CFS symptoms. Access to support services correlates with lower symptom scores.

 

[lenora]

Good of you to present these, Pyrrhus, but personally I could use some help in what the 2nd and 3rd topics are telling us. Yes, some of it I get, but definitely not the whole. If you can't do it, don't have time, etc., don't worry. Thanks. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Good of you to present these, Pyrrhus, but personally I could use some help in what the 2nd and 3rd topics are telling us. Yes, some of it I get, but definitely not the whole. If you can't do it, don't have time, etc., don't worry. Thanks. Yours, Lenora.

Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review (Du Preez et al., 2021)
This one discusses a genetic mutation in the TRPM7 gene and how it might relate to the symptoms of ME.

Impact of Life Stressors on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: An Australian Longitudinal Study (Balinas et al., 2021)
The one discusses how life stressors such as work, finances, or accessing healthcare might affect an ME patient's symptoms.

 

[lenora]

Hi @Pyrrhus.....I leave the first totally in your capable hands.

I can tell them what arguing, work, finances or accessing healthcare may do to an ME/CFS patient....make everything a whole lot worse. And they need a study for this? I could have made that one out, if I'd been awake enough. Thanks! Yours, Lenora.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

In this issue:

Impact of Life Stressors on
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: An Australian Longitudinal Study (Balinas et al., 2021)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10614

I had to wander over to look at that one, as the abstract was too abstract for my brain.

I Noticed a geology publication, that they provided two abstracts- the second one entitled Plain Language Version.

Don't write a simple sentence that describes the study result.

"Work and household income were associated with worsened cognitive, gastrointestinal, body pain and sleep symptoms"

Translated - symptoms are worse if your broke and stressed out.

I"ve noticed some of the Australians sort of focus on the Yuppie Aspects of the Illness. (Your too Type A, you raise your hand too often, you strive too much).