Low Brain Oxygenation in CFS
A new study about the brain blood flow and oxygenation in chronic fatigue patients confirms what i’ve seen in my own lab tests and brain scans.
This CFS study
shows that chronic fatigue syndrome patients had reduced oxygenation and brain blood flow after exercise. Their total blood volume and oxygen levels were significantly reduced in the prefrontal areas, when compared to control subjects.
A previous study out of Italy also shows altered brain bloodflow and metabolism in CFS patients when compared to healthy and depressed subjects. I even found a study dating back to 1995 that confirmed lower than normal brainstem perfusion in CFS. The researchers showed that altered blood volume and brain oxygenation contributed to the CFS patients inability to exercise. Upon exercise, these abnormalities got worse.
My personal SPECT and PET brain scans showed lower than normal blood flow and activity. This seems to explain why i am affected so much by brain fog. I also had improved concentration and less fatigue that lasted for a few hours after i did hyperbaric oxygen treatments. I did about 15 treatments total, and there was no increased improvement with each treatment.
Another thing that fits with this is, how the systemic enzyme supplement vitalzyme improves my brain fog. My doctor told me that this supplement works by decreasing coagulation and improving blood flow.
Dr. Martin Pall may have given an explanation for this altered brain functioning with with his NO/ONOO cycle theory of CFS. In this theory, increased levels of the compound nitric oxide may set off a cycle that creates free radicals peroxynitrate and superoxide. This could possibly lead to altered brain metabolism, blood flow, and BRAIN FOG.
