Understanding myalgic encephalomyelitis

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Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya
Eaton-Fitch, Natalie
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2022
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Abstract

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a severe condition characterized by post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE) accompanied by neurological, immunological, gastrointestinal (GI), and mitochondrial disturbances (1). The global prevalence of ME/CFS is ∼1%, affecting 17 million to 24 million people (2). ME/CFS is heterogeneous not only in symptom presentation but also illness trajectories, which can be worsening, plateauing, improving, or relapsing-remitting. Approximately 25% of patients with ME/CFS are considered severe and are bound to their homes. Although the etiology of ME/CFS is elusive, a large proportion of patients (∼60%) report post-infectious onset, such as after Epstein-Barr virus infection (3). The recent emergence of a chronic post-infectious condition, called Long Covid, overlaps considerably with ME/CFS in immunological, mitochondrial, and neurological dysfunctions (4). These similarities have resulted in increased interest and acceptance of ME/CFS as a disease and may stimulate research, the development of a diagnostic test, and pharmacotherapeutic interventions in ME/CFS that may be applied to Long Covid.

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Science

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377

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6611

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Copyright © 2022 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works

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© The Author(s) 2022. This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science on Vol. 377, Issue 6611, pp.1150-1151, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo1261

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Clinical sciences

Neurology and neuromuscular diseases

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Multidisciplinary Sciences

Science & Technology - Other Topics

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Marshall-Gradisnik, S; Eaton-Fitch, N, Understanding myalgic encephalomyelitis, Science, 2022, 377 (6611), pp. 1150-1151

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