new research papers
NCNED is committed to publishing novel high quality and rigorous research papers in the field of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID in order to provide new insights into the pathomechanism of these illnesses. Their research aims to help develop an accurate clinical diagnosis and to improve treatment and prognosis for ME/CFS patients. Our latest research papers are listed below.
- Thapaliya K, Marshall-Gradisnik S, Eaton-Fitch N, Eftekhari Z, Inderyas M, Barnden L. Imbalanced Brain Neurochemicals in long COVID and ME/CFS: A Preliminary Study using MRI
- Etianne Martini Sasso, Katsuhiko Muraki, Natalie Eaton-Fitch, Peter Smith, Andrew Jeremijenko, Paul Griffin and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik. Investigation into the restoration of TRPM3 ion channel activity in post COVID-19 condition: A potential pharmacotherapeutic target
𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲
Three of NCNED’s researchers travelled to Singapore in May to attend the Annual International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Associate Professor Barnden presented his findings on long COVID using 7 Tesla MRI where he showed significant brain impairment in long COVID patients compared with healthy controls using Independent Component Analysis (ICA).
Dr Thapaliya presented his research findings reporting overlap and differences in the hippocampal subfield volumes in the brain using 7 Tesla MRI among people with ME/CFS and long COVID.
Miss Inderyas, PhD student, presented her research that reported weaker functional connectivity between brainstem and cerebellum regions in ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls using 7 Tesla MRI.
International Public Health Conference
PhD student, Ms Breanna Weigel, presented virtually at 3rd IPHC 2024 Conference Oral Presentation: “Patient-reported health outcomes are comparable between people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Post COVID-19 Condition over time” – March, Singapore.
Abstract submissions
Since our March update, NCNED researchers have been successful in submitting abstracts to various conferences both nationally and internationally as evidenced below:
- Magawa C, Eaton-Fitch N, Muraki K, Marshall-Gradisnik, S. The role of TRP channels during intracellular Ca2+ signalling in Natural killer cells Federation American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Conference – Channels and Transporters in Immunity being held in conjunction with Immunoreceptors and Immunotherapy, 16-20 June, Minnesota, USA in person.
- Martini Sasso E, Muraki, K., Eaton-Fitch, N., Smith, P., Baraniuk, JN., Marshall-Gradisnik S. Dysfunctional TRPM3 ion channels in NK cells from Gulf War Illness participants. Calcium Signaling – Gordon Research Seminar and Conference (GRS) and (GRC) Lucca (Barga), Italy 29th June-5th July in person.
- Weigel B, Eaton-Fitch N, Thapaliya K, Marshall-Gradisnik S. An investigation of sex-based differences in illness presentation over time among people with Post COVID-19 Condition and people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Australia. Queensland Women’s Health Forum in Brisbane from July 11th to 12th in person.
- Weigel B, Eaton-Fitch N, Thapaliya K, Marshall-Gradisnik S. Compromised health-related quality of life in Post COVID-19 Condition and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Findings of a systematic review. International Conference on Public Health in Bangkok from August 15th to 16th
Successful grant application
NCNED have been approved funding for GBP 224,844 (AUD$438,000) from ME Research UK (MERUK). These funds will be used to conduct a Multimodal longitudinal 7 Tesla MRI study to investigate brain changes and disease progression of ME/CFS patients. Associate Professor Leighton Barnden, Dr Kiran Thapaliya, Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, Dr Natalie Eaton-Fitch, and Professor Markus Barth from the University of Queensland will commence this important project in September 2024.
13th International Awareness Day – 2024
The University Griffith Health Centre was highlighted in blue and members posed for a team photo to acknowledge International ME/CFS Awareness Day on 13 May.
In addition, three of our researchers: Dr Kiran Thapaliya, and PhD students Mrs Etianne Martini-Sasso and Ms Breanna Weigel, participated in a ME Group Australia (MEGA) online webinar to present on “Brain changes in ME and Long COVID: A multimodal”, “TRPM3: A potential pharmacotherapeutic target in ME and Long COVID” and “How ME and Long COVID patient experiences can guide health policy in Australia”, respectively. It is hoped that the webinar will become a regular event.
The ME Global Chronicle 