2014 IACFS/ME Conference summary by Dr. Komaroff |
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International news
Friday 19 April 2014
From The CFIDS Association of America:
2014 IACFSME Summary by Dr. Komaroff
March 20-23, 2014 the IACFS/ME Biennial Conference, “Translating Science into Clinical Care”, was held in San Francisco. As is tradition, the IACFS/ME asked Dr. Komaroff to deliver a summary of the conference upon its conclusion.
In Dr. Komaroff’s review, the questions he saw addressed by many of the presentations were:
- In an illness defined exclusively by subjective symptoms, is there evidence of objective underlying biological abnormalities?
- Could those biological abnormalities theoretically explain the symptoms?
- Do the abnormalities in fact correlate with the symptoms?
In this video (synced audio and PowerPoint presentation), Dr. Komaroff revisits those questions as he breaks down a summary review of the conference.
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Mark Craig a Volt from the blue for Black Caps |
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International news
Friday 18 April 2014
From New Zealand's Stuff.co.nz:
SHOCKER: Otago offspinner
Mark Craig has
received
a
shock call-up to the
New Zealand
test team
to
tour
West Indies.
(Photo: Photosport)
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Mark Craig a Volt from the blue for Black Caps
By Logan Savory
Last updated 05:05 16/04/2014
A few years back New Zealand test cricket bolter Mark Craig spent much of his day feeling as if he was going to pass out at any moment.
Craig suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an illness that had him doing very little for 11 months.
His days were mainly spent sitting on the couch or lying in bed at his family home in Auckland after he was forced to return home from Dunedin, where he was studying and playing cricket.
At that point, playing cricket at any level was far from his mind, let alone the prospect of lining up in the pinnacle of the sport, a test match.
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92 Club: Bristol football fans to visit all 92 grounds for Invest In ME charity |
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International news
Thursday 17 April 2014
From UK newspaper The Bristol Post:
92 Club: Bristol football fans to visit all 92 grounds for Invest In ME charity
By The Bristol Post
Posted: April 14, 2014
FOUR football fans from Bristol are preparing to embark on a tour of all 92 football league grounds in 92 hours in aid of Invest In ME. Team leader Mike Harley, 31, will be accompanied on the challenge by his wife Cat, 31, and two friends, Raza Rivzi and Mike Ward, both 32.
The group was inspired to raise money for the ME research charity by a childhood friend, who has had the condition for several years. Money raised will go towards UK trials of the drug Rituximab.
A 2,600-mile route is due to be completed in 92 hours of driving, spread out over the course of six days. The clock will be stopped every night so that each club can be visited in daylight, raising maximum publicity for the charity.
Mr Harley, a recruitment consultant from Bedminster, said: "The idea is to reach the grounds at a time where we can give out information and maximise on raising the profile of ME, the need for research into the illness and the Invest In ME charity.
"What's more important is to raise awareness of new treatments, rather than to break any records".
He added: "It's going to be a gruelling challenge but, as football fans, it's one we're all looking forward to."
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Brain scans to detect Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
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International news
Wednesday 16 April 2014
From AsianScientist:
Brain Scans To Detect Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Health & Medicine
April 8, 2014
A study shows that PET scans could potentially be used to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome.
AsianScientist (Apr. 8, 2014) – Researchers have found that inflammation of the nervous system is higher in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) than in healthy people.
The study, published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, suggests that using positron emission tomography (PET) scans to detect brain inflammation could be an objective diagnostic test for CFS.
CFS, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic, profound, and disabling fatigue. Unfortunately, the causes of CFS are not well understood. Neuroinflammation – the inflammation of nerve cells – has been hypothesized to be a cause of the condition, but no clear evidence has been put forth to support this idea.
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University of Derby painkiller questionnaire |
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International news
Tuesday 15 April 2014
From researcher Omimah Said at the UK's University of Derby:
Painkiller Questionnaire
Please take a few minutes to read the following information about this research before continuing to the questionnaire.
You are invited to take part in this research study, which is investigating painkiller use in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The purpose of this research is to examine the prevalence of painkiller use in these countries and clarify how factors such as pain, beliefs about pain and beliefs about painkillers might influence painkiller use. Additionally, this research has recently been conducted in the UK and is now being extended to these countries in order to increase understanding of painkiller use.
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Marked improvement of pain from long-term Fibromyalgia |
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International news
Monday 14 April 2014
From PubMed:
Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2014;41(1):90-2.
Marked improvement of pain from long-term fibromyalgia with dextroamphetamine sulfate in a woman who failed to improve with conventional pharmacologic treatment.
Check JH, Cohen R.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine if treatment with the sympathomimetic amine
dextroamphetamine sulfate, which has been so effective in treating a
variety of pain syndromes, including severe pelvic pain and interstitial cystitis in women with the sympathetic neural hyperalgesia edema syndrome would also mitigate pain from fibromyalgia
which was resistant to multiple therapies.
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Toxic Reform petition |
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Australian news
Sunday 13 April 2014
From Australian consumer advocate organisation Choice (via email):
Toxic Reform
Did you know there are currently dozens of pesticides approved for use in agriculture that have never been properly assessed in Australia?
The previous government introduced a re-approval and re-registration scheme that would have required systematic review of these pesticides to ensure they are safe. However, a new proposal by the federal government would see the re-registration scheme – and assessment of these pesticides – abandoned before it even begins.
We need your help to make sure this doesn't happen.
A number of pesticides still used in Australia have been removed in the European Union and US. The re-registration scheme would ensure the risks are properly evaluated and Australian consumers are afforded the same protections.
Tell the government Australia needs the pesticides re-approval and re-registration scheme!
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