home > research we support

Research we support

  • At present we are supporting an exciting biomedical project which has been secured through the funding of a PhD researcher.

    This programme will involve the use of state-of-the-art imaging techniques that will allow scientists to investigate brain structure, function and biochemistry. The findings of this study have the potential to highlight the underlying mechanisms of ME - a discovery that could pave the way for effective future treatments.
  • Through a single contribution by an anonymous donor we have been able to contribute £20,000 towards the cost of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible electroencephalographic (EEG) machine to be used in ME research.

    By integrating fMRI and EEG technology, scientists will be able to obtain powerful data that may answer some of the queries as to how ME patients' cognitive processes are altered by the condition.

    During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) a series of pictures, or slices, are taken of the brain. As these slices are acquired at slightly different times it can be difficult to be certain that the participant's reaction is correlated with the experimental stimuli (e.g. that a person's visual cortex 'lights-up' in reaction to a photograph). However, EEG equipment allows the researcher to accurately evaluate when a response occurred.
  • We are actively developing and executing our ongoing plans to create an independent Treatment and Research Centre available free-of-charge.
  • We intend to support the involvement in research programmes of those most severely affected patients. This is done through provision of transport and accommodation costs. Where travel is not possible we will provide home visits to connect the patient to the research programme.
  • We are currently raising funds for a research project that will evaluate ME patients' sleep and activity patterns. We believe that this is an important study because ME sufferers have reported various sleep difficulties. Also, the evident link between sleep and fatigue suggests that sleep may be a significant piece of the puzzle that is ME.