- A new review in Dovepress states that Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) should be classified as neuroimmune disorders. Neuroimmune disorders, like multiple sclerosis (MS), occur when the immune system attacks the nervous system. The authors found overlapping potential underlying causes for Long COVID, ME, and POTS, including T cell exhaustion, autoimmunity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. “Including [these diseases] in neuroimmunology education and training is imperative to advancing the science and clinical care of millions of patients living with these complex and disabling conditions,” the authors concluded.
- Wearable activity tracker notifications may not be a reliable way to mitigate or reduce post-exertional malaise, a new study in Nature Communications recently concluded. Still, the researchers stated that their “wide inclusion criteria may have masked intervention effects.” The randomized clinical trial included 161 participants; about half received a biometric wearable paired with the “Pace Me” app and received alert messages “on energy management when they reached 50%, 75%, and 100% of their daily ‘activity allowance.’” The other participants just had an app without alerts. The study found no significant difference in PEM improvement between the two groups. The authors concluded that future research should explore the efficacy of similar apps in infection-associated chronic conditions.
- A small, phase one study is recruiting in Sacramento and San Francisco, California to test advanced techniques in total body imaging to improve understanding of “tissue-level immune dysregulation” in the disease. The study will enroll 51 participants, who will undergo dynamic positron emission (PET) imaging, a type of advanced imaging that detects metabolic activity. Participants will receive an injection of the investigational imaging agent or “tracer,” [¹⁸F]F-AraG, which may help researchers learn more about Long COVID, treatments, diagnostics, and monitoring strategies. Note: researchers do not anticipate that the trial will improve the health of participants. Contact: Negar Omidvari, nomidvari@ucdavis.edu.
