In the News

30 April, 2024

Cognitive Profile In Multiple Sclerosis And Post-COVID Condition: A Comparative Study Using A Unified Taxonomy

Post-COVID condition (PCC) and multiple sclerosis (MS) share some clinical and demographic features, including cognitive symptoms and fatigue. Some pathophysiological mechanisms well-known in MS, such as autoimmunity, neuroinflammation and myelin damage, have also been implicated in PCC. In this study, we aimed to compare the cognitive phenotypes of two large cohorts of patients with PCC and MS, and to evaluate the relationship between fatigue and cognitive performance. Cross-sectional study including 218 patients with PCC and 218 with MS matched by age, sex, and years of education. Patients were evaluated with a comprehensive neuropsychological protocol and were categorized according to the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders system. Fatigue and depression were also assessed. Cognitive profiles of PCC and MS largely overlapped, with a greater impairment in episodic memory in MS, but with small effect sizes. The most salient deficits in both disorders were in attention and processing speed. The severity of fatigue was greater in patients with PCC. Still, the correlations between fatigue severity and neuropsychological tests were more prominent in the case of MS. There were no differences in the severity of depression among groups. Our study found similar cognitive profiles in PCC and MS. Fatigue was more severe in PCC, but was more associated with cognitive performance in MS. Further comparative studies addressing the mechanisms related to cognitive dysfunction and fatigue may be of interest to advance the knowledge of these disorders and develop new therapies.

30 April, 2024

Ulverston Woman Shaves Head For Friend Lost To Suicide

A Welsh woman has completed the brave act of shaving off her long locks to honour her friend who lost his life to suicide. 27-year-old Maya Holligan, from Haverthwaite, is raising money for Cumbrian mental health charity Every Life Matters as well as donating the hair to alopecia charities. She chose the head shave as she suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome and is unable to do charity work or events.

29 April, 2024

Psychiatry’s Somatic Awakening: New Evidence Challenges The Status Quo

We are now able to analyze huge amounts of data very quickly, often with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), allowing us to discover relationships that were previously overlooked.

29 April, 2024

Dr. Klimas On Putting The Pieces Together In Long COVID, ME/CFS And GWI – From TLC Sessions

An article by Cort Johnson of Health Rising.

28 April, 2024

For These Singers, It's A Form Of Therapy. This Is How Choirs Can Help Our Brains And Bodies Recover From Burnout

Scientists have been singing the praises of choirs for decades. These musical gatherings seem to support social and emotional wellbeing for all sorts of groups — among small or large crowds, those with established connections and those who are just getting to know each other, and across cultures. Researchers have established how group singing can support and even facilitate recovery in patients with Parkinson's disease, post-natal depression and some types of cancer — and they say they've only just begun to scratch the surface on the cognitive possibilities.

28 April, 2024

Long Covid: ‘I Don’t Want To Be Stuck In This House Anymore’

Profiles of New Zealand long-COVID sufferers.

27 April, 2024

Research Signals ‘New Day’ For Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Even though it sounds a little amorphous, chronic fatigue syndrome – now called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in the medical community – is all too real for hundreds of thousands or even millions of Americans. As recently as 2015, when the Atlantic magazine ran an article entitled “The Tragic Neglect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” patients were being told that the illness was psychosomatic. It was also around that time that patients started to demand that they be listened to and acknowledged. In response, “the National Academy of Medicine created criteria for the diagnosis of ME/CFS that included malaise, fatigue and cognitive dependence,” said Dr. Michael Weir, director of the Biomedical Science program at Keiser University’s Port St. Lucie campus. “That was the beginning of a new day for the syndrome.”

27 April, 2024

NIAMS Boosts Support For Pain Research

In a 2022 letter from Lindsay A. Criswell, Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, she announced that NIAMS and several other NIH institutes had been selected by Congress to receive funding that would enhance opportunities for advancing pain science. This is an important topic for NIAMS, particularly considering that many diseases and conditions that fall within our portfolio can cause acute and chronic pain – which can be highly debilitating and difficult to manage. While those grappling with pain have seen some relief thanks to progress in the area, we still need to better understand the mechanisms of pain, find effective and nonaddictive options for treatment, and improve health equity for those disproportionately affected by these conditions.

26 April, 2024

Fibromyalgia Patients Are Using Cannabis To Ease Their Symptoms

Researchers from the USA have published a study showing how fibromyalgia patients who deal with symptoms including pain, fatigue, and anxiety are using cannabis.

26 April, 2024

Nutritional Status, Dietary Intake, Quality Of Life, And Dysphagia In Women With Fibromyalgia

A study that aimed to analyze the association between nutritional status, micro- and macronutrient intake, and quality of life (QoL) in a cohort of women with Fibromyalgia and risk of dysphagia (i.e., difficulty swallowing) compared to women with FMS without risk of dysphagia.