MAGICAL MEDICINE: HOW TO MAKE AN ILLNESS ... - Invest in ME
MAGICAL MEDICINE: HOW TO MAKE AN ILLNESS ... - Invest in ME
MAGICAL MEDICINE: HOW TO MAKE AN ILLNESS ... - Invest in ME
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2003<br />
147<br />
German researchers Siessmeier et al used 18‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET)<br />
to evaluate cerebral glucose metabolism <strong>in</strong> (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS and concluded: “PET may provide valuable <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>in</strong><br />
help<strong>in</strong>g to separate CFS patients <strong>in</strong>to subpopulations with and without apparent alterations <strong>in</strong> the central nervous<br />
system” (JNNP 2003:74(7):922‐928).<br />
2005<br />
Lange and Natelson et al from New Jersey Medical School studied attentional processes (cognitive<br />
difficulties) <strong>in</strong> patients with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS: “Our results provide objective evidence <strong>in</strong> support of the subjective report of<br />
cognitive difficulties <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS and demonstrate an important role for functional neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g the pathophysiology of (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS symptoms. The evidence support<strong>in</strong>g a central nervous system<br />
pathophysiological process for some <strong>in</strong>dividuals with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS is mount<strong>in</strong>g. F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs showed that <strong>in</strong>dividuals with<br />
(<strong>ME</strong>)CFS utilise more extensive (bra<strong>in</strong>) regions. Individuals with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS appear to have to exert greater effort to<br />
process auditory <strong>in</strong>formation as effectively as similar healthy adults. Our studies do not support the notion that<br />
difficulties <strong>in</strong> cognitive function <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS are related to poor motivation” (NeuroImage<br />
2005:26(2):513‐524).<br />
2007<br />
Further to their 2005 study, DB Cook et al from New Jersey Medical School used functional MRI (fMRI) to<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>e the association between feel<strong>in</strong>gs of mental fatigue and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD)<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> responses dur<strong>in</strong>g a mentally fatigu<strong>in</strong>g cognitive task <strong>in</strong> (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS patients. “Our results demonstrated<br />
significant associations between mental fatigue and bra<strong>in</strong> activity dur<strong>in</strong>g a fatigu<strong>in</strong>g cognitive task (and are) generally<br />
consistent with prior research. Bra<strong>in</strong> regions that were significantly related to mental fatigue <strong>in</strong>cluded the parietal,<br />
c<strong>in</strong>gulated, <strong>in</strong>ferior frontal and superior temporal cortices, cerebellum and cerebellar vermis – regions that have been<br />
demonstrated as important for several aspects of cognitive function. Chronically fatigued participants exhibited greater<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> activity <strong>in</strong> multiple bra<strong>in</strong> regions dur<strong>in</strong>g the fatigu<strong>in</strong>g task compared to controls. The results suggest that the<br />
phenomenon of mental fatigue can exert demands on the neural processes necessary for efficient <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
process<strong>in</strong>g” (NeuroImage 2007: doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.02.033).<br />
2008<br />
In this paper, Japanese researchers summarised neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> patients with (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS from 1992,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g reduced bra<strong>in</strong> blood flow, decreased bra<strong>in</strong> volume and symptom‐related neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g changes.<br />
They reported: “An <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g amount of neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g evidence supports the hypothesis that (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS patients<br />
have structural or functional abnormalities with<strong>in</strong> the bra<strong>in</strong>. Available neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g data not only show differences<br />
between fatigued patients and normal controls, but also <strong>in</strong>dicate the bra<strong>in</strong>’s response to mental fatigue and other<br />
complex symptoms of (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS. Evidence of abnormal perfusion has led to research on bra<strong>in</strong> metabolism (that) found<br />
significant hypometabolism <strong>in</strong> the right mediofrontal cortex and bra<strong>in</strong>stem <strong>in</strong> (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS patients. Patients with<br />
(<strong>ME</strong>)CFS have been found to have significantly abnormal bra<strong>in</strong> volume compared with healthy controls and these<br />
abnormalities occur not only <strong>in</strong> white matter but also <strong>in</strong> grey matter. It is well known that cytok<strong>in</strong>es produced <strong>in</strong> the<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> exert various central actions, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g activation of the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis, impairment<br />
of learn<strong>in</strong>g memory etc; this po<strong>in</strong>ts to the possibility that bra<strong>in</strong> cytok<strong>in</strong>es may play a role <strong>in</strong> the pathogenesis of<br />
(<strong>ME</strong>)CFS. We suggest that the focal po<strong>in</strong>t of (<strong>ME</strong>)CFS research should be transferred to the central nervous<br />
system” (J Int Med Res 2008:36:867‐874).<br />
Given the now‐substantial evidence of abnormalities <strong>in</strong> <strong>ME</strong>/CFS patients which have been demonstrated on<br />
neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g, it is disturb<strong>in</strong>g that the Wessely School apparently cont<strong>in</strong>ues to dismiss them as of no<br />
consequence. Wessely’s colleague at the IoP, Anthony David, long ago went on record as be<strong>in</strong>g dismissive<br />
of neuroimag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>ME</strong>/CFS, assert<strong>in</strong>g that the cl<strong>in</strong>ical significance of such test<strong>in</strong>g “has yet to be determ<strong>in</strong>ed”<br />
(Helen Cope, Anthony David et al; Br J. Psychiat 1995:167:86‐94) and that “It is premature …to claim unique