Why thinking and focus are hard in ME/CFS and long COVID
Mechanisms of Cognitive Control Impairment in ME/CFS and PASC-ME/CFS
This work looks at brain and nervous-system changes that may cause thinking and attention problems in people with ME/CFS and in people whose long COVID symptoms meet ME/CFS criteria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139646 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of people with ME/CFS and people who developed ME/CFS-like symptoms after COVID and complete tests of memory, attention, and mental processing. Researchers will record brain activity with imaging and other monitoring and measure autonomic nervous system function (like heart rate and blood pressure responses). They will compare these results to healthy people to find patterns linked to cognitive problems and "brain fog." The goal is to link symptoms you experience to specific brain or nervous-system changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a clinical diagnosis of ME/CFS or with ongoing post-COVID symptoms that meet ME/CFS criteria, and willing to attend in-person testing at the research site, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People whose cognitive symptoms are caused by other clear conditions (for example untreated sleep apnea, recent traumatic brain injury, or primary psychiatric disorders) may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific brain or nervous-system targets that lead to better treatments or management for concentration problems and brain fog.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have reported brain and autonomic differences in ME/CFS and long COVID, but the precise mechanisms remain unclear and effective treatments have not been established.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eryilmaz, H Hamdi — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Eryilmaz, H Hamdi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.