Public funding.
The UK Research and Innovation Gateway website (
https://gtr.ukri.org/) can be used to search for funding granted from the UK’s Medical Research Council, as well as many other bodies - however it doesn’t include the National Institute for Health Research.
The results below come from searching for “chronic fatigue syndrome”, no other search term returned any results. Actual search used,
https://bit.ly/2IEv06j
Medical Research Council
Functional neurological symptoms and cortisol.
Current research studies
A Unified Mechanism for Functional Neurological Symptoms, Mark Edwards, St Georges University of London
“The aim of the work proposed here is to test a novel pathophysiological theory of functional neurological symptoms. We will build on existing work in patients with functional movement disorders and functional sensory loss to test if this theory can also provide a convincing mechanistic explanation for paroxysmal motor symptoms (non-epileptic attacks) and interoceptive symptoms (fatigue). We will combine this work with experimental studies in patients with functional motor symptoms before and after treatment. This will assess the link between change in clinical symptom severity and change in markers of our proposed pathophysiological mechanism and will demonstrate its relevance to clinical symptomatology and provide potential biomarkers for use in future therapeutic studies.”
Read more
here, and a discussion thread on this project, especially on the grouping of ME/CFS with “functional movement disorders”, is
here.
Glucocorticoid dynamics in health and disease, Stafford Lightman, University of Bristol
This study will “investigate the mechanisms underlying the increased mortality and morbidity in these patients [with Addison's disease, but also other conditions associated with apathy and abnormal adrenal activity such as depression, PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome], by studying the importance of oscillating levels of cortisol both in an animal model and in man. In the animal model we will investigate the biological mechanisms through which pulsatility affects neural function both at the level of cellular function and animal behaviour. In human volunteers we will use brain scanning (fMRI) and changes in pupil size to look at the brain pathways responding to changes in cortisol pattern.”
Read more
here, and a short forum discussion thread can be found
here.
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR/R010919/1
Economic and Social Research Council
ME as a Central Sensitivity Syndrome and as a “female-prevalent condition” in need of a “effective gender-centred psychological treatment”.
Current PhD projects
A Mixed Method Exploration of the Association between Autism and Central Sensitivity Syndromes, Sarah Grant, King’s College London
“This PhD project has several research goals; firstly, to establish whether there is an association between these illnesses ['Central Sensitivity Syndromes' (CSS) such as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)] and ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder]; secondly, to explore whether any association is mediated by gender effects; thirdly, to look at common diagnostic experiences of people with CSS, and investigate how autism might affect the diagnostic journey; and finally, to explore how autistic traits might affect illness beliefs and management for those people with symptoms of both conditions.”
Read more
here, and a forum discussion thread can be found
here.
What counts as a premenstrual symptom? Patient and expert health professional perspectives on PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), Sally King, King’s College London
“The main aim of this research is to explore how and why certain premenstrual symptoms achieve relative prominence over others, by examining 'expert' clinical constructions of PMS, alongside the experiences and perspectives of 'PMS sufferers'. It builds on the work of Prof. Jane M Ussher, in particular, whose research examines the gendered factors underlying the psychological symptoms of PMS, and identity in relation to the reproductive body.
Just as Ussher went on to develop an effective gender-centred psychological treatment for PMS, it is hoped that this research will also directly contribute to the integration of research and clinical practice. Especially in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of PMS, and associated female-prevalent conditions, such as; anxiety, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and migraine.”
Read more
here, and a, very short, forum discussion thread can be found
here.
National Institute for Health Research
The National Institute for Health Research (not to be confused with the USA-based NiH) does not seem to have a similar site, or option on their website, to allow for easy searches of funded research; my Google skills were insufficient to reveal anything of use, although there is, undoubtedly, research ongoing - past experience thought would strongly suggest that this will be of the psychosocial persuasion.
