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“Effort Preference” Is Not ME/CFS: Our Response to the NIH Deep Phenotyping Study

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In October 2025, a group of clinicians, researchers (including myself), and patient advocates published a peer reviewed letter of correspondence in Nature Communications in response to the NIH “deep phenotyping” study, which involved 75 researchers across a wide range of disciplines. They examined 17 people with post‑infectious ME/CFS and 21 healthy volunteers, who completed an extensive battery including brain imaging, …

New Study Reveals Link Between COVID-19 and Brain Inflammation

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to raise concerns about its long-term health consequences, particularly regarding neurological symptoms that persist long after the initial infection. Many individuals who have recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19 report symptoms such as chronic fatigue, cognitive decline (e.g., memory loss, decreased concentration), headaches, dizziness, and other neurological symptoms, collectively known as Long COVID [1, …

Measuring Post Exertional Malaise

One of the most troublesome and poorly understood aspects of ME/CFS is the phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). PEM refers to a sudden rapid energy loss that occurs after doing minor physical and/or mental tasks–there is literally no energy left, beyond what is needed for survival. This rapid decline in energy is difficult for family and friends to comprehend …