Scientists find link between brain imbalance and chronic fatigue syndrome

ME patients have often been dismissed or stigmatised in the past. Photograph: Lea Aring

Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence for abnormalities in the brain and immune systems of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

The findings, in one of the most rigorous investigations to date, begin to illuminate the biological basis for the illness that can cause disabling fatigue. The study is the first to demonstrate a link between imbalances in brain activity and feelings of fatigue, and suggests that these changes could be triggered by abnormalities in the immune system.