Integrated Imaging on Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue

The neural and molecular mechanisms of fatigue and chronic fatigue are not fully understood, although our previous studies revealed the involvement of dysfunction of autonomic nervous system, and deterioration of neuro-immuno-endocrine homeostasis system, through the molecular events of biological oxidation, less repair energy, and local inflammation mediated by immune responses. We have also done a variety of molecular and neuro-functional imaging studies on fatigue and chronic fatigue using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), and magnetoencephalogram (MEG). Here, we make a short review of the results from the integrated imaging studies in combination with measurements of biomarkers of fatigue.