Saturday, August 28, 2010

PNAS Paper media blackout in UK???

"Jean Harrison" writes via COCURE@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDUI

"I've heard from quite a few British patients who noted that the major UK news outlets have not been reporting the findings of the PNAS paper. Apparently articles articles on scientific advances are vetted by the Science Media Centre, Science Advisory Panel: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/pages/about/sap.htm . Perhaps there is a group above this centre to which appeals could be made?"

With Professor Simon Wessely, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, on there I am not surprised, tad audacious though!!!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Study Links Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to a Class of Virus - NYTimes.com

FINALLY!

Study Links Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to a Class of Virus - NYTimes.com

When the journal Science published an attention-grabbing study last fall linking chronic fatigue syndrome to a recently discovered retrovirus, many experts remained skeptical — especially after four other studies found no such association.

Now a second research team has reported a link between the fatigue syndrome and the same class of virus, a category known as MRV-related viruses. In a paper published Monday by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists found gene sequences from several MRV-related viruses in blood cells from 32 out of 37 chronic-fatigue patients but only 3 of 44 healthy ones.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

Fibromyalgia patients have more "connectivity" between brain networks and regions of the brain involved in pain processing, which may help explain why sufferers feel pain even when there is no obvious cause, a new study suggests.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Study involving children and the Lightning Process is unethical, says joint charity statement

Study involving children and the Lightning Process is unethical, says joint charity statement

A plan to recruit children with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to a scientific trial comparing the efficacy of an unproven psychologically-based training programme with specialist medical care is “unethical”, say two of Britain’s leading ME/CFS charities – The ME Association and the Young ME Sufferers Trust.

In a joint statement issued yesterday evening (4 August 2010), the two charities say:

We are issuing this joint statement due to widespread public concern, together with our own serious reservations, about a forthcoming study of the psychologically-based Lightning Process on children.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Norwich centre for ME sufferers planned - Norfolk News - EDP24

Norwich centre for ME sufferers planned - Norfolk News - EDP24

..."talks between Dr Ian Gibson, the national Invest in ME charity, the UEA and NHS Norfolk have taken place with the view of setting up a centre to properly research, diagnose and treat the illness. If it goes ahead, it will be the first centre of excellence in the country and firmly put Norwich on the map of advancing medicine and healthcare.

ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is a contentious illness because for years clinicians and other medical professionals refused to recognise it and it was often dismissed as “yuppie flu”, despite causing years of complex problems such as overwhelming tiredness, swollen glands, painful muscles and joints, and severe sleep difficulties.

However, years of campaigning and hard hitting inquiries in the condition - one of which was held by former Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson - has raised further awareness and understanding of the condition.

Dr Gibson said: “This centre could totally change the lives of people with ME. At the moment there is no proper diagnosis for ME and treatment is patchy. We would do research here and, as this develops, we can treat patients from all over the country and the rest of Europe."

Cannot come to soon......to all those who do not believe until ME affects themselves and those close to them...I say open your minds!