April 22, 2013

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – unravelling the controversy

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS; also known as ME) is an incredibly controversial field, not just in terms of public perception, diagnosis and treatment but even for the very researchers trying to help, who have experienced campaigns of harassment from some patients.

The disease affects over 600,000 people in the UK with a quarter of those cases unable to perform even basic activities or look after themselves. There is currently no cure and the disease is poorly understood.

However, the new UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative is being launched to bring together many of the best researchers in a bid to understand and, ultimately, find treatments for this debilitating disease. The group will be investigating every aspect of the disease and we brought some of the key players to the SMC to discuss the areas that are really making progress.

• How blood flow to the brain may be playing a part
• Whether the immune system plays a role in either causing or exacerbating the disease
• What imaging studies are showing us about overactive brains
• Why CFS is so heavily under-diagnosed and how prevalent it really is
• What impact the launch of the UK Research Collaborative will have and why it is so vital

Speakers:  

Dr Esther Crawley, Reader in Child Health, University of Bristol

Prof Stephen Holgate, MRC Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton

Prof Julia Newton, Dean for Clinical Medicine and Clinical Professor of Ageing and Medicine, Newcastle University

Prof Carmine Pariante, Professor of Biological Psychiatry, King’s College London

Dr Jade Thai, Senior Research Fellow and Centre Manager, Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol