Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta recently launched the most comprehensive population-based clinical study to date of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The study includes about 90 patients from Atlanta who will participate in the three-day in-patient clinical trial. Researchers hope results from the study will help them better understand how the syndrome affects people and lead to more successful treatment.
“We’re learning more about the complexities of the illness that is chronic fatigue syndrome,” said William C. Reeves, M.D., Chief of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Program at CDC. “Launching this research study with Emory will help us draw a clearer picture of how CFS affects people that ultimately could lead to more effective treatment of patients with CFS.”
Each designated participant will spend three days at Emory University Hospital General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). Participants will undergo repeated blood draws and salivary sampling in addition to computerized testing and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the brain. The study is planned to be completed within a year.
CFS, a condition characterized by fatigue, memory problems, and pain, may be more widespread than once thought. Experts estimate that between one and four million people in the United States may suffer from CFS. Unfortunately, an estimated 80 percent of all CFS patients have not yet been diagnosed by a medical provider.
The CDC-Emory study is designed to evaluate mechanisms of the illness with an emphasis on alterations in the regulation of hormones and the immune system as well as alterations in the brain circuits involved in cognitive function and mental fatigue. The molecular and genetic aspects of these alterations will also be explored.
“We believe this research will lead us to a better understanding of the causes of CFS, both from a psychological and biological standpoint,” says Andrew Miller, M.D., Timmie Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory and Emory principal investigator of the study. “We believe that this study will open doors that may lead us to better ways of diagnosing and treating CFS in the future.”