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CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME |
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National and International Print Media Coverage
2012 Coverage 2011 Coverage
2010 Coverage
2009 Coverage 2008 Coverage 2007 Coverage: 5/07 through 12/07 2007 Coverage: 1/07 through 4/07 2006 Coverage 2011 Coverage
“Scholars Retract Another Study Linking Virus to Fatigue Syndrome,” notes David Tuller of the New York Times. He writes, “a study that linked the syndrome to retroviruses closely related to XMRV, published in August 2010 by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was retracted by its authors. The second study had provided crucial support to the idea that these pathogens were connected to chronic fatigue syndrome, but other researchers were not able to confirm such an association.” (12/26/11)http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/health/research/scholars-retract-another-study-linking-xmrv-to-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html?_r=1 This story has been reported in nearly 40 other outlets including“In a Rare Move, Science Without Authors’ Consent Retracts Paper That Tied Mouse Virus to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” reports Science magazine on the “ScienceInsider” website ahead of the December 23 print issue. Citing issues with other labs’ ability to replicate the findings from the original paper published in October 2009 and “evidence of poor quality control,” Editor Bruce Albers states that the magazine’s editors have “lost confidence in the Report and the validity of its conclusions.” (12/22/11) http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/12/in-a-rare-move-science-without-a.html This story has been reported in more than 160 other outlets includingBritish newspaper The Daily Gazette reports on “Colchester teen’s shock at becoming an Olympic torchbearer.” CFS patient Elodie Lafosse won the privilege of carrying the Olympic torch in a competition. (12/9/11) http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/9412033.Colchester_teen___s_shock_at_becoming_an_Olympic_torchbearer/ “BC Women’s Hospital named new medical centre for Lyme, chronic fatigue and other complex diseases,” proclaims a headline in The Vancouver Sun. The British Columbia Ministry of Health pledged $2 million to create a clinic to diagnose and treat patients with these illnesses earlier this year. (12/6/11) http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/12/06/bc-womens-hospital-named-new-medical-centre-for-lyme-chronic-fatigue-and-other-complex-diseases/ The London Evening Standard reports on the results of a study conducted by Swiss scientists that claims “the brain triggers muscle fatigue during heavy exercise. The team, from the University of Zurich, used MRI scans to identify the areas of the brain involved – the thalamus and insular cortex, which analyse potential threats to the body including pain and hunger. With experiments on an exercise bike, the researchers discovered just how strongly the insular cortex can slow us down.” The team says the finding could lead to cures for muscle fatigue and diseases including CFS. (12/6/11) http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24018368-muscle-fatigue-from-exercise-is-in-the-mind-study-reveals.do This article was reposted onIt’s been “A whirlwind year for ‘Unbroken’s’ Louis Zamperini,” says the Los Angeles Times in a story about the hero of CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand. The subject and author finally met for the first time recently; her illness confined her to interviewing him by phone during the research for the book. (11/25/11) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/11/unbroken-louis-zamperini-laura-hillenbrand.html The New York Times again lauds CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand for her newest book, “Unbroken,” noting that it has sat on the best-seller list for 52 straight weeks, beating her own previous record with “Seabiscuit.” The short mention in the “Sunday Book Review” mentions her illness. (11/18/11) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/books/review/inside-the-list.html?