Chen, R, Liang, F X, Moriya, J et al. · The Journal of international medical research · 2008 · DOI
This review examined brain imaging studies and blood tests in ME/CFS patients to understand how the illness affects the brain and nervous system. Researchers found evidence that ME/CFS patients show structural and functional differences in their brains, and that certain brain chemicals and immune molecules are abnormal. The authors suggest that future ME/CFS research should focus more on understanding how the central nervous system is involved in this illness.
This study highlights growing scientific evidence that ME/CFS involves measurable brain changes, helping shift understanding away from purely psychological explanations. By synthesizing multiple lines of neurobiological evidence, it provides support for the biological basis of ME/CFS and advocates for neuroscience-focused research directions that may lead to better diagnostic tools and treatments.
This review does not establish causation—it cannot determine whether brain abnormalities cause ME/CFS symptoms or result from prolonged illness. The review is based on existing literature rather than new experimental data, and individual studies cited may have had small sample sizes or methodological limitations. It does not provide a unified mechanism explaining all ME/CFS cases.
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
Chen, R, Liang, F X, Moriya, J, Yamakawa, J, Sumino, H, Kanda, T, et al. (2008). Chronic fatigue syndrome and the central nervous system.. The Journal of international medical research. https://doi.org/10.1177/147323000803600501
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-chen-2008-chronic-fatigue,
author = {Chen, R and Liang, F X and Moriya, J and Yamakawa, J and Sumino, H and Kanda, T and Takahashi, T},
title = {Chronic fatigue syndrome and the central nervous system.},
journal = {The Journal of international medical research},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1177/147323000803600501},
note = {PubMed: 18831878},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chen-2008-chronic-fatigue},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chen-2008-chronic-fatigue
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