Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) can cause:
- post-exertional malaise
- soul-crushing fatigue
- cognitive difficulties
- sleep issues
- sensitivities
- pain
- etc.

A new NIH RECOVER study shows how surprisingly common it is for a SARS-CoV-2 infection to trigger ME/CFS...🧵 According to a new longitudinal study from the NIH RECOVER initiative, a SARS-CoV-2 infection increases your risk of developing ME/CFS by 393%.

Here are the study cliff notes...

Full study:
buff.ly/3CbQqWS

Long COVID in adults is characterized by (protein) markers of:
- inflammation
- blood vessel clotting (thrombosis)

However, similar studies in pediatric cohorts are non-existent... until now.

The following confirms that pediatric Long COVID isn't a mental health condition...🧵 \ The Study:
Scientists from the University of Rome and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario discovered that 34 children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 18 have an abundance of pro-inflammatory cytokines in their blood.

A subset of the cytokines have angiogenic (blood vessel growth-promoting) properties.

Certain gut bacteria are associated with major depressive disorder in a subset of people.

A new study might have discovered why...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Researchers at Harvard University found that the gut bacteria Morganella morganii enzyme mistakenly incorporates diethanolamine (DEA) into a lipid molecule.

DEA is a molecule found in:
- industrial products
- consumer products
- agricultural products

The DEA-containing lipid molecules are proinflammatory making IL-6.

Read more here: buff.ly/3E8K9fh
Full research study: buff.ly/3E4QiJr

Following a COVID infection, 25 y/o Angelica's heart would race.

“My heart started going insane."

"I could feel it pounding in my chest,” she recalled.

“I literally felt like I was going to die.”

This was her diagnosis...🧵 The diagnosis from numerous doctors was unanimous, "You have anxiety."

Angelic now bound to a wheelchair to prevent her racing heart responded in anger “...I have anxiety because of what’s happening to me.”

Muscle weakness is one symptom of post-exertional malaise (PEM).

This is experienced by those with:
1. Long COVID
2. ME/CFS
3. TBI
4. MS

Data suggests this is to blame...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Scientists at Washington University in St Louis discovered that neuroinflammation causes neurons to make IL-6.

The IL-6 communicates with skeletal muscles to cause profound muscle fatigue.

Here is how...

Read the full study 👇
buff.ly/4jnaAxN

45% of those with Long COVID suffer from a sleep disorder (1).

It's so prevalent it's dubbed 'coronasomnia'.

Here is the science...🧵 \ Coronasomnia:
There is a strong association between Long COVID and the development of:
- insomnia
- sleep continuity disorders
- feeling of non-restorative sleep
- changes in the sleep-waking cycle

However, this is not unique to Long COVID.

Suicide is thought of as an extreme moment of despair followed by voluntary loss of life in an otherwise healthy individual.

However, research suggests neuroinflammation is to blame.

Here is the science in simple terms...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Scientists studied the brains of 29 diseased suicide victims (and 31 controls).

They found that neuroinflammation disrupted the brain's balance between inhibitory and excitatory neuronal signaling.

Read more:
buff.ly/3uoj4A5

50% of long COVID patients had this virus in their oral mucosa.

It might contribute to the pathology of Long COVID.

Here is why...🧵 Significantly more Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was detected in Long COVID patients compared to healthy COVID-recovered patients (15/30 LC vs 4/20 non-LC controls).

A similar independent study (1) can to the same conclusion.

This is important because EBV reactivation is highly pathogenic as it's associated with:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sjorgrens syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Celiac disease
- Some cancers
- ME/CFS
- Lupus

Could a subset of Long COVID cases be attributed to the inability to block EBV reactivation?

Read more:
buff.ly/4jawbtc

In 2017 Alina Sternberg, a psychiatrist, was hit with crushing fatigue and brain fog.

Neurologists told her the symptoms were caused by depression.

"No, I can enjoy my life and I know what depression is... I’m a psychiatrist!”

It took another 6 years to discover the culprit...🧵 Alina's symptoms became progressively worse.

By 2023 she spent most of her days in bed.

Not only was she hit with soul-crushing fatigue but her memory deteriorated.

One day she forgot her way home, a place she had lived for 20 years.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was recently found to localize in an unusual place outside the brain.

This localization pattern might explain the neuroinflammatory symptoms experienced during:
- SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Long COVID..🧵 Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany found that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein localizes to the skull's bone marrow.

To understand why this discovery is important in the context of Long COVID we must first learn about the following:
- the meninges
- immune cells in the meninges

Read the scientific publication here:
buff.ly/3DNfPGL

There is an emerging field of medicine called Immunopsychiatry.

Immunopsychiatry requires the combined effort of immunologists, neurobiologists, neuroimaging specialists, and psychiatrists...🧵 This growing field of psychiatry challenges the traditional ways psychiatrists view the cause of mental illness.

Instead of faulty neuronal signaling causing depression or anxiety immunopsychiatrists examine the role of immune processes in controlling our mental health.

Anti-depressants don't work for 30% of people who take them.

This study might have discovered why...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Scientists at the Imperial College of London and the University of South Carolina discovered that an inflammatory molecule called histamine directly inhibited the release of serotonin in the brain of mice.

Read more here: buff.ly/3BxBO45

Autoantibodies can cause psychosis-like conditions characterized by a disconnection from reality, often involving:
- delusions
- hallucinations
- impaired thinking or reasoning.

A subset of these cases are actually caused by a rogue immune response...🧵 🧠 Psychosis And Autoantibodies:
Up to 10% of psychosis patients have been reported to contain an autoantibody called anti-NMDAR that targets the brain causing autoimmune encephalitis (AE) (autoantibody-driven brain inflammation) (1).

However, only 18 harmful brain autoantibodies are known to science (2). What if there are more?

Read more:
buff.ly/4gLMxXn

Immune cells can 'talk' to neurons and vice versa.

Abnormal communication between these cell types is found in:
- PANDAS/PANS
- Long COVID
- Depression
- ME/CFS
- PTSD
- etc.

A new study discovered how...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Scientists discovered that a subpopulation of neurons expresses a cytokine receptor, allowing them to sense and respond to inflammation.

The receptor, called neuronal IL-1RI (nIL-1R for short), changed the behavior of neurons following IL-1 stimulation.

Here we will explain the significance in simple terms.

Read the full study here:
buff.ly/41toZSL

Mutations in HLA are associated with many chronic diseases that impact the brain (and your mental health), including, but not limited to:
- Long COVID
- Sjogren's
- ME/CFS
- Lupus
- MS
- RA

Here is why in simple terms...🧵 \ Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA):
HLA molecules arguably play the most important role in keeping you healthy.

That's because they act as molecular alarm systems in (almost) every cell in your body.

Here is what that means...

Between 2% and 14% of COVID survivors develop a syndrome called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) (1).

However, it is commonly attributed to stress and anxiety.

This is the surprising story of how POTS (and possibly Long COVID) might be linked to an even rarer syndrome...🧵

Dr. Sajana Reddy was infected with SARS-CoV-2 in January 2020.

A few months later, she passed out after standing for too long while at work.

After digging into the medical literature for an explanation, she realized she might have a rare syndrome that dysregulates the autonomic nervous system, POTS.

Full story 👇
buff.ly/3C2aG9E

According to Johns Hopkins University, mood disorders are caused by "life events such as stressful life changes."

This powerful Danish study suggests there is a more concrete explanation...🧵 Mood disorders include:
✅ bipolar disorder
✅ cyclothymic disorder
✅ major depressive disorder
✅ persistent depressive disorder
✅ premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Danish scientists used a clever way to study these mood disorders...

Study 👇
buff.ly/4fS47Jd

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are elevated in the brains of suicide victims (1).

However, this elevation is not exclusive to suicide victims.

This is the story of a 16-year-old researcher who might have discovered a biomarker of suicide ideation...🧵 Background:

Pro-inflammatory cytokine elevation in the brain similarly occurs in a number of psychiatric conditions including:

1️⃣ major depressive disorder (2)
2️⃣ bipolar disorder (3)
3️⃣ schizophrenia (4)

Chronic stress can cause mental health issues.

Here's (one reason) why...🧵 \ Sympathetic Nervous System:
The fight-or-flight (sympathetic) branch of the nervous system is always on.

However, stress can turn the dial to maximum strength.

This causes the rapid production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as (1):
- IL-6
- IL-1beta
- TNFalpha

Acute activation of the sympathetic NS also immobilizes white blood cells into circulation, particularly (1):
- Natural killer (NK) cells - viral infections and tumors
- Neutrophils - bacteria

Seemingly benign childhood infections (like strep throat) can cause a spectrum of neurological symptoms (in some) such as:
- tics
- OCD
- uncontrolled movements (Sydenham chorea)

A brand new paper (likely) reveals why...🧵

@NNwppn @PANDASppn @PANSPANDASUK @EncouragePANDAS @LucyMcDonald \ The Discovery:
Scientists from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center found that PANDAS/PANS children with tics and OCD have autoantibodies targeting the dopamine receptor 1 (D1R).

Meanwhile, those with Sydenham chorea (whiplash-like movements) have autoantibodies targeting dopamine receptor 2 (D2R).

Read the paper here: buff.ly/4eqOKWG

Autoreactive immune cells are deleted in the thymus to prevent autoimmunity such as:
- MS
- Lupus
- Sjogrens
- Autoimmune encephalitis (and more...)

A new discovery helped us understand what vitamin regulates this process...🧵 \ The Discovery:
Scientists from McGill University discovered that mice, genetically unable to make the biologically active form of vitamin D, had the thymus of an old mouse.

This is important because as we age, the thymus becomes less likely to prevent autoimmunity.

To understand why, let's first learn how the thymus prevents autoimmunity.

Read more here: buff.ly/3UFzLRH