Journal of IiME Volume 1 Issue 1 Dr. Leonard Jason (continued) have minority status in general, or if differences in findings are due to a specific minority group. The current study had small sample sizes, and this could contribute to instability of results, generalizability and lack of statistical power. limited Logistic regressions with small sample sizes can over-fit models and generate high odds ratios. Future research should consider larger sample sizes of each minority group to explore within-group and betweengroup differences. It is notable that these findings emerged when forming subgroups utilizing only a basic battery of laboratory screening tests. These laboratory conducted primarily ME Story tests were for the purpose of screening out other major illnesses that might explain a person’s chronic fatigue, as recommended by Fukuda and colleagues (1994). Many people with CFS exhibit only minimal or subtle abnormalities on these tests, and these abnormalities often are inconclusive or may not be acknowledged by the primary care physician because they do not lead to a diagnosis of another, more recognized disease process. Further, the more commonly reported physiological abnormalities reported in people with CFS, such as the presence of RNase L (Suhadolnik et al., 1997), adrenal insufficiency with subsequent low cortisol levels (Addington, 2000), the presence of orthostatic intolerance (Schondorf, Benoit, Wein, & Phaneuf, 1999), and immunological abnormalities (Patarca-Montero, Mark, Fletcher, & Klimas, 2000), can only be assessed using highly specialized, expensive, or experimental tests to which people with CFS and their physicians typically have little access. This study demonstrates that subgrouping is possible using laboratory tests that are readily available and can easily be ordered by primary care physicians. The identification of clinically significant subgroups is the logical next step in furthering CFS research. There might be multiple pathways leading to the cause and maintenance of the neurobiologic disregulations and other symptoms experienced by individuals with CFS. Depending upon the individual and subtype, these may include unique biological, genetic, neurological, psychological, and socioenvironmental contributions. Previous research examining people with CFS as a homogenous group may have missed real differences that might exist among subgroups of people diagnosed with this illness. Subgrouping might be the key to understanding how CFS begins, how it is maintained, how medical and Invest in ME Charity Nr 1114035 I was assessed for one ME clinic but they said I was too disabled and that there were other issues that needed to be worked on. They also said that because I was confined to a wheelchair they thought that would be too upsetting for the other members of their group - Gary psychological variables influence its course, and in the best case, how it can be prevented, treated, and cured (Jason et al., 2005). Acknowledgements & references Request for these and reprints should be addressed to Leonard Jason, Community Research, DePaul University, 990 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614. 14 Center for ME Story 3 yrs ago I came down with what I thought was the flu, but I never recovered. After many doctors I was diagnosed with ME. At this time last year I was able to still care for my own needs but as the summer progressed so did my illness. My ability to get up by myself declined. I had to have help getting to the recliner in the living room and to the bathroom. I started having problems feeding myself, my hands would shake so bad that the food and my drink ending up all over myself. Then it got to the point that walking was impossible. I had a bedside commode that I used and my husband would carry me to the recliner. In Nov it was decided that my mom would move in with us to help care for me. By that time I was totally bedridden unable to care for myself. - Blaze www.investinme.org
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