_r=2 The Sydney Morning Herald profiles CFS patient and jazz pianist Keith Jarrett in acknowledgement of the release of his new album, “Rio.” (“Playing from the heart”) (10/29/11) http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/playing-from-the-heart-20111027-1mkn7.html In advance of a response to a CFS patient about the state of the research set to appear in the November/December print issue of The Saturday Evening Post, the magazine includes a feature interview with the Association’s Scientific Director, Dr. Suzanne Vernon, titled “Fast-Track Research on Conquering Fatigue” in the “Medical Mailbox” section. Health Editor Wendy Braun’s “conversation with Vernon [focuses on] the challenges surrounding chronic fatigue syndrome and the ‘tremendous urgency’ of researchers to better understand, diagnose, cure, and even prevent the distressing and persistent problem.” (10/25/11) http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2011/10/24/wellness/medical-mailbox/cfs.html CFS clinician and researcher Dr. Anthony Komaroff publishes “Role of Infection and Neurologic Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” in the journal Seminars in Neurology. A review of the literature by he and his team concludes that, “The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that CFS, in some cases, can be triggered and perpetuated by several chronic infections that directly or indirectly affect the nervous system, and that symptoms are a reflection of the immune response to the infection.” (10/4/11) https://www.thieme-connect.de/ejournals/abstract/sin/doi/10.1055/s-0031-1287654 CFS patient, researcher and professor Dr. Leonard Jason and colleagues review “Fatigue Scales and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Issues of Sensitivity and Specificity” in Disability Studies Quarterly. They “examine[d] the sensitivity and specificity of several fatigue scales that have attempted to define severe fatigue within CFS,” and “found most scales and sub-scales had either significant specificity and/or sensitivity problems.” They identified two scales that provided the most sensitivity and specificity and noted, “Selecting questions, scales and cut off points to measure fatigue must be done with extreme care in order to successfully identify CFS cases.” (10/1/11) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21966179 The journal Psychiatry Research reports on the results of a CDC study focusing on “Cumulative life stress in chronic fatigue syndrome.” The researchers note, “We found that exposure to stressors was significantly more common in persons with CFS compared to NF controls; those with CFS reported experiencing significantly higher levels of psychological distress. Also, post-traumatic stress disorder was significantly more common in people with CFS. … Stress may be an important factor in the pathophysiology of CFS.” (9/30/11) http://www.psy-journal.com/article/PIIS0165178111005191/abstract?rss=yes An essay published in The Atlantic, titled “The Coming Audiobooks Boom,” includes a review of CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand’s book “Unbroken,” and notes that she suffers from the illness. (9/27/11) http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/the-coming-audiobooks-boom/245729/ Science magazine publishes a package of stories about XMRV and CFS, including the long-awaited results of the Blood XMRV Scientific Research Working Group (SWRG)’s Phase III study: “Failure to confirm XMRV/MLVs in the blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: A multi-laboratory study.” In this study, none of the 19 assays used by nine participating labs was able to distinguish previously XMRV/MLV-positive CFS cases from healthy blood donors or pedigreed negatives on the basis of results for XMRV or the larger family of murine leukemia viruses. A “Partial Retraction” of data from the original XMRV paper (published in Science in 2009) by the Cleveland Clinic’s Robert Silverman and a full-length narrative article summarizing the history of XMRV from discovery to date accompany the SWRG study results. These materials are all available to Science subscribers or on a pay-per-view basis; we’ll update the links below if they become openly available. (9/22/11) “Failure to confirm XMRV/MLVs in the blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: A multi-laboratory study.” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/09/21/science.1213841 “Partial Retraction.” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/09/21/science.1212182 “False Positive.” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6050/1694.summary This package of stories has been reported in more than 210 other outlets, includingThe Wall Street Journal chronicles the struggles of one young CFS patient in a front-page story titled “Wave of New Disabilities Swamps School Budgets.” The Pennsylvania high school student’s parents have worked with her school to provide an experience as normal as possible for their ill daughter, but she still won’t graduate with her class or with a formal diploma, instead aiming for a general equivalency diploma. Amy Dockser Marcus’s story includes anecdotes about children with other illnesses, but focuses on the CFS patient in this explanation of the challenge students, parents and school districts face in educating those with a “hidden chronic illness.” (9/17/11) (Story is accessible with registration for a free, two-week trial subscription.) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904103404576558730329067142.html#articleTabs%3Darticle This article was reposted onThe Ottawa Citizen calls CFS “The invisible illness” in an article that uses the story of patient Shelley Schellin to tell the story of the illness. (Canada) (9/16/11) This article was reprinted in many other outlets, including Canada.com (9/22/11)A columnist who writes in Radio Ink magazine reviews CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand’s book “Unbroken.” He mentions that it took her seven years to complete the story due to her illness. (9/11/11) http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2280268&spid=24698 The August 31 issue of the magazine Move! includes a short sidebar about CFS in a story about fatigue titled, “Feeling tired?” (8/31/11) http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416185855&o=int&prev=si&p=39 Britain’s The Observer, the Sunday edition of “The Guardian” newspaper, publishes a story titled “Chronic fatigue syndrome researchers face death threats from militants,” which opens with these lines: “The full extent of the campaign of intimidation, attacks and death threats made against scientists by activists who claim researchers are suppressing the real cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is revealed today by the Observer. According to the police, the militants are now considered to be as dangerous and uncompromising as animal rights extremists.” (8/21/11) http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-myalgic-encephalomyelitis This story has also been covered on multiple outlets, includingThe September issue of Ladies Home Journal magazine publishes a story titled “What Ever Happened to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?” Writer Margery Rosen interviews patients, clinicians, researchers and Association president and CEO Kimberly McCleary to paint a comprehensive picture of CFS. (9/1/11) http://www.lhj.com/health/news/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/?page=1 The current issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience includes a six-page “Perspective” article about CFS, a Q&A format with Stephen Holgate, Anthony Komaroff, Dennis Mangan and Simon Wessely, titled “Chronic fatigue syndrome: understanding a complex illness.” Unfortunately, it’s only available to subscribers or on pay-per-view basis. (7/27/11) The Journal of Internal Medicine has published a new international consensus definition for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) developed by a panel of well-known clinicians, researchers, teaching faculty and an independent patient advocate. (“Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: International Consensus Criteria”) (7/21/11) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2011.02428.x/abstract This new definition has been reviewed and commented on on numerous websites and blogs, includingA brief item published in the July issue of Scientific American asks, “Donor Fatigue: Should Blood Banks Reject Chronic Fatigue Sufferers?” It summarizes the controversy surrounding the connection between XMRV and CFS and notes that “…experts are weighing whether or not to test donated blood.” (7/4/11) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=donor-fatigue British newspaper The Daily Mail reports on “XMRV and CFS—the sad end of a story,” a comment published on the website of “The Lancet.” In it, researchers from the Netherlands conclude that, based on numerous negative studies, XMRV is not the much hoped-for cause of CFS. (6/21/11) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2006038/Myalgic-encephalomyelitis-caused-virus.html?ito=feeds-newsxml This story was also reported inThe Calgary Herald reports on a study conducted by researchers at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the University of Calgary that “shows that adults over the age of 50 with at least one chronic illness are more likely to experience a major depressive episode than those living without a chronic illness. … According to the data, collected only among the aging and elderly people living independently outside of care centres, some of the highest correlations of depression: up to 30 per cent of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome being diagnosed with major depression, 14 per cent of patients with fibromyalgia and nine per cent of patients with migraines.” (“Chronic illness boosts chances of depression in adults over 50, study finds”) (6/14/11) http://bit.ly/myqyoD Results for this study also appeared in The Montreal Gazette (6/15/11)The June 2, 2011, issue of Science magazine includes reports on the results of two studies of the retrovirus XMRV and an editorial comment on them and the original paper published in the magazine in October 2009 that linked XMRV and CFS. The first study, “Recombinant Origin of the Retrovirus XMRV,” builds on presentations made in March 2011 at the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). It provides data to show that XMRV is a laboratory recombinant of two endogenous murine leukemia viruses that arose during the development of a prostate tumor cell line called 22Rv1. The authors conclude that XMRV originated in the laboratory and does not readily infect or pose a risk to humans. The second study, “No Evidence of Murine-Like Gammaretroviruses in CFS Patients Previously Identified as XMRV-Infected,” tested newly collected samples from 61 CFS patients diagnosed by Daniel Peterson, M.D. Of the 61, 43 had tested positive for XMRV by the Whittemore Peterson Institute or its commercial laboratory, VIP Diagnostics. This team used a variety of methods to detect XMRV and did not detect XMRV in any of the freshly collected samples. They also tested a variety of reagents used to perform polymerase chain reaction and found nine of 17 to be contaminated with mouse DNA similar to sequences reported by Lo et al. in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (August 2010). The accompanying “Editorial Expression of Concern” notes that at least 10 published papers have failed to detect XMRV in CFS patients and says, “Because the validity of the study by Lombardi et al. is now seriously in question, we are publishing this Expression of Concern and attaching it to Science’s 23 October 2009 publication by Lombardi et al. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is sponsoring additional carefully designed studies to ascertain whether the association between XMRV and CFS can be confirmed. Science eagerly awaits the outcome of these further studies and will take appropriate action when their results are known.” (online ahead of publication 5/31/11) “Recombinant Origin of the Retrovirus XMRV” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/05/31/science.1205292.full.pdf “No Evidence of Murine-Like Gammaretroviruses in CFS Patients Previously Identified as XMRV-Infected” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/05/31/science.1204963.full.pdf “Editorial Expression of Concern” http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/05/31/science.1208542.full.pdf This package of stories has been reported in more than 290 other outlets, includingJournal NMR in Biomedicine publishes the results of a study, “A brain MRI study of chronic fatigue syndrome: evidence of brainstem dysfunction and altered homeostasis,” conducted by a team of Australian researchers that used a new approach to analyzing MRI brain scans of CFS patients. They said their results “show striking changes in the midbrain which plays critical and primitive regulatory roles in the nervous system.” (5/11/11) http://bit.ly/k8InlB This study was also reported in many outlets, includingThe Journal of Virology publishes “Absence of XMRV and other MLV-related viruses in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” the long-awaited study conducted by Dr. Ila Singh and colleagues at the University of Utah. Using multiple testing methods on samples from a group of well-defined patients and matched controls, and on samples provided by the Whittemore Peterson Institute included in the original Oct. 2009 Science study, the researchers conclude, “We did not find XMRV or related MLVs, either as viral sequences or infectious virus, nor did we find antibodies to these viruses in any of the patient samples, including those from the original study. We show that at least some of the discrepancy with previous studies is due to the presence of trace amounts of mouse DNA in the Taq polymerase enzymes used in these previous studies. Our findings do not support an association between CFS and MLV-related viruses including XMRV and off-label use of antiretrovirals for the treatment of CFS does not seem justified at present.” (5/4/11) http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/JVI.00693-11v1 Reports on this study have been included in more than 75 media outlets, includingThe Spring issue of the Stanford University Department of Medicine’s newsletter, Newsmakers in Medicine, devotes a full page to a profile of CFS clinician and researcher Dr. Jose Montoya and the new Chronic Fatigue Initiative. “Hope For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” details his look into various pathogens that might cause the illness and reports on his research using the anti-viral Valcyte to treat CFS patients. (Story begins on page 5.) (May 2011) http://medicine.stanford.edu/newsletter/2011-spring/DOM_NL_Spring2011.pdf The May 2011 issue of Reader’s Digest Canada publishes “Is It All In Your Head?,” a look at several puzzling chronic conditions including CFS and fibromyalgia. Association President and CEO Kimberly McCleary and Dr. Christopher Snell, chair of the federal CFS Advisory Committee, are quoted. (May 2011) Pravda includes CFS in its list of the “Ten most mysterious diseases.” Other ailments on the list include AIDS, autoimmune illnesses and Morgellon’s disease. (Russia) (4/13/11) http://english.pravda.ru/health/13-04-2011/117555-mysterious_diseases-0/ Author and CFS patient Laura Hillenbrand graces the cover of the April issue of Natural Solutions magazine and shares her thoughts about “Living with chronic pain.” (4/01/11) http://www.naturalsolutionsmag.com/articles-display/15878/keyword/hillenbrand/Living-with-Chronic-Pain The Wall Street Journal writer Amy Dockser Marcus continues her coverage of the illness in a story titled, “Unlocking Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” While her recent articles have been focused on XMRV, in this story she looks at other biological research into causes of CFS, including the efforts of Stanford University’s Dr. Jose Montoya, researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who recently announced the discovery of distinct spinal fluid proteins in CFS patients and Drs. Alan and Kathy Light at the University of Utah. (3/22/11) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703858404576214443015558976.html?mod=googlenews_wsj The Lancet, the journal of the British Medical Association, publishes “Comparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise therapy, and specialist medical care for chronic fatigue syndrome (PACE): a randomised trial,” the results of the longitudinal PACE study conducted in the UK. More than 640 CFS patients were provided specialized medical care (SMC); treatments for some groups of patients combined SMC with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy (GET) or adaptive pacing therapy (APT). According to the researchers, “CBT and GET can safely be added to SMC to moderately improve outcomes for chronic fatigue syndrome, but APT is not an effective addition.” (2/17/11) http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60096-2/fulltext The study includes a commentary written by Dutch researchers titled, “Chronic fatigue syndrome: where to PACE from here?” (2/17/11) http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60172-4/fulltext More than 300 media outlets, blogs and organizations have covered the study, includingThe New York Times’ Tara Parker Pope interviews CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand for a post in the paper’s “Well” column. The focus of “An author escapes from CFS” is on Hillenbrand’s illness and how she uses writing to escape from it. (2/4/11) http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/an-author-escapes-from-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/?hp This article was reprinted inThe Financial Times reviews “Unbroken,” the new book written by CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand. Her illness is referenced in the article. (“Unbroken”) (1/24/11) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5912c3d2-24e3-11e0-895d-00144feab49a.html#axzz1ByZbxuO0 “Laura Hillenbrand shows spirit of endurance,” says a writer in The London Evening Standard, describing both Hillenbrand’s new book, “Unbroken” and how she battled CFS to write it. (1/13/11) http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/book/article-23913955-laura-hillenbrand-shows-spirit-of-endurance.do The January issue of Guideposts magazine includes two stories about CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand and the subject of her new book, “Unbroken.” One brief article in the publication’s “Family Room” section notes that she suffers from CFS and “… wrote much of the book while bedridden.” (January 2011) An article in the opinion pages of The New York Times mentions “… a study of people with chronic fatigue syndrome found that while pet owners believed that interacting with their pets relieved their symptoms, objective analysis revealed that they were just as tired, stressed, worried and unhappy as sufferers in a control group who had no pets” in a piece titled “Fido’s No Doctor. Neither Is Whiskers” that examines the healing power of pets. (1/03/11) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/opinion/04herzog.html?src=twrhp This article was reprinted inBMC Microbiology publishes “An unbiased metagenomic search for infectious agents using monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue,” a study in which researchers in the U.S. and Sweden examined 45 pairs of twins discordant for CFS or idiopathic chronic fatigue (one twin had CFS or ICF and the other did not) for evidence of novel pathogens. A weak association with hepatitis G virus was found in nine percent of the cases and none of the controls. (1/02/11) http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/2/abstract This study was also reported on inThe January issue of Runner’s World includes an excerpt from “Unbroken,” CFS patient and author Laura Hillenbrand’s new book about Olympian Louis Zamperini. In the magazine’s “Editor’s Letter,” Editor-in-Chief David Willey summarizes the book and recounts Hillenbrand’s struggles to write it during her battle with CFS. That piece is not available online, but a companion interview with Hillenbrand titled “Unstoppable” is. (January 2011) http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13774-1-1-2,00.html |
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