Results from the prior grant period using electrophysiological recordings support the hypothesis that patients with CFS have a disorder of central motor control. Moreover, recent studies by others using transcranial magnetic stimulation also point to the central auditory pathway as being abnormal in CFS. The patients in our studies showed slowed reaction times in tasks requiring rapid responses and impaired brain activities accompanying motor response preparation. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has demonstrated a premature reduction of motor cortical output in CFS accompanying sustained motor activities. Our goals in the proposed new project are to define the time course of altered motor cortical function in CFS before and after a period of exercise-induced fatigue. The specificity of the abnormalities for CFS will be tested by comparison with a group of patients with clinical depression. The methods of study utilize neurophysiological recordings of slow brain potentials accompanying several different types of response preparation and transcranial magnetic stimulation of motor cortex to measure the extent of reduction of central motor drive.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01AI034250-04A1
Application #
2003954
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG5-CFS (01))
Program Officer
Oliver, Eugene J
Project Start
1993-04-01
Project End
2000-08-31
Budget Start
1997-09-15
Budget End
1998-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
161202122
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697
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Gordon, R; Michalewski, H J; Nguyen, T et al. (1999) Cortical motor potential alterations in chronic fatigue syndrome. Int J Mol Med 4:493-9
Gupta, S; Aggarwal, S; Starr, A (1999) Increased production of interleukin-6 by adherent and non-adherent mononuclear cells during 'natural fatigue' but not following 'experimental fatigue' in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Int J Mol Med 3:209-13
Gupta, S; Aggarwal, S; See, D et al. (1997) Cytokine production by adherent and non-adherent mononuclear cells in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychiatr Res 31:149-56
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Starr, A; Dong, C J; Michalewski, H J (1996) Brain potentials before and during memory scanning. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 99:28-37
Starr, A; Sandroni, P; Michalewski, H J (1995) Readiness to respond in a target detection task: pre- and post-stimulus event-related potentials in normal subjects. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 96:76-92