Project: Mechanisms of Persistent Fatigue
| Acronym | MAP-FAT (Reference Number: JTC2024 - Brain-Body_MAP-FAT_1) |
| Project Topic | Persistent fatigue (PF), which is often trigged by acute infections (such as COVID-19), is and under-researched problem with detrimental consequences for the suffering patients, their families and society. PF is associated with autonomic and immunological aberrations; one hypothetical model considers these aberrations to a cause of PF (body-to-brain mechanism), whereas another model considers them to be consequences of PF (brain-to-body mechanism). The present project aims to scrutinize both models. Firstly, a recently established registry of post-infective cohort studies (n~24,000) will be exploited to determine: a) Predictors of PF development; and b) Brain network dynamics underpinning PF. Secondly, we will experimentally assess the dynamic relationship between brain, autonomic and immunological activity, and the subjective experience of fatigue at early convalescent stage and at six months follow-up in a de novo prospective cohort of EBV-infected patients (EBV-P) and healthy controls (HC). The present project will generate a clinical and scientific impact by creating high-quality new knowledge and enabling its diffusion through open science practice. We will provide comprehensive knowledge on potentially amendable underlying mechanisms and thus pave the way for prevention and therapy. |
| Network | NEURON Cofund2 |
| Call | Neuron Cofund2 Joint Call 2024 |