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Oxford ME/CFS Conference Report July 2022

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https://meassociation.org.uk/2022/08/oxford-me-cfs-conference-report-july-2022/

Quoting a interresting portion from this article here:

The preliminary results for the 7T MRS study suggested increased levels of choline containing compounds, phosphocholine and glycerophosphocholine. Choline compounds are considered a marker of inflammation in the brain (their production increases with increased gliosis and related rapid membrane turnover). In our study, those with Long Covid, we saw a relationship between choline compounds level and performance on the Tower of London, a task assessing executive function.. Increased inflammation can lead to a cycle of glutamate toxicity, oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, resulting in dysfunctions in energy production in the cells across the body.One of the markers of abnormal energy production are elevated levels of lactate. In our 7T MRS study, we observed increased levels of lactate in the brain of both CFS and Long Covid patients. We have also seen increased levels of glutamate in patients in CFS.
 

Pyrrhus

Senior Member
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Interesting. I'm not familiar with these researchers:

Brain and muscle imaging in ME/CFS and Long Covid – Dr Beata Godlewska and Professor Ladslav Valkovič, University of Oxford
[...]
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) can be used as an in vivo tool to analyse the biological changes that underpin both conditions, allowing researching diagnostic and treatment biomarkers, as well as for the similarities and differences between both conditions. We are currently conducting two studies using MRS The first uses 7T MRS to determine both the brain and muscle biochemistry of CFS and Long Covid and how this may link to symptoms expressed, while the second, using 3T MRS, assesses creatine supplementation as a treatment for CFS. The data is still being collected for both studies, with the aim of 30 participants in each group for the 7T MRS study (until now, 19 patients with CFS and 20 patients with Long Covid were included) and 15 participants in the creatine supplementation study.