Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI
Abstract While post-infectious (PI-ME/CFS) and gradual onset (GO-ME/CFS) myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) manifest similar symptoms, it has long been suspected that different disease processes underlie them. However, the lack of biological evidence has left this question u...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| author | Qiang Yu Richard A. Kwiatek Peter Del Fante Anya Bonner Vince D. Calhoun Grant A. Bateman Takashi Yamamura Zack Y. Shan |
| author_facet | Qiang Yu Richard A. Kwiatek Peter Del Fante Anya Bonner Vince D. Calhoun Grant A. Bateman Takashi Yamamura Zack Y. Shan |
| author_sort | Qiang Yu |
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| description | Abstract While post-infectious (PI-ME/CFS) and gradual onset (GO-ME/CFS) myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) manifest similar symptoms, it has long been suspected that different disease processes underlie them. However, the lack of biological evidence has left this question unanswered. In this study, how white matter microstructural changes in PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS patients were investigated. PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS patients were recruited based on consensus diagnoses made by two experienced clinicians and compared their diffusion MRI features with those of rigorously matched healthy controls (HCs) with sedentary lifestyles. PI-ME/CFS participants showed significantly higher axial diffusivity (AD) in several association and projection fibres compared to HCs. Higher AD in PI-ME/CFS was significantly related to worse physical health. In contrast, GO-ME/CFS participants exhibited significantly decreased AD in the corpus callosum. Lower AD in GO-ME/CFS was significantly associated with worse mental health in commissural and projection fibres. No significant group differences were found for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, or radial diffusivity. Distinct patterns of AD alterations in PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS provide neurophysiological evidence of different disease processes and highlight the heterogeneities of ME/CFS. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| spelling | doaj-art-47479edcb0d344df9deb76edf1dc146c2025-08-20T03:45:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-09379-zDistinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRIQiang Yu0Richard A. Kwiatek1Peter Del Fante2Anya Bonner3Vince D. Calhoun4Grant A. Bateman5Takashi Yamamura6Zack Y. Shan7Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine CoastThompson Institute, University of the Sunshine CoastThompson Institute, University of the Sunshine CoastThompson Institute, University of the Sunshine CoastTri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityDepartment of Medical Imaging, John Hunter HospitalDepartment of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and PsychiatryThompson Institute, University of the Sunshine CoastAbstract While post-infectious (PI-ME/CFS) and gradual onset (GO-ME/CFS) myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) manifest similar symptoms, it has long been suspected that different disease processes underlie them. However, the lack of biological evidence has left this question unanswered. In this study, how white matter microstructural changes in PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS patients were investigated. PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS patients were recruited based on consensus diagnoses made by two experienced clinicians and compared their diffusion MRI features with those of rigorously matched healthy controls (HCs) with sedentary lifestyles. PI-ME/CFS participants showed significantly higher axial diffusivity (AD) in several association and projection fibres compared to HCs. Higher AD in PI-ME/CFS was significantly related to worse physical health. In contrast, GO-ME/CFS participants exhibited significantly decreased AD in the corpus callosum. Lower AD in GO-ME/CFS was significantly associated with worse mental health in commissural and projection fibres. No significant group differences were found for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, or radial diffusivity. Distinct patterns of AD alterations in PI-ME/CFS and GO-ME/CFS provide neurophysiological evidence of different disease processes and highlight the heterogeneities of ME/CFS.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09379-zMyalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndromePost-infectiousGradual onsetDiffusion tensor imagingAxial diffusivityWhite matter microstructure |
| spellingShingle | Qiang Yu Richard A. Kwiatek Peter Del Fante Anya Bonner Vince D. Calhoun Grant A. Bateman Takashi Yamamura Zack Y. Shan Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI Scientific Reports Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome Post-infectious Gradual onset Diffusion tensor imaging Axial diffusivity White matter microstructure |
| title | Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI |
| title_full | Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI |
| title_fullStr | Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI |
| title_short | Distinct white matter alteration patterns in post-infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion MRI |
| title_sort | distinct white matter alteration patterns in post infectious and gradual onset chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by diffusion mri |
| topic | Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome Post-infectious Gradual onset Diffusion tensor imaging Axial diffusivity White matter microstructure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09379-z |
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