Morris, Gerwyn, Berk, Michael, Puri, Basant K · Molecular neurobiology · 2018 · DOI
This review compared brain imaging findings across three conditions—multiple sclerosis, depression, and ME/CFS—looking for similarities that might suggest a common underlying cause. The researchers found that all three conditions show similar patterns of brain abnormalities, including problems with blood flow to the brain and changes in brain structure. They suggest that inflammation and immune cell dysfunction in the brain may explain why patients with these different diagnoses have comparable brain imaging problems.
This study is important because it suggests ME/CFS shares fundamental brain-based mechanisms with other serious conditions, which could help legitimize ME/CFS as a biological disease rather than purely psychological. Identifying common pathways may accelerate development of more effective treatments and could support better diagnostic approaches using objective brain imaging.
This review does not prove that ME/CFS, depression, and MS share a single common cause—it only identifies overlapping neuroimaging patterns. It does not establish that SPECT imaging should be used clinically to diagnose ME/CFS, as the authors explicitly note its limitations including radiation exposure and insufficient sensitivity. The findings are correlational and cannot determine whether observed brain abnormalities are the cause of symptoms or a consequence of the disease process.
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 →
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