Grey and white matter differences in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A voxel-based morphometry study.
Finkelmeyer, Andreas, He, Jiabao, Maclachlan, Laura et al. · NeuroImage. Clinical · 2018 · DOI
Quick Summary
Researchers used advanced brain imaging (MRI) to compare the brains of 42 people with ME/CFS to 30 healthy people. They found differences in how much grey matter and white matter the ME/CFS patients had in certain brain regions. Specifically, people with ME/CFS had more grey matter in areas that process internal body signals and stress, but less white matter in regions involved in the brainstem and midbrain.
Why It Matters
This study provides objective neuroimaging evidence of structural brain differences in ME/CFS, helping validate that the condition has detectable biological markers. The findings in stress-processing and interoceptive regions may help explain why patients experience heightened symptom sensitivity and could guide future treatment approaches targeting these specific brain areas.
Observed Findings
Increased overall grey matter volume in CFS patients relative to healthy controls (after accounting for total intracranial volume)
Decreased overall white matter volume in CFS patients relative to healthy controls
Increased grey matter in the amygdala and insula in CFS patients
Reduced white matter volume in the midbrain, pons, and right temporal lobe in CFS patients
Inferred Conclusions
Structural brain abnormalities in ME/CFS are concentrated in regions responsible for processing internal body signals and stress responses
Brainstem and midbrain white matter reductions extend previous findings of brainstem involvement in CFS pathophysiology
The pattern of grey matter elevation in interoceptive regions may relate to altered perception of fatigue and other somatic symptoms
Remaining Questions
Do these brain structural differences precede symptom onset or develop as a consequence of chronic illness?
Are the observed grey and white matter changes associated with specific symptom severity or disease duration?
Could interventions targeting stress-processing regions improve outcomes, and do successful treatments reverse these structural changes?
What This Study Does Not Prove
This study cannot establish whether the observed brain differences cause ME/CFS symptoms or result from prolonged illness and deconditioning. As a cross-sectional snapshot, it does not demonstrate whether these structural changes develop before symptom onset, during illness progression, or as a consequence of living with the disease. The findings show correlation, not causation.
Tags
Biomarker:Neuroimaging
Method Flag:PEM Not DefinedWeak Case DefinitionSmall Sample