Key research papers and clinical evidence for invisible illnesses. Curated landmark publications spanning diagnostics, pathophysiology, and treatment across all six conditions tracked by InvisibleSignal.
200+
Papers Tracked
6
Conditions Covered
47
Active Clinical Trials
$15
Per Patient vs $2,500 (Cancer)
Showing 18 of 18 curated papers
Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry (2023)
Key Finding
Comprehensive review establishing ME/CFS as a multi-system neuroimmune condition with evidence for autoimmunity, neuroinflammation, and impaired energy metabolism rather than a psychosomatic disorder.
Thompson JM, Carpenter A, Kersh GJ, et al.
JAMA (2023)
Key Finding
CDC study estimating up to 450,000 affected Americans, concentrated in southeastern US tick habitats, revealing AGS as a significantly underdiagnosed condition with rising prevalence tied to tick range expansion.
Al-Aly Z, Bowe B, Xie Y.
Nature Medicine (2022)
Key Finding
Demonstrated that vaccination reduces but does not eliminate the risk of Long COVID, with vaccinated breakthrough patients still showing elevated risk of 200+ sequelae across organ systems.
Douaud G, Lee S, Alfaro-Almagro F, et al.
Nature (2022)
Key Finding
UK Biobank neuroimaging revealed significant brain tissue loss in orbitofrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus following SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing structural basis for cognitive symptoms in Long COVID.
Miglis MG, Prieto T, Shaik R, et al.
Neurology (2021)
Key Finding
Documented a surge in new-onset POTS cases following COVID-19 infection, establishing SARS-CoV-2 as a significant trigger for autonomic dysfunction with characteristic tilt-table findings.
Carfi A, Bernabei R, Landi F, et al.
JAMA (2020)
Key Finding
One of the earliest studies documenting that 87.4% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reported at least one persistent symptom 60 days after onset, establishing Long COVID as a clinical entity.
Washington SD, Rayhan RU, Garner R, et al.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2020)
Key Finding
Demonstrated objectively impaired cerebral blood flow and neurovascular coupling during post-exertional malaise, providing neuroimaging evidence for the hallmark symptom of ME/CFS.
Raj SR, Guzman JC, Harvey P, et al.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2020)
Key Finding
Characterized POTS subtypes (neuropathic, hyperadrenergic, hypovolemic) and demonstrated that targeted subtype-specific treatment significantly improves outcomes versus generic approaches.
Albrecht DS, Forsberg A, Sandstrom A, et al.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2019)
Key Finding
First multi-site PET study confirming widespread neuroinflammation and glial activation in fibromyalgia patients, providing direct evidence of central nervous system immune involvement.
Germain A, Ruppert D, Levine SM, Hanson MR.
Molecular BioSystems (2017)
Key Finding
Identified distinct metabolic perturbations in post-treatment Lyme patients overlapping with ME/CFS profiles, suggesting shared metabolic dysfunction across post-infectious syndromes.
Naviaux RK, Naviaux JC, Li K, et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2016)
Key Finding
Identified a hypometabolic state resembling dauer in ME/CFS patients, with abnormalities in 20 metabolic pathways. Demonstrated an objective chemical signature distinct from healthy controls.
Marques A, Telford SR, Turk SP, et al.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology (2014)
Key Finding
Provided direct evidence via xenodiagnosis that Borrelia burgdorferi can persist in treated patients, challenging the assumption that standard antibiotic courses achieve complete pathogen clearance.
Clauw DJ.
JAMA (2014)
Key Finding
Definitive clinical review establishing fibromyalgia as a disorder of central pain processing (central sensitization) affecting 2-8% of the population, with neuroimaging confirming augmented pain processing.
Li H, Yu X, Liles C, et al.
Autonomic Neuroscience (2014)
Key Finding
Identified adrenergic and muscarinic receptor autoantibodies in POTS patients, supporting an autoimmune etiology and opening the door to immunomodulatory treatment strategies.
Aucott JN, Rebman AW, Crowder LA, et al.
Quality of Life Research (2013)
Key Finding
Demonstrated that 36% of patients treated for Lyme disease develop persistent symptoms including fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and cognitive difficulties lasting 6+ months post-treatment.
Oaklander AL, Herzog ZD, Downs HM, Klein MM.
Journal of the Neurological Sciences (2013)
Key Finding
Established that approximately 50% of fibromyalgia patients have objectively confirmed small fiber neuropathy via skin biopsy, providing a structural pathological basis for widespread pain.
Commins SP, Satinover SM, Hosen J, et al.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2009)
Key Finding
Confirmed tick bites (Amblyomma americanum) as the primary sensitization route for alpha-gal allergy and established the delayed (3-6 hour) anaphylaxis timeline unique to this condition.
Chung CH, Mirakhur B, Chan E, et al.
New England Journal of Medicine (2008)
Key Finding
Landmark discovery linking IgE antibodies to the alpha-gal carbohydrate with severe allergic reactions, establishing the molecular mechanism underlying alpha-gal syndrome.
Invisible illnesses collectively affect over 65 million Americans yet receive a fraction of the research funding allocated to conditions with comparable disease burden. ME/CFS receives approximately $15 per patient in NIH funding annually, compared to $2,500 per patient for cancer and $255 per patient for multiple sclerosis. This disparity directly impacts diagnostic timelines, treatment options, and patient outcomes.
$15
NIH $/patient for ME/CFS
$255
NIH $/patient for MS
$2,500
NIH $/patient for Cancer