Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic multisystem disease characterized by severe muscle fatigue, pain, dizziness, and brain fog. The two most common symptoms are post-exertional malaise (PEM) and orthostatic intolerance (OI). ME/CFS patients with OI (ME+OI) suffer from dizziness or faintness due to a sudden drop in blood pressure while maintaining an upright posture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Advances in digital healthcare and health information provide benefits to the public. However, lack of digital skills together with access, confidence, trust and motivation issues present seemingly insurmountable barriers for many. Such digital health exclusion exacerbates existing health inequalities experienced by older people, people with less income, less education or who don't have English as a first language.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic muscle fatigue is a condition characterized by debilitating muscle weakness and pain. Based on our recent finding to study the potential effect of mTOR on ATG13 inactivation in chronic muscle fatigue, we report that biweekly oral administration with MHY1485, a potent inducer of mTOR, develops chronic illness in mice resulting in severe muscle weakness. As a mechanism, we observed that MHY1485 feeding impaired ATG13-dependent autophagy, caused the infiltration of inflammatory M1 macrophages (Mφ), upregulated IL6 and RANTES by STAT3 activation, and augmented demyelination in muscle-serving nerve fibers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Hypothesis: In accordance with the Cognitive Model of Negative Symptoms, defeatist performance beliefs (DPBs) are an important psychosocial mechanism of negative symptoms in schizophrenia-spectrum groups. DPBs are also mediators of negative symptom improvement in clinical trials. Despite the clinical significance of DPBs and their inclusion as a mechanism of change measure in clinical trials, the psychometric properties of the DPB scale have not been examined in any schizophrenia-spectrum group.
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