Behan, P O · Postgraduate medical journal · 1978 · DOI
This 1978 study explores whether two different neurological conditions—acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis (a historical name for ME/CFS outbreaks)—might develop through similar biological mechanisms. The researcher identified multiple features these two diseases share and suggests that studying ADEM could help us better understand ME/CFS.
This study represents early scientific recognition that ME/CFS may have post-infectious neuroinflammatory mechanisms similar to other established neurological diseases. For patients, it connects ME/CFS to a broader medical framework and suggests biological legitimacy. For researchers, it proposes testable hypotheses about immune-mediated CNS pathology in ME/CFS.
This review does not provide direct evidence that ME/CFS and ADEM share identical mechanisms—it identifies commonalities and proposes this as a hypothesis. It does not prove causation or establish which specific pathogenic factors are responsible for either disease. No patient data, biomarkers, or experimental results are presented to confirm the proposed mechanisms.
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
Behan, P O (1978). Post-infectious encephalomyelitis: some aetiological mechanisms.. Postgraduate medical journal. https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.54.637.755
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-behan-1978-post-infectious,
author = {Behan, P O},
title = {Post-infectious encephalomyelitis: some aetiological mechanisms.},
journal = {Postgraduate medical journal},
year = {1978},
doi = {10.1136/pgmj.54.637.755},
note = {PubMed: 34143},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/behan-1978-post-infectious},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/behan-1978-post-infectious
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