Persistent fatigue induced by interferon-alpha: A novel, inflammation-based, proxy model of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2018, Pariante et al

As I thought.

I think this is internal MRC politics.

I think this press release is intended to tell the world that the MRC has known about ME all along and has had brilliant people working hard on it and still does and so there is no need for a 'second referendum' on some new plan dreamt up by the CMRC.

Pariente's work has always been of considerable interest and is an intelligent approach. However, we have known the main punch line for five years now and all it can possibly tell us is that ME might work in a rather similar way to interferon treatment.

Edit: the question is - who is trying to tell the world this?
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
Edit: the question is - who is trying to tell the world this?
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The reporting in the press presents this study about being primarily about CFS when it's really primarily about adverse effects of interferon treatment.

Maybe this is more about distracting from the adverse effects of interferon treatment than about CFS? If interferon treatment can cause persistent fatigue, that persistent fatigue is conflated with CFS, and CFS is characterized by fear-avoidance and deconditioning and is reversible if the patient wants it, then continued illness after interferon treatment isn't really an adverse drug reaction, it's just some patients being hysterical (or somethign to that effect). Drug manufacturers and hospitals would like to have it that way I suspect.
 
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I have just listened to the interview with Carmine Pariante and an ME sufferer called Emily Blunt (I think). It was actually quite a good interview, emphasising that ME is real and not just tiredness.

Pariante seemed to be suggesting that the people in his study who had the overactive immune response had actually developed CFS, not just the symptom CF. I thought the paper only claimed they deveoped CF, and that it might be a proxy for CFS.
 
strategist said:
Maybe this is more about distracting from the adverse effects of interferon treatment than about CFS?
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No, I think that is off target. These people are wanting to understand the biochemistry of depression. This particular study has always been about modelling CFS and I think that is what it really is about. I think it is useful research. I don't think anyone in this research group is interested in suggesting that continued fatigue after interferon is hysteria. Psychiatrists are desperate to have a biological basis to their work to make it legitimate. Even Simon Wessely tried to find one.
 
strategist said:
Conflicts of interest:
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Given the study has some 19 authors ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453018301963?via=ihub ), why are conflicts of interest only love stead for seven? What about the other twelve?

Here are the institutions the authors represent:

a
Dept. of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK
b
Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
c
Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
d
Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
e
Chronic Fatigue Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
f
The Royal Free London Fatigue Service, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
g
Gastrointestinal and Liver services Department, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
h
Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
i
Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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We have a thread on the Pariante paper here with a link to the pre-publication abstract on the university website here. And his talk at the CMRC conference here. I assume the publicity today means the paper is about to be published, so we'll be able to see the full version, not just the abstract.
 
The S4ME version of a rapid reaction to the hype.
There is a lot of mainstream press today about the study, Persistent fatigue induced by interferon-alpha: a novel, inflammation-based, proxy model of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with lots of overblown claims of what it tells us about "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Our forum members have been aware of this study for some time, and in the discussion thread linked below, discuss the relative merits, or otherwise, of the study. It includes a link to a talk by the lead author on the study, and further into the thread Simon McGrath ME/CFS research provides his analysis on the paper.
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Code: 
https://www.facebook.com/sci4me/posts/732919633761115
 
I take a much less charitable view of this study than many here. I think it's garbage and irrelevant to ME and welcoming it is a trap.

First, it's not about ME. It's about fatigue after interferon.

Second, why do some people have overactive immune systems? Well, because of personality type, stress or trauma, of course.

Third, how is this fatigue triggered? By a virus. And also by stress or trauma, of course.

Fourth, once the patient has fatigue, how is it perpetuated? By unhelpful beliefs, of course.

Fourth, how is this fatigue treated? By addressing the personality type, stress or trauma with therapy and the moderated increase of activity in GET, of course.

Pariante's work is all about the interplay of psychology and the immune system.

It's just a more complex version of the usual crap.

I don't have fatigue. I'm ill.
 
Esther12 said:
BBC coverage by Laurel Ives includes mention of Monaghan, so that's a bonus:
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In June, Scottish National Party MP Carol Monaghan led an emotional Westminster Hall debate into a common treatment, graded exercise therapy (Get), which is available on the NHS. She argued it was often damaging and in need of revision. Others defended the treatment.
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Looks like either Carol Monaghan or Westminster Hall are now officially "emotional".

The health watchdog, NICE, is currently updating its guidelines for treatment of CFS in England, but publication is not due until 2020.
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NICE is a watchdog is it? Well that explains why we have all been robbed of so many years while NICE was asleep or chewing on a tasty bone someone chucked it.

BBC article headed by a picture of a typical ME sufferer:

upload_2018-12-17_10-12-0.png

Come on now, own up, which one of you bravely posed for that on one of your bad days? Is that some EFT tapping going on there, or did you swoon and hold your nose after reading the BBC article?
 
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