Community encouraged to take part in world-first Chronic Fatigue research

Dr Rob Eley is encouraging the community to participate in the CFS study

USQ is calling on the community to take part in a world-first research project aimed at discovering a quicker diagnosis for the debilitating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

USQ’s Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health (CRRAH) is asking for 150 locals aged between 20 and 65 years to participate in the Bond University-led study, which will look at developing a commercially viable test kit to diagnose CFS faster and more accurately, as well as establishing guidelines for diagnosis.

At present diagnosing CFS is a lengthy process, which costs the community millions of dollars a year in consultations, treatments and lost work hours with diagnosis often drawn-out and frustrating for sufferers because of a lack of suitable pathology tests.

CRRAH Director Professor Don Gorman said that the Centre were more than happy to assist in the study and called on the Toowoomba community to support the research.

'Bond first approached us about helping them with the study because they wanted a University to carry out the rural component of the research,' Professor Gorman said.

'We were thrilled to assist and I am asking the local community here to also get involved in the research and take part in the study.'

The University needs 50 people in each of three different groups: 50 people diagnosed with CFS, another 50 people who constantly feel exhausted and a further 50 healthy people.

The research will examine immunological changes between the three groups and identify trends.

'CFS can manifest itself in dozens of different ways, through depression, joint pains and sleep dysfunction just to name a few,' Senior Research Fellow at CRRAH, Dr Rob Eley, said.

'At the moment diagnosis involves a list of criteria which is matched off against a patient’s symptoms to see if they can be diagnosed.

'This research could potentially do away with that, whereby a patient would be required to only undergo a blood test, which will lead to a quicker diagnosis.'

Participants in the project must be available for 30 minute check-ups every six months for two years, including a blood test.

Volunteers will undergo an initial assessment before being accepted into the project.

Anyone interested in participating in the study is encouraged to contact CRRAH via their website or by calling 07 4631 5444.

Contact Details:
Josh Ada, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2559, 0400 025 429