📚 About This Course
Lesson Summary
Welcome to Brain Retraining 101 for ME-CFS and Long COVID Recovery. This course is designed for individuals who are facing conditions such as ME-CFS and Long COVID and suspect that there is a neurological aspect to their condition. Addressing the brain and the autonomic nervous system is believed to be key for their recovery.
Functional illnesses, such as ME-CFS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, and POTS, fall into a category of medical conditions that cause symptoms without an identifiable underlying physical or organic cause. These conditions involve complex interactions between the brain and the body, where psychological, social, and biological factors may play a role in their development and persistence.
Treatment approaches for functional illnesses have traditionally focused on managing symptoms and improving quality of life. However, recent advancements in understanding these conditions have led to strategies that address the body's threat assessment systems, resulting in significant symptom reduction or even complete elimination.
Dr. Will Bostock, a specialist in Long COVID, likens these conditions to a software issue in our bodies, where the brain and nervous system are involved. While some may find this mind-body interaction approach threatening or invalidating, scientific evidence supports the impact of neuroplasticity and working with the autonomic nervous system in recovery.
This course is divided into three parts: learning about the science behind these approaches, putting the information and strategies into practice, and transitioning back to a normal life. It's important to note that while many individuals with ME-CFS and Long COVID have benefited from this brain-body approach, it may not apply to everyone with these conditions since each case is unique.
The course provides sources for further reading, with the acknowledgment that it is difficult to attribute every single contributor due to the vast amount of information. Gratitude is extended to those who have enriched this body of knowledge. The focus now shifts to learning about the individual participants in the course.
Course Information Sources:
The almost 150 people I’ve interviewed, the countless others who freely share recovery information in their social spaces, the thousands of people who message me, and my lived experience. There are so many sources that it becomes challenging, if not impossible, to specifically site where I learned every little nugget. This course is a culmination of knowledge from multiple sources that I’ve been absorbing like a sponge for years.
Scientific Studies:
The relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and ME/CFS has been a subject of interest in many scientific studies over the years. Here are some studies that have examined ANS dysregulation in ME/CFS patients:
- Newton, J. L., Sheth, A., Shin, J., Pairman, J., Wilton, K., Burt, J. A., ... & Trenell, M. I. (2009). Lower ambulatory blood pressure in chronic fatigue syndrome. Psychosomatic Medicine, 71(3), 361-365.
- This study observed lower blood pressure and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) in ME/CFS patients, suggesting ANS dysfunction, especially in the cardiovascular system.
- Freeman, R., Komaroff, A. L. (1997). Does the chronic fatigue syndrome involve the autonomic nervous system? The American Journal of Medicine, 102(4), 357-364.
- This review article discussed abnormalities in cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine systems of ME/CFS patients that suggest a role for the ANS in the pathology of the syndrome.
- Beaumont, A., Burton, A. R., Lemon, J., Bennett, B. K., Lloyd, A., Vollmer-Conna, U. (2012). Reduced cardiac vagal modulation impacts on cognitive performance in chronic fatigue syndrome. PloS One, 7(11), e49518.
- This study highlighted the relationship between reduced cardiac vagal modulation, a marker for autonomic nervous system function, and cognitive impairments in ME/CFS patients.
- Van Cauwenbergh, D., Nijs, J., Kos, D., Van Weijnen, L., Struyf, F., Meeus, M. (2014). Malfunctioning of the autonomic nervous system in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic literature review. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 44(5), 516-526.
- This is a systematic review that covers various studies suggesting ANS abnormalities in ME/CFS patients, including reduced HRV, altered blood flow responses, and abnormal responses to tilt table testing.
- Roma, M., Marden, C. L., Flaherty, M. A. K., Jasion, S. E., Cranston, E. M., & Rowe, P. C. (2018). Impaired health-related quality of life in adolescent myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: the impact of core symptoms. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6, 26.
- While this study focused on adolescents with ME/CFS, it provided evidence of reduced health-related quality of life in relation to orthostatic intolerance, a symptom often related to ANS dysregulation.
- Naschitz, J. E., & Rosner, I. (2007). Orthostatic hypotension: framework of the syndrome. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 83(983), 568-574.
- Orthostatic hypotension and intolerance have been frequently reported in ME/CFS patients. This study reviewed the broader framework of orthostatic hypotension, which is often linked to ANS dysfunction.
Additional Sources
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