Versace, Viviana, Tankisi, Hatice · Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2023 · DOI
This editorial discusses potential nerve-based tests that might help identify and distinguish Long-COVID and ME/CFS—two conditions that share similar exhaustion and brain symptoms but are still poorly understood. The authors review existing neurophysiological tools (tests that measure nerve and muscle function) that could potentially serve as objective biomarkers to help doctors diagnose these conditions more reliably. They highlight the need for further research to validate these tests and better understand what's happening in patients' nervous systems.
Many ME/CFS patients struggle to receive diagnosis because no objective tests currently exist; this editorial highlights how neurophysiological measures could eventually provide objective evidence of disease. Distinguishing Long-COVID from ME/CFS and identifying underlying mechanisms through nerve-based tests could lead to better treatments and validate patients' experiences of real biological dysfunction. As more research develops these biomarkers, patients may access faster, more accurate diagnoses.
As an editorial rather than original research, this paper does not present new data proving that any specific neurophysiological test is a reliable biomarker for ME/CFS or Long-COVID. It does not establish that these biomarkers can be used clinically today, nor does it demonstrate clear mechanistic pathways—it reviews existing evidence and identifies research gaps. The editorial cannot prove causation or determine whether neurophysiological abnormalities are primary drivers of illness or secondary consequences.
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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Primary citation
Versace, Viviana & Tankisi, Hatice (2023). Long-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): Potential neurophysiological biomarkers for these enigmatic entities.. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2023.01.001
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-versace-2023-long-covid,
author = {Versace, Viviana and Tankisi, Hatice},
title = {Long-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): Potential neurophysiological biomarkers for these enigmatic entities.},
journal = {Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1016/j.clinph.2023.01.001},
note = {PubMed: 36657309},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/versace-2023-long-covid},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/versace-2023-long-covid
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