White-matter changes associated with a synergetic treatment for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographics and assessment results.

Parameters	CFS Mean (SD)	SOT Mean (SD)	p-Value
Sex (Female/male)	7/1	7/1
Weight (kg)	75.69 (12.45)	82.21 (20.54)	0.45
Height (cm)	168.25 (6.04)	170.56 (5.86)	0.45
Age (years)	52 (8)	52 (9)	1
BMI (kg/m^2)	26.78 (4.48)	28.06 (6.02)	0.64
Duration of symptoms (years)	13 (8.6)	18.14 (20.2)	0.52
Time on treatment using the proposed protocol (Months)	NA	27.75 (10.82)
CCC-JDC baseline	20.5 (2.5)	20.25 (2.92)
CCC-JDC post-treatment	NA	10.86 (4.49)
During standing task
Dizziness level	4 (2.27)	3.13 (2.85)	0.51
Dyspnoea/shortness of breath level	3.5 (1.77)	2.63 (2.26)	0.4
Fatigue level	6.75 (2.31)	4.94 (3.03)	0.2
Sensory alteration level	3.25 (2.12)	2.13 (2.47)	0.35
Standing difficulty	5.5 (2.56)	3.63 (3.5)	0.24
Total time standing	18.38 (4.6)	18.44 (4.42)	0.98
Weighted Standing Time	11.68 (4.69)	14.15 (6.18)	0.38
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) – Depression	13.5 (3.67)	8.83 (3.37)	0.04*
HADS – Anxiety	11.33 (3.67)	9 (2.61)	0.23
SF-36 – Physical component summary	33.51 (6.62)	32.03 (7.79)	0.73
SF-36 – Mental component summary	38.02 (8.89)	46.49 (5.38)	0.02*
SF-36 – Physical functioning	31.67 (18.89)	36.67 (23.38)	0.69
SF-36 – Role limitations due to physical health	0 (0)	4.17 (10.21)	0.34
SF-36 – Body pain	27.08 (12.19)	43.33 (22.62)	0.15
SF-36 – General health	26.67 (10.33)	22.5 (10.37)	0.5
SF-36 – Vitality	3 (4.47)	9.17 (9.17)	0.21
SF-36 – Social functioning	22.92 (20.03)	29.17 (20.41)	0.6
SF-36 – Role limitations due to emotional problems	27.78 (44.31)	77.78 (27.22)	0.04*
SF-36 – Mental health	43.2 (15.85)	69.33 (13.78)	0.01*

Abbreviations: BMI: Body Mass Index; CCC-JDC: Canadian Consensus Criteria-questions by Jorge do Campo; SF-36: 36-item Short-Form; HADS: Health Survey and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; NA: Not Applicable.

Figure 1. Voxel-based analysis of statistical group differences (two-sample t-test) in the different DTI measures between the ME/CFS patients taking spironolactone (SOT) and those who are not taking spironolactone (CFS). Results show that, compared to the control group, the SOT group had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower diffusivity measures (AD, RD, ADC). All results were corrected for multiple comparisons using family wise error correction with a threshold of p ≤ .05.