MAGICAL MEDICINE: HOW TO MAKE AN ILLNESS ... - Invest in ME

11
“It’s not an illness that people can simply imagine that they have and it’s not a psychological illness. In
my view, that debate, which was waged for 20 years, should now be over.
“Brain imaging studies…have shown inflammation, reduced blood flow and impaired cellular function in
different locations of the brain…(and) they change a person’s life.
“Today we have powerful new research technologies and tools we didn’t have even 20 years ago, and they
are being put to good use by laboratories all over the world”.
Nancy Klimas, Professor of Medicine and Immunology at the University of Miami (who at the time was
President of the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an organisation of medical
professionals and research scientists), said:
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Over the past 20 years, I’ve treated more than 2,000 (ME)CFS
patients.
“Whilst attitudes have improved in recent years, the launch of this national awareness campaign is so
important to increasing understanding of this illness.
“Historically, it’s been the lack of credibility in this illness that has been one of our major stumbling blocks
to making progress.
“Today there is evidence of the biological underpinnings. And there’s evidence that the patients with this
illness experience a level of disability that’s equal to that of patients with late‐stage AIDS, patients
undergoing chemotherapy, patients with multiple sclerosis.
“And that has certainly given it a level of credibility that should be easily understood.
“We need to educate physicians and other health care workers about this illness so that every single
doctor…knows the diagnostic criteria.
“There are diagnostic criteria that enable clinicians to diagnose (ME)CFS in the primary care setting.
“The CFS toolkit should be in the hands of every doctor…in the country, because this is the key to moving forward”
(http://www.cdc.gov/media/transcripts/t061103.htm).
Referenced illustrations from the medical literature are provided in Section 2, but an introductory overview
of documented abnormalities in ME/CFS include the following:
• abnormalities of the central nervous system include abnormalities of brain cognition, brain
perfusion, brain metabolism and brain chemistry; there is evidence of low blood flow in multiple
areas of the brain; neuro‐imaging has revealed lesions in the brain of approximately 80% of those
tested and according to the researchers, these lesions are probably caused by inflammation: there is
a correlation between the areas involved and the symptoms experienced; abnormalities on SPECT
scans provide objective evidence of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction; there is evidence of
a chronic inflammatory process of the CNS, with oedema or demyelination in 78% of patients
tested; there is evidence of a significant and irreversible reduction in grey matter volume
(especially in Brodmann’s area 9) which is related to physical impairment and may indicate major
trauma to the brain (which could also explain the low recovery rate); there is evidence of seizures; a
positive Romberg is frequently seen in authentic ME/CFS patients
• abnormalities of the autonomic and peripheral nervous systems: there is evidence of
dysautonomia in ME/CFS patients