Kimura, Yukio, Sato, Wakiro, Maikusa, Norihide et al. · Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging · 2023 · DOI
Researchers used a specialized brain imaging technique to look for signs of inflammation in the brains of ME/CFS patients and compared these findings to levels of harmful antibodies (immune proteins) in their blood. They found that certain antibodies were linked to visible changes in a specific brain region called the right frontal operculum, and that longer disease duration was associated with more brain changes. These findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve both immune system dysfunction and measurable changes in brain structure.
This study provides objective neuroimaging evidence linking immune dysfunction to measurable brain changes in ME/CFS, potentially supporting the autoimmune hypothesis of the disease. If confirmed, these findings could lead to biomarkers useful for diagnosis and monitoring disease progression, and may identify therapeutic targets related to autoimmune mechanisms.
This study cannot prove that autoantibodies cause the brain changes observed, only that they are associated. The cross-sectional design means we cannot determine if autoantibody levels change before, during, or after brain abnormalities develop. Additionally, these findings in one brain region do not establish a complete picture of ME/CFS pathophysiology or rule out other contributing 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
Kimura, Yukio, Sato, Wakiro, Maikusa, Norihide, Ota, Miho, Shigemoto, Yoko, Chiba, Emiko, et al. (2023). Free-water-corrected diffusion and adrenergic/muscarinic antibodies in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging. https://doi.org/10.1111/jon.13128
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kimura-2023-free-water,
author = {Kimura, Yukio and Sato, Wakiro and Maikusa, Norihide and Ota, Miho and Shigemoto, Yoko and Chiba, Emiko and Arizono, Elly and Maki, Hiroyuki and Shin, Isu and Amano, Keiko and Matsuda, Hiroshi and Yamamura, Takashi and Sato, Noriko},
title = {Free-water-corrected diffusion and adrenergic/muscarinic antibodies in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1111/jon.13128},
note = {PubMed: 37243973},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kimura-2023-free-water},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kimura-2023-free-water
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