Comparative study of healthy control subjects and ME/CFS patients using questionnaires, hand grip strength measurement, cognitive testing and laboratory markers

The aim of this doctoral project is to establish and analyse a cohort of 100 healthy subjects for subsequent comparison with ME/CFS patients. In addition to well-characterised patient cohorts, so-called control cohorts (i.e. healthy individuals) are of central importance to biomedical research projects. Only by comparing data with carefully defined healthy controls is it possible to clearly identify disease-specific changes, draw scientifically robust conclusions, and develop diagnostic markers. To this end, data regarding health status (medical history, self-reported information), epidemiological data, and symptom-assessment questionnaires will be collected from healthy subjects — using the same methods applied to the ME/CFS cohort — alongside clinical examinations (handgrip strength, cognitive testing via the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), blood pressure and pulse measurements while sitting and standing, and laboratory analyses of standard parameters and immunological markers). The data collected from the healthy control cohort will, among others, be incorporated into the work of existing research conducted by Prof. Dr. Scheibenbogen’s group.