Lefaucheur, Jean-Pascal, Chalah, Moussa A, Mhalla, Alaa et al. · Neurophysiologie clinique = Clinical neurophysiology · 2017 · DOI
Researchers reviewed 15 studies examining whether non-invasive brain stimulation techniques—specifically transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—can reduce fatigue in various conditions including ME/CFS. While most studies showed promising results, especially in multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, the evidence remains limited and inconsistent because different studies used different methods and measured fatigue in different ways.
ME/CFS is characterized by severe, disabling fatigue that remains treatment-resistant. This review identifies non-invasive brain stimulation as a potentially viable therapeutic approach supported by preliminary evidence, offering hope for an objective, mechanism-based intervention that could benefit ME/CFS patients currently lacking effective treatments.
This review does not prove that brain stimulation effectively treats ME/CFS fatigue—most included studies examined other conditions. The authors explicitly state the evidence is 'too few, partial and heterogeneous' to draw firm conclusions. This review cannot establish which stimulation parameters, cortical targets, or patient populations would benefit most.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
Spotted an error in this entry? Report it →