Bansal, Amolak Singh, Seton, Katharine A, Brooks, Jonathan C W et al. · International journal of molecular sciences · 2025 · DOI
Many ME/CFS patients experience brain fog and difficulty concentrating, which can be as disabling as physical symptoms. This review examined how ongoing low-level inflammation and viral activity in the body may damage thinking and memory by affecting blood flow and nerve function in the brain. The researchers suggest that treating inflammation, controlling viral reactivation, and improving how cells produce energy could potentially help restore cognitive function.
Cognitive dysfunction affects quality of life significantly in ME/CFS yet remains poorly understood and undertreated. This comprehensive review integrates multiple mechanistic pathways, providing a framework for understanding brain fog and directing future therapeutic strategies. It validates the neurological basis of cognitive symptoms and identifies potential intervention targets—inflammation reduction, viral reactivation prevention, and mitochondrial support.
This review does not establish causation; it identifies plausible mechanisms and correlations between inflammation and cognition. It does not provide definitive evidence that any single mechanism is primary or that proposed treatments will be effective. The review cannot confirm which inflammatory markers or immune abnormalities are most relevant to individual patients' cognitive symptoms.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Bansal, Amolak Singh, Seton, Katharine A, Brooks, Jonathan C W, & Carding, Simon R (2025). Cognitive Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Aetiology and Potential Treatments.. International journal of molecular sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26051896
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-bansal-2025-cognitive-dysfunction,
author = {Bansal, Amolak Singh and Seton, Katharine A and Brooks, Jonathan C W and Carding, Simon R},
title = {Cognitive Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Aetiology and Potential Treatments.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/ijms26051896},
note = {PubMed: 40076522},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bansal-2025-cognitive-dysfunction},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bansal-2025-cognitive-dysfunction
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