A new test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome

They will not go back to sleep, but this may prevent others from facing their ordeal. Researchers from CHU Sainte-Justine and the University of Montreal (Canada) have developed a diagnostic test to test patients with chronic fatigue who cannot follow clinical trials due to the severity of their condition. The results of their study were published in the journal Scientific reports November 12, 2020.

An almost impossible to diagnose disease

Myalgic encephalomyelitis, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is a neurological disease characterized by persistent fatigue that lasts for at least six months, does not go away even with rest and is said to cause a lot of discomfort. after exercise, as well as cognitive impairment or even difficulty standing.

It is a slowly progressing disease that most often results from a viral or bacterial infection. Its detection is all the more difficult since there is no biomarker to identify the syndrome, which makes its management complicated. In France, although the estimates are difficult to obtain, nearly 200,000 people are affected by this disease.

“The development of this test represents the first molecular diagnostic tool for ME and a long-awaited tool for many doctors and patients.“Says Alain MOreau, professor at the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. It also opens up the possibility of classifying patients into subgroups in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in their symptoms and to better select patients who might benefit from therapeutic approaches by repositioning existing drugs.

An inflatable cuff to detect the disease

This new test represents the first diagnostic tool for myalgic encephalomyelitis. It comes in the form of an inflatable cuff that will mechanically stimulate the arm and cause post-exercise discomfort, one of the main symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis. This bracelet also has the ability to distinguish the precise molecular signature of the disease, allowing it to be differentiated from other related conditions such as fibromyalgia.

An increase or decrease in the eleven microRNAs measured in the test can predict the patient’s therapeutic response to certain drugs, improving the chances of finding the right therapy by customizing treatments.

Further testing is still required before the device is fully validated. Specifically, the researchers want to determine whether their technology can be applied to other diseases with persistent symptoms, such as Covid-19.