Research Project

Examining structural and functional abnormalities of brain, heart and muscle
using MRI in those with CFS/ME

Dr Julia Newton

The Northern CFS/ME Clinical Network awarded a small grant to perform pilot studies to investigate whether similar changes in brain, heart and muscle structure and function occur are as seen in the Liver disease, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC). In this liver condition, over 50% of sufferers experience fatigue that is very similar to that in CFS/ME. Previous pilot studies have shown that fatigue in PBC correlates with abnormalities on brain MRI. Further studies in this area have been funded by the Medical Research Council. These studies will examine brain, heart and muscle abnormalities in fatigued and non-fatigued PBC subjects using ‘state of the art’ MR techniques at the recently opened Newcastle MR Centre and correlate these findings with a series of dynamic autonomic function tests.

MERGE have recently funded a study that will allow us to perform the same series of autonomic function tests in those with CFS/ME, we are however keen to include those from the CFS/ME in the entire protocol and the funds from the Northern CFS/ME Clinical Network will facilitate this.

The Medical Research Council MR protocols include imaging of 3 separate areas (brain, heart, muscle), and we have therefore incorporated into this application requests for funding in each of these areas. We anticipate that the pilot data generated from this pilot study will inform an application to a major funding organisation to further evaluate the pathogenesis of fatigue in
CFS/ME.

Volunteers Required
Are you in good health, aged 40-60, taking no medication and willing to help as a control for the above CFS/ME study?

We are performing test of heart rate and blood pressure and performing MR scans of brains and muscles in people with CFS/ME. In order to determine whether our results are abnormal it is important that we compare them to results from the same series of tests in people without
CFS/ME.

You can help in this important study Healthy Volunteers needed……………

If you would like more information - please contact us on jessie.pairman@nuth.nhs.uk Jessie will then contact you to let you know what the study involves.

Many thanks
Dr Julia Newton