Charlotte Stephens, Research Correspondent, ME Association.
We show below brief summaries of the research studies about ME/CFS that have been published in the last week, followed by the abstracts from those studies.
This information will be included in the monthly update to the central Research Index which is made freely available as a download at the end of every month.
You can also find the Index in the Research section of the website together with a list of Research Summaries from the ME Association that provide lay explanations of the more important and interesting work that has been published to date.
ME/CFS Research Published 14th – 20th March 2020
This week, 4 new research studies have been published, highlights include:
- Researchers from America looking at cortisol levels in ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia identified different cortisol alteration patterns which may be able to distinguish between the two conditions.
- A discussion of ‘epistemic injustice’ in the healthcare setting with regards ME/CFS patients. This is where a lack of or incorrect knowledge leads to false assumptions and beliefs about the patient, as well as not taking the patients experience or views seriously, due to negative stereotyping.
- A review highlighting evidence to support the role of autoimmunity in ME/CFS and that a subgroup of patients may benefit from immunotherapy.
ME/CFS Research references and abstracts
1. Ascough C et al. (2020)
Interventions to treat pain in paediatric CFS/ME: a systematic review.
BMJ Paediatrics Open 4 (1).
Abstract
Background: Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is common (prevalence 1%–2%).
Two-thirds of children experience moderate or severe pain, which is associated with increased fatigue and poorer physical function. However, we do not know if treatment for CFS/ME improves pain.
Objective: Identify whether specialist treatment of paediatric CFS/ME improves pain.
Methods: We conducted a detailed search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library. Two researchers independently screened texts published between 1994 and 24 January 2019 with no language restrictions. Inclusion criteria were (1) randomised controlled trials and observational studies; (2) participants aged <19 years with CFS/ME; and (3) measure of pain before and after an intervention.
Results: Of 1898 papers screened, 26 studies investigated treatment for paediatric CFS/ME, 19 of which did not measure pain at any time point.
Only five treatment studies measured pain at baseline and follow-up and were included in this review. None of the interventions were specifically targeted at treating pain. Of the included studies, two showed no improvement in pain scores, one suggested an improvement in one subgroup and two studies identified improvements in pain measures in ‘recovered’ patients compared with ‘non-recovered’ patients.
Conclusions: Despite the prevalence and impact of pain in children with CFS/ME surprisingly few treatment studies measured pain. In those that did measure pain, the treatments used focused on overall management of CFS/ME and we identified no treatments that were targeted specifically at managing pain.
There is limited evidence that treatment helps improve pain scores. However, patients who recover appear to have less pain than those who do not recover. More studies are needed to determine if pain in paediatric CFS/ME requires a specific treatment approach, with a particular focus on patients who do not recover following initial treatment.
2. Byrne EA (2020)
Striking the balance with epistemic injustice in healthcare: the case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Medical Health Care Philosophy [Epub ahead of print].
Abstract
Miranda Fricker's influential concept of epistemic injustice (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007) has recently seen application to many areas of interest, with an increasing body of healthcare research using the concept of epistemic injustice in order to develop both general frameworks and accounts of specific medical conditions and patient groups.
This paper illuminates tensions that arise between taking steps to protect against committing epistemic injustice in healthcare, and taking steps to understand the complexity of one's predicament and treat it accordingly. Work on epistemic injustice is therefore at risk of obfuscating legitimate and potentially fruitful inquiry.
This paper uses Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis as a case study, but I suggest that the key problems identified could apply to other cases within healthcare, such as those classed as Medically Unexplained Illnesses, Functional Neurological Disorders and Psychiatric Disorders.
Future work on epistemic injustice in healthcare must recognise and attend to this tension to protect against unsatisfactory attempts to correct epistemic injustice.
3. Pednekar DD et al. (2020)
Characterization of Cortisol Dysregulation in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndromes: A State-Space Approach.
IEEE [Epub ahead of print].
Abstract
Objective: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are complicated medical disorders, with little known etiologies. The purpose of this research is to characterize FMS and CFS by studying the variations in cortisol secretion patterns, timings, amplitudes, the number of underlying pulses, as well as infusion and clearance rates of cortisol.
Methods: Using a physiological state-space model with plausible constraints, we estimate the hormonal secretory events and the physiological system parameters (i.e., infusion and clearance rates).
Results: Our results show that the clearance rate of cortisol is lower in FMS patients as compared to their matched healthy individuals based on a simplified cortisol secretion model. Moreover, the number, magnitude, and energy of hormonal secretory events are lower in FMS patients. During early morning hours, the magnitude and energy of the hormonal secretory events are higher in CFS patients.
Conclusion: Due to lower cortisol clearance rate, there is a higher accumulation of cortisol in FMS patients as compared to their matched healthy subjects. As the FMS patient accumulates higher cortisol residues, internal inhibitory feedback regulates the hormonal secretory events. Therefore, the FMS patients show a lower number, magnitude, and energy of hormonal secretory events.
Though CFS patients have the same number of secretory events, they secrete lower quantities during early morning hours. When we compare the results for CFS patients against FMS patients, we observe different cortisol alteration patterns.
Significance: Characterizing CFS and FMS based on the cortisol alteration will help us to develop novel methods for treating these disorders.
4. Shoenfeld Y et al. (2020)
Complex syndromes of chronic pain, fatigue and cognitive impairment linked to autoimmune dysautonomia and small fiber neuropathy.
Clinical Immunology [Epub ahead of print].
Abstract
Chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome and silicone implant incompatibility syndrome are a subject of debate among clinicians and researchers. Both the pathogenesis and treatment of these disorders require further study.
In this paper, we summarize the evidence regarding the role of autoimmunity in these four syndromes with respect to immunogenetics, autoimmune co-morbidities, alteration in immune cell subsets, production of autoantibodies and presentation in animal models.
These syndromes could be incorporated in a new concept of autoimmune neurosensory dysautonomia with the common denominators of autoantibodies against G-protein coupled receptors and small fiber neuropathy.
Sjogren's syndrome, which is a classical autoimmune disease, could serve as a diseases model, illustrating the concept. Development of this concept aims to identify an apparently autoimmune subgroup of the disputable disorders, addressed in the review, which may mostly benefit from the immunotherapy.
The ME Association
Please support our vital work
We are a national charity working hard to make the UK a better place for people whose lives have been devastated by an often-misunderstood neurological disease.
If you would like to support our efforts and ensure we are able to inform, support, advocate and invest in biomedical research, then please donate today.
Just click the image opposite or visit our JustGiving page for one-off donations or to establish a regular payment. You can even establish your own fundraising event.
Or why not join the ME Association as a member and be part of our growing community? For a monthly (or annual) subscription you will also receive ME Essential – quite simply the best M.E. magazine!
ME Association Registered Charity Number 801279