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Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation® Canada
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Linking brain blood flow, neuroinflammation, metabolism and hormones in ME, POTS and Long COVID

Study Aim

The study aims to explore the structural, neuro-vascular, and biochemical differences in the brains of individuals with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and POTS to elucidate the underlying pathology and identify potential targets for effective treatment strategies.

Investigators

  • Xiaoyun Wang, PhD
  • Elena Christopoulos
  • Natalie Thomas, PhD
  • David Fineberg, MBBS, FRACGP, DCH
  • Paul Gooley, PhD
  • Leigh Johnston, PhD
  • Rebecca Glarin, BApSc, PGDip(MRI)
  • Rob Williams
  • Bradford Moffat, PhD
  • Christopher Rowe, BMBS, FRACP, MD, FAANMS
  • Christopher Armstrong, PhD

Updates and Potential

  • Ethics approval received.
  • Includes hand grip strength as an exertion test in the MRI/MRS.
  • Recruitment is beginning.
STUDY HYPOTHESIS AND DESCRIPTION

Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between ME/CFS and Long COVID, characterized by similar symptomatology. Additionally, POTS frequently co-occurs with ME/CFS and LC, further complicating symptom management and reducing patients’ quality of life.

Neuroinflammation has recently gained attention as a potential mechanism underlying ME/CFS and LC, with proposed pathways involving sustained glial activation and hypothalamic neuroinflammation. Glutamate dysregulation in the central nervous system, possibly exacerbated by neuroinflammation, may contribute to neuroendocrine dysfunction observed in ME/CFS and LC. Furthermore, reduced brain blood flow could be central to all 3 conditions.

This study aims to investigate brain structural, neuro-vascular, and biochemical differences between groups to deepen our understanding of ME/CFS, LC and POTS pathology and develop effective treatments. By examining astrocyte activity, metabolic variations, cerebral blood flow responses to exercise, and neuroinflammatory markers, we seek to uncover key mechanisms driving ME/CFS symptoms and identify potential therapeutic targets.

OBJECTIVES

we see a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan in progress within a medical facility. The patient is lying on a narrow bed that is part of the PET scanning machine.

  1. Investigate astrocyte activity and glucose hypometabolic patterns to elucidate brain neuroinflammation mechanisms in ME/CFS and LC.
  2. Analyze metabolite variations, particularly glutamate and GABA levels, in the hypothalamus among ME/CFS and LC patients compared to controls.
  3. Explore correlations with central nervous system neuroinflammation, blood hormone levels, and symptom manifestation.
  4. Assess changes in cerebral blood flow during exercise in ME/CFS and POTS patients, both globally and regionally in the brain. Investigate potential synergistic effects in individuals with comorbid ME/CFS and POTS.
  5. Evaluate the impact of cerebral blood flow alterations on symptomatology and post-exertional malaise severity in ME/CFS, LC and POTS populations.

Consent management

Consent Preferences

Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) Form 

Microvesicles and viral sequencing
Microvesicles are a type of extracellular vesicle that is released from the cell membrane. Vesicles are small, fluid-filled sacs or vacuoles within the body. Sequencing is a technique used to determine the exact sequence of bases (A, C, G, and T) in a DNA (or viral) molecule.
NMR Metabolomics
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is an instrument/tool used to perform metabolic studies, metabolic profiling, and metabolomics in biofluids and tissues for more than 40 years using magnetic fields. There is a very close connection between metabolic measurements and NMR. This connection has flourished because of NMR’s many unique strengths for characterizing complex mixtures’ chemical composition.
Proteomics
The large-scale study of proteins, which are large, complex molecules that are required for structure, function, and regulation of the human body's tissues and organs.
Autoantibodies
Antibodies that react with self-molecules and that occur in healthy individuals and are referred to as natural antibodies or autoantibodies.
Extracellular DNA for viral reactivation and Mitochondrial DNA
exDNA (extracellular DNA), exDNA is often secreted actively and is used to perform several tasks, thereby offering an attractive target or tool for biotechnological, medical, environmental, and general microbiological applications. Viruses are intracellular parasites that rely to a significant extent on the host cell for replication. Viral reactivation occurs when an active replication of the viral genome results in a lytic (degradation of the cell) infection characterized by the release of new progeny (descendant) virus particles.
Immune cell profiling
The immune system has many important regulatory roles in disease development and progression. Given the emergence of effective immune therapies, reliable predictors of response are needed. Immune cell profiling determines response by evaluating immune cell populations from treated and untreated samples. For our purposes, we will evaluate the white blood cell response to the viral infection using a process called “Cytof.”
Leukocyte Genomics
A leukocyte is a colorless cell circulating in the blood and body fluids and is involved in counteracting foreign substances and disease. A genome is all genetic material of an organism. Genomics is a biology field focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. Therefore, leukocyte genomics is the study of all genetic material of leukocytes.
Metabolomics
Metabolomics is a way to study metabolism – that is, through measuring amounts of the metabolites (small molecules) produced by our bodies as we convert food into energy and other molecules that our cells need to survive. Metabolomics technology is ‘large-scale,’ meaning that several thousand metabolites can be measured from a single sample of e.g., blood or urine.
Micro RNA
Cells use Micro RNA to control whether a particular gene is making too much, too little or the normal amount of its protein at a particular time.