Monthly Archives: December 2011
First published review of Pacing for ME & CFS
A review has been published describing the principle of pacing and how this can be adapted to meet individual abilities and preferences. A critical evaluation of the research was conducted to ascertain the benefits and limitations of this strategy. Based … Continue reading
Responses to exercise differ for CFS and FMS patients
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are chronic multisymptom illnesses with substantial clinical and diagnostic overlap. A group of American scientists have previously shown that when controlling for aerobic fitness and accounting for comorbid FM, CFS patients do not … Continue reading
Assessing harm from GET & CBT in ME/CFS research
The Bulletin of the International Association for CFS/ME has published an assesment of the process for ‘Reporting of Harms Associated with Graded Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’. ABSTRACT: Across different medical fields, authors have … Continue reading
Acute infection and a history of physical activity are associated with poor respsonse to exercise in CFS
French researchers questioned whether past experience of high-level physical activity and/or acute infection might affect the response to exercise in people with CFS. This case-control study compared data from 43 CFS patients to results from a matched control group of … Continue reading
Cardiovascular symptoms found in ME/CFS
Researchers from Dundee have found evidence that ME/CFS is associated with cardiovascular symptoms including autonomic dysfunction, impaired blood pressure regulation, and loss of beat-to-beat heart rate control. In addition they believe that a number of recent studies that report raised … Continue reading
Muscle fatigue originates in the brain
Researchers from the University of Zurich have discovered a mechanism in the brain that triggers a reduction in muscle performance during tiring activities and ensures that one’s own physiological limits are not exceeded. For the first time, the study demonstrates … Continue reading
Questionable value of exercise referral schemes
Researchers commissioned by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme carried out a systematic review that identified 8 randomised controlled trials on exercise referral schemes. These studies showed weak evidence for short-term (i.e. up to 12-months’ follow up) increases in physical … Continue reading
CFS patients with Orthostatic Intolerance have a small heart with impaired cardiac performance
Japanese researchers had previously discovered that “small heart” with low cardiac output is prevalent in CFS patients. Colleagues had also reported that patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia, which is often noted in patients with chronic OI (Orthostatic Intolerance), have small … Continue reading
Structural brain changes found in ME/CFS
A team led by Prof Basant Puri has used high resolution MRI scanning to uncover reduced grey matter volume in several parts of the brain. They believe that the data supports the hypothesis that significant neuroanatomical changes occur in CFS, … Continue reading
