Stanford ME/CFS Initiative

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Stanford ME/CFS Initiative is under the Direction of Jose Montoya MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Stanford University.

The initiative is dedicated to studying infection-associated chronic diseases.

Mission Statement[edit | edit source]

To become a center of excellence that improves the health of patients with chronic diseases in which infection or its immune response plays a major etiologic role. To provide leadership, facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration, make new discoveries, and educate in the field of infection-associated chronic diseases.[1]

Aim[edit | edit source]

The Stanford Initiative's primary aim is to study the roles that infection and the immune response play in the symptoms of patients suffering from chronic, unexplained diseases.[1]

Talks and interviews[edit | edit source]

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Stanford Medical Minutes with Dr Montoya

Media coverage of research[edit | edit source]

Radiology researchers have discovered that the brains of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have diminished white matter and white matter abnormalities in the right hemisphere.[2]

The scientists found differences in both the white matter, the long, cablelike nerve structures that transmit signals between parts of the brain, and the gray matter, the regions where these signals are processed and interpreted.[3]

Note: Top scans show Control Patients, bottom scans show ME/CFS patients

The incessant fatigue characterized by chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) that affects between one and four million Americans is often quite difficult to diagnose. But a new study, which found three distinct differences between the brains of patients with CFS and those of healthy people, promises to revolutionize diagnosis and provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of the condition.[4]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

Notable people[edit | edit source]

Funding[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Stanford Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". ME/CFS Initiative. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Goldman, Bruce (October 2014). "Study finds brain abnormalities in chronic fatigue patients". Stanford Medicine News Center. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  3. Tuller, David (November 24, 2014). "Brains of People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Offer Clues About Disorder". New York Times: WELL. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Iyer, Shweta (October 29, 2014). "Chronic Fatigue Patients Suffer 3 Major Brain Abnormalities: Findings May Lead to Clearer Diagnosis". privatehealthcarereports.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  5. "Right Arcuate Fasciculus Abnormality in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". pubs.rsna.org. October 29, 2014. doi:10.1148/radiol.14141079. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  6. Chu, Lily; Valencia, Ian J.; Garvert, Donn W.; Montoya, Jose G. (January 14, 2019). "Onset patterns and course of myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome". Frontiers in Pediatrics. doi:10.3389/fped.2019.00012.