I've got to disagree with most of the posts here. Prof Newton does a lot of good work - she works like a scientist rather than a (medical) Doctor - and is not a Wessley-ite by any stretch. This talk is short, so skims a lot of things but is very much based around looking for physiological and not psychological explanations of an illness she describes as "devastating".
It gets too much emphasis for sure and is unfortunate that the word has become so tainted and used to diminish our disease by the PACE proponents. But fatigue as a proper medical concept does exist, for instance as she says, in other neurological or immune related conditions (PBC being her original thing), and as a reaction to chemo and similar drugs. This is not a belittling label in that context. Her starting point is biology not psych/anxiety/dismissal.
Is it a presumption or an attempt to look for clues and join the dots ? We may have a unique condition but our bodies do not operate in some alternate reality outside the basic principles of physics and biology. That is, there may well be commonalities in the disease processes and mechanisms compared to other neuro-immune-metabolic problems.
Julia Newton has a good rep in the UK as ME friendly. Her work is in part funded and supported by patient groups and fundraising, and having watched her talks and videos and read some of her stuff I'm inclined to her as being on our side.
see above, also POTS muscle testing etc.
Dr Miller is one of the PACE fools, honestly don't think she can be tarred with the same brush. Her comment on psychosocial is after she refutes the standard BPS line
"It is difficult to imagine how patients would wish to continue in this state, and when you meet somebody you realise that there is nothing to be gained for them as an individual from this diagnosis. In addition there is emerging scientific evidence that now points to underlying physiological abnormalities in those with CFS/ME, and that the any anger, frustration, depression and anxiety are secondary to those physiological symptoms experienced by individuals. "
She is saying the opposite of what Miller and friends would, ie she is saying stress and social isolation are a consequence of the illness not a cause.
My pet peeve is the reference to 'fatigue' remains when describing ME.
It gets too much emphasis for sure and is unfortunate that the word has become so tainted and used to diminish our disease by the PACE proponents. But fatigue as a proper medical concept does exist, for instance as she says, in other neurological or immune related conditions (PBC being her original thing), and as a reaction to chemo and similar drugs. This is not a belittling label in that context. Her starting point is biology not psych/anxiety/dismissal.
There is a presumption that fatigue in other disorders is the same.
Is it a presumption or an attempt to look for clues and join the dots ? We may have a unique condition but our bodies do not operate in some alternate reality outside the basic principles of physics and biology. That is, there may well be commonalities in the disease processes and mechanisms compared to other neuro-immune-metabolic problems.
and if you talk to veteran ME friendly physicians, they also agree they've never seen anything like ME before either.
Julia Newton has a good rep in the UK as ME friendly. Her work is in part funded and supported by patient groups and fundraising, and having watched her talks and videos and read some of her stuff I'm inclined to her as being on our side.
And this is the foremost biological researcher into ME in the UK.
see above, also POTS muscle testing etc.
They also are agreeing with the Dr Alastair Miller viewpoints, which are completely incorrect on nearly every relevant point.
Dr Miller is one of the PACE fools, honestly don't think she can be tarred with the same brush. Her comment on psychosocial is after she refutes the standard BPS line
"It is difficult to imagine how patients would wish to continue in this state, and when you meet somebody you realise that there is nothing to be gained for them as an individual from this diagnosis. In addition there is emerging scientific evidence that now points to underlying physiological abnormalities in those with CFS/ME, and that the any anger, frustration, depression and anxiety are secondary to those physiological symptoms experienced by individuals. "
She is saying the opposite of what Miller and friends would, ie she is saying stress and social isolation are a consequence of the illness not a cause.