Dikoma Shungu

Dr Dikoma C. Shunga is a Professor of Professor of Physics in Radiology and member of the Center for Enervating NeuroImmune Disease at Cornell University in New York, the United States. His research focuses on developing advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MRI) methods to apply  in clinical and biomedical research. He has used MRS to measure brain lactic acid, the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and metabolites in chronic fatigue syndrome. . His work has been funded by the NIH and the Solve ME/CFS Initiative.

Raised lactic acid and lowered glutathone levels in the brain
In a series of 3 studies, Prof Shungu found high levels of lactic acid in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid and significant correlation between lactic acid levels and the severity of mental fatigue in ME/CFS patients. He later went on to discover levels of the antioxidant glutathione reduced by 36% in brain tisue and suggested oxidative stress was playing a role in the illness.


 * Ventricular cerebrospinal fluid lactate is increased in CFS compared with generalized anxiety disorder: an in vivo 3.0 T (1)H MRS imaging study. NMR in Biomedicine. April 2009
 * Increased ventricular lactate in CFS measured by H MRS imaging at 3.0 T. II: comparison with major depressive disorder. NMR in Biomedicine. July 2010
 * Increased ventricular lactate in chronic fatigue syndrome. III. Relationships to cortical glutathione and clinical symptoms implicate oxidative stress in disorder pathophysiology. Shungu et al

Supplementation with N-Acetylcysteine
At the 2016 IACFS/ME confernce Dr Shungu presented evidence that supplementing patients with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) raised levels of glutathione in the brains of patients and their symptoms were improved.
 * N-Acetylcysteine Alleviates Cortical Glutathione Deficit and Improves Symptoms in CFS: An In Vivo Validation Study using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Dikoma Shungu et al (page 35 IACFS/ME Syllabus 2016)

Online presence

 * Weill Cornell Medical College: Dikoma Shungu
 * PubMed: Dikoma Shungu

Learn more

 * Health Rising: Brain on Fire (October 2013)
 * Solve ME/CFS Initiative: New $2 million CFS grant awarded to Dr Dikoma Shungu team