Charles Shepherd

Charles Bernard Shepherd, MB, BS, is the Honorary Medical Adviser to the ME Association, a patient charity in London, United Kingdom and the co-author with Dr Abhijit Chaudhuri of ME/CFS/PVFS: An Exploration of Key Clinical Issues, a health professional's guidebook published by the ME Association. He was on the Steering Committee of the National ME Observatory, a collaborative research project in the UK. His special interest in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) stems from having developed the illness after a bout of chickenpox.

Dr. Shepherd is interviewed in the 2012 BBC Alba (Scotland, UK) documentary Toxic Tiredness about ME/CFS.

London criteria
Dr. Shepherd was one of the co-authors of the 1994 and, the updated 2014, London criteria case definition for research.

Shepherd ME/CFS Disability Scale
The Shepherd ME/CFS Disability Scale, a symptom scale created by Dr. Charles Shepherd, was adapted from the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) used for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Books

 * 2016, ME/CFS/PVFS: An Exploration of Key Clinical Issues, co-authored with Dr Abhijit Chaudhuri, updated edition. Referred to as "MEA's Purple Booklet," the book was originally published in 2001 and periodically updated to be used as a resource for health professionals.
 * 1999, Living with ME, a guidebook for patients.

Open Letter to The Lancet
Two open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial, which the journal had published in 2011. In 2016, Dr. Shepherd, along with 41 colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter.
 * 10 February 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog

Response to Institute of Medicine report

 * 11 February 2015, Written comments by Dr Charles Shepherd, Honorary Medical Adviser, ME Association

Media coverage

 * 2016, Dr. Shepherd and Patient Ginger @1:10 (BBC Radio London - Jo Good, UK, 8 Aug 2016)
 * 2015, It’s time for doctors to apologise to their ME patients"Excerpt: ' Opening the 2015 research collaborative section of neuropathology, Jose Montoya, professor of medicine at the University of Stanford, said: “I have a wish and a dream that medical and scientific societies will apologise to their ME patients.' I agree – the time has come for doctors and scientists to apologise for the very neglectful way in which ME has been researched and treated over the past 60 years. Doctors need to start listening to their patients and there must now be increased investment in biomedical research to gain a better understanding of the disease process and to develop treatments that these patients desperately need.' (Telegraph, UK, 7 Dec 2015)"

Pace trial critiques

 * 9 Apr 2017 - PACE trial claims for recovery in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome – true or false? It’s time for an independent review of the methodology and results (FULL TEXT) Abstract - The PACE trial set out to discover whether cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise therapy are safe and effective forms of treatment for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. It concluded that these interventions could even result in recovery. However, patient evidence has repeatedly found that cognitive behaviour therapy is ineffective and graded exercise therapy can make the condition worse. The PACE trial methodology has been heavily criticised by clinicians, academics and patients. A re-analysis of the data has cast serious doubts on the recovery rates being claimed. The trust of patients has been lost. The medical profession must start listening to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome if trust is going to be restored.

8 short web seminars by Science to patients / wetenschap voor patienten, english spoken, nederlands ondertiteld

 * 2014, 35. Introduction experience with ME / introductie ervaring met ME - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 36. What is the difference between ME and CFS/ME? / Wat is het verschil tussen ME en CVS/ME? - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 37. How is ME diagnosed? / Hoe wordt ME gediagnosticeed? - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 38. ME and it's triggers / uUitlokkende factoren en ME - Dr. Charles Shephard
 * 2014, 39. ME, exercise and the mitochondria / ME, inspanning en de mitochondrien - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 40. ME and possible treatments / ME en mogelijke behandelingen - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 41. Promising discoveries and research / veelbelovende behandelingen en onderzoe - Dr. Charles Shepherd
 * 2014, 42. State of affairs regarding ME/ Stand van zaken betreffende ME - Dr. Charles Shepherd

Learn more

 * Documentary Toxic Tiredness, Part 1
 * Documentary Toxic Tiredness, Part 2