Eligibility Requirements for ME/CFS Clinical Study at the NIH

The clinical study on ME/CFS that is being planned for the NIH Clinical Center is focused on post-infectious ME/CFS in order to closely examine the clinical and biological characteristics of the disorder and improve our understanding of its cause and progression. The eligibility criteria for this study includes four groups of adults that either: 1) have ME/CFS with post exertional malaise fulfilling multiple consensus criteria; 2) had Lyme disease, were treated, and don't have fatigue symptoms; 3) have a functional movement disorder; or 4) are healthy volunteers. These groups were selected so that comparisons can be made between the groups to look for differences and similarities that may exist using the unique resources of the NIH Clinical center. All individuals will be very carefully characterized for all of the symptoms of ME/CFS using multiple criteria. The narrow scientific focus of this study is only the first step of what NIH hopes will be a broader national approach to better understand the biological basis of ME/CFS and the development of effective therapies.