We recently reported the results of research from Professor James Baraniuk and Assistant Professor Narayan Shivapurkar of Georgetown University in America.
The research demonstrated differences in the levels of small molecules, called micro-RNAs, in the brains of people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and Gulf War Illness (GWI), after exercise.
The accompanying press release from Georgetown University is available on the ME Association website, and we are now able to provide a summary review of the full paper, to be read online or as a download.
“The study of miRNAs is a relatively new field, and this was the first paper to study the effects of exercise on miRNA concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid taken from sedentary controls and people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
“Other studies have revealed changes in levels of circulating miRNAs in the blood, that are associated with several diseases – depression, Alzheimer’s and cancer – as well as in samples taken under physiological conditions such as pregnancy or physical exercise.
“There have also been a couple of studies on miRNA levels in the blood of people with chronic fatigue syndrome. One found reduced expression of several miRNAs (Brenu “et al. 2012), and another found increased levels of miRNAs (Petty et al. 2016).
“However, none have examined miRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid, before and after exercise, or sought to differentiate CFS from GWI, or used a sedentary healthy control group as a comparison…
Read the ME Association review of this important paper online or as a download
“Post-exertional malaise, also referred to as exertional exhaustion, is a unique characteristic of CFS that is shared by GWI subjects”
Oh dear.
It’s either a unique characteristic or it’s not.
Otherwise it’s an “unusual” characteristic that is shared by GWI subjects.