Interview with neuroscientist Michael VanElzakker: Vagus Nerve, ME/CFS, latent infection and more

Good for him. Seems like a ballsy guy, especially in light of his affiliation with Mass General and Harvard Medical (merely mentioning Bb in a sentence that might be interpreted as suggesting Lyme can be an ongoing infectious Vagus Nerve agent is a thing of beauty - many would suggest those facilities' history with Lyme is arguably worse than they have been with ME/CFS).

 

Edit: Here's the donation link: https://because.massgeneral.org/cam...onic-fatigue-syndrome-research-at-mgh/c153689

 

@Cheshire, thanks for posting that interview. seems like for a really low cost, some interesting research could be initiated.

I was struck by his discussion with Dr. Linda Watkins of the University of Colorado. she is a very highly respected and publishes frequently on microglia and it’s interactions in neuroimmune system. i’m going to look into donating.

 

Donation link:
https://because.massgeneral.org/cam...onic-fatigue-syndrome-research-at-mgh/c153689

 

Thanks for posting. What a great interview!

 

What a great guy!

 

Halfway through...this just gets better and better. I want to keep throwing up quotes here, but instead, just go and read it!

 

Only read the first section. What a hero. Crying my eyes out. Needed to hear something positive today. Haven't even reached the research yet - might need a bit more brain for that. I've been following him on Twitter and I knew he got it but I didn't realise how much! For all the shite we have to contend with we do have stuff to feel hopeful about.

 

Haven't read the interview yet, but he was part of the panel at the MassCFIDS Unrest Boston Area Screening in November. You can see that panel discussion here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cCuJkFXzw

 

I haven't finished reading this but needed a break because I feel emotional reading this. He said some things I needed to hear about the microbiome and how changes in microbiome could alert the brain and cause sickness.

 

I may be the exception here, but I am not so fascinated or happy by what he's saying although I am thankful for his work and enthusiasm. It's just a feeling.

E.g. he says somatoform illnesses are real - where's the proof for that? If it's real, i.e. part of our reality, there should be a scientific proof.

He also gives psychology lectures, even if they might contain critical content (which is good!). And his other focus are post-traumatic disorders where he's also doing brain scan research.

What tells me he differentiates clearly and cleanly between his psycho work and science and doesn't mix things with each other, or that he doesn't view results with "psycho glasses"?

I may be over-critical and too distrustful.

 

His focus on how a vagus nerve infection could cause sickness response seems to sort of skip over ME/CFS symptoms which can't be explained by a sickness response. Why do we have PEM or twitching muscles? Why don't we have a fever?

It's better than most "central" hypothesis (involving the Central Nervous System), but doesn't seem to answer some of the more difficult questions.