Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.2
2.9
Journals
JCM
Special Issues
POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID: Recent Advances and Future Direction
jcm-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for JCM Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID: Recent Advances and Future Direction

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology & Rheumatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 9311

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Svetlana Blitshteyn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
Interests: autonomic disorders; postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome; Long COVID; autoimmunity; immunotherapy; women’s health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID are complex syndromes caused by or associated with the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which can follow an acute infection. Disorders of the autonomic nervous system have been an evolving area of research and clinical practice. In the past 5 years, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic further underscored the need to elucidate the autonomic mechanisms of post-acute infectious syndromes, such as POTS, ME