Public Defence: Maria Pedersen – Pediatrics Norway Feb. 28, 2019

[Sly Saint]

"
Public Defence: Maria Pedersen – Pediatrics
Cand.med. Maria Pedersen at Institute of Clinical Medicine will be defending the thesis Chronic “Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Following acute Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in Adolescents” for the degree of Philosophiae doctor (PhD).

Time and place: Feb. 28, 2019 12:45 PM, Store Aditorium, Akershus Universitetssykehus

Adjudication committee

First opponent: Professor Trudie Chalder, King's College
Second opponent: Knut-Arne Wensaas, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
Chair of the committee: Professor Harald Breivik, University of Oslo

Summary
Acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in adolescents is a known trigger for chronic fatigue (CF). Both the risk factors for developing CF, and changes when fatigue becomes a chronic condition is poorly described in the literature.

This thesis is built upon data from the CEBA-project (Chronic fatigue following acute Epstein-Barr virus infection), a prospective cohort study including a total of 200 adolescents with acute EBV infection and 70 healthy controls. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate fatigue and fatigue development in adolescents after acute EBV infection.

Symptoms, mood and physical activity during acute EBV infection were identified as the main risk factors for developing CF. Surprisingly, viral load did not seem to contribute to current fatigue, nor as a risk factor. In addition, there was a general scarcity of associations between fatigue and immune response markers. Cognitive dysfunction and autonomic alterations seemed to be a consequence of CF. Disregarding the cause, fatigue was highly associated with quality of life, underlining the importance of treatment to adolescents struggling with CF.

https://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/engl.../events/disputations/2019/pedersen-maria.html

 

[inox]

Not heard of her, or her work before. I see Wyller is her supervisor.

Symptoms, mood and physical activity during acute EBV infection were identified as the main risk factors for developing CF. Surprisingly, viral load did not seem to contribute to current fatigue, nor as a risk factor. In addition, there was a general scarcity of associations between fatigue and immune response markers.

So therefore, keep patients with acute EBV infection active and happy - so they don't develope chronic fatigue......?

Not anything surprisingly with this, for anyone following the research or with knowledge of ME-patients. People report even minor virus infections as triggers and Lipkin among others have been down this route already.

 

[Trish]

It's not clear to me from the abstract whether it was good or bad mood, more or less physical activity and more or less symptoms that were found to correlate with later fatigue. Nor does it say how long after the infection the fatigue was assessed.

It is in theory a good idea to do prospective studies like this. I hope the cohort will be followed to see which if any develop ME.

Having Chalder as one of the examiners doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[inox]

Yeah, it's to little information to really know.

I'm sort of extrapolating from Wyller being the supervisor, as he is known to use only 6 months unexplained fatigue as a proxy for ME - and then not finding any association with cytokins in his studies. And his focus on kids need to do get and forcing activation, and the music therapy studies on kids with ME.

Totally unfair to this cand.med - doing prospective studies is valuable