Important new neurological research findings

Here is a copy of news posted 20th May 2004 at the website of the M.E. Association, UK:

Dr Abhijit Chaudhuri, along with neurological and physics colleagues at the University of Glasgow, are about to publish some interesting new research in the June edition of PAIN which may help to explain the underlying cause of exercise-induced pain in ME/CFS.

Reference: 'Exercise lowers pain threshold in chronic fatigue syndrome'
PAIN. June 2004, v109, pp 497 - 499.

Abstract:
Post-extertional muscle pain is an important reason for disability in patients who are diagnosed to have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We compared changes in pain threshold in five CFS patients with five age and sex matched controls following graded exercise. Pain thresholds, measured in the skin web between thumb and index finger increased in the control subjects with exercise while it decreased in the CFS subjects. Increased perception of pain and/or fatigue after exercise may be indicative of a dysfunction of the central anti-nociceptive* mechanism in CFS.

Dr Charles Shepherd
Medical Adviser, The ME Association

*anti-nociceptive = having an analgesic effect or reducing sensitivity to painful stimuli.

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/fwhats_new.htm