Endothelial Dysfunction & Brain Fog

by | Jan 24, 2022 | BHC News, Long COVID, ME/CFS, Research News

Endothelial Cell

In the coming weeks, BHC will start a new research study that you may be eligible to participate in! This research will assess endothelial function and upright activityEndoPAT Device in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID, which is an illness that occurs in some people after COVID-19 infection. Endothelial cells make up a single cell layer that lines all the blood vessels in our body. Endothelial cells maintain cardiovascular homeostasis in health. In ME/CFS and Long COVID, these endothelial cells may not function properly.

 

UpTime Measurement DeviceWe will also passively and noninvasively assess daily upright activity using a wearable sensor to measure “UpTime”. UpTime measures the amount of time you are in an upright posture. Additionally, trouble with mental processing (sometimes called “brain fog”) is a major complaint of ME/CFS and Long COVID patients. Being in an upright posture for too long can lead to brain fog so we are interested in how reaction times and processing speed change in the morning and night.

UpTime Infographic

 

This study will help us understand if there is abnormal endothelial function in ME/CFS and Long COVID patients, if UpTime correlates with disease severity, and whether either of these are linked to brain fog. We aim to begin enrollment in February so stay tuned for more information on this important research!