Godlewska, Beata R, Williams, Stephen, Emir, Uzay E et al. · Psychopharmacology · 2022 · DOI
Researchers used a powerful brain scanning technique to measure chemicals in the brains of people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS had lower levels of three important brain chemicals: glutathione (which helps protect against cell damage), creatine (which helps produce energy), and myo-inositol (which is important for brain cell function). These findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve problems with energy production and cell damage in the brain.
These findings provide objective biological evidence of neurochemical abnormalities in ME/CFS, moving beyond symptom description toward understanding underlying brain dysfunction. If validated, these biomarkers could aid diagnosis and potentially identify targets for treatment, such as antioxidant or mitochondrial-supporting interventions.
This small pilot study does not establish that these neurochemical changes cause ME/CFS symptoms or are unique to this condition. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether the abnormalities precede illness onset or result from chronic illness. Results must be replicated in larger samples before being considered confirmed biological markers.
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 →
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