Jessica Van Oosterwijck

Dr. Jessica Van Oosterwijck is visiting professor at the University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium and post-doctoral researcher at Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. She is a member of the Pain in Motion research group.

Research studies

• 2010, Unravelling the nature of postexertional malaise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: the role of elastase, complement C4a and interleukin-1β
• 2013, Fear of movement and avoidance behaviour toward physical activity in chronic-fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: state of the art and implications for clinical practice
• 2019, Relationship Between Exercise-induced Oxidative Stress Changes and Parasympathetic Activity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Observational Study and in Patients and Healthy Subjects
• 2021, Relationship between cardiopulmonary, mitochondrial and autonomic nervous system function improvement after an individualised activity programme upon Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients - (Full text)

Talk and interviews

• 2016, CFS/ME Research Collaborative Conference - The role of autonomic function in exercise-induced endogenous analgesia: a case-control study in ME/CFS and healthy people

Online presence

• Van Oosterwijck publications at PubMed

post-exertional malaise (PEM) - A notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small physical or cognitive exertions. PEM may be referred to as a "crash" or "collapse" and can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain, trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, and others.

stress Stress can by either physical or psychological, or both. Stress is either 1) a state of emotional or psychological strain or 2) the physical stress (pressure or tension) that a physical object such the human body is placed under, e.g., a stress test is a medical test that monitors the cardiovascular system during strenuous exercise.

mitochondria Important parts of the biological cell, with each mitochondrion encased within a mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria are best known for their role in energy production, earning them the nickname "the powerhouse of the cell". Mitochondria also participate in the detection of threats and the response to these threats. One of the responses to threats orchestrated by mitochondria is apoptosis, a cell suicide program used by cells when the threat can not be eliminated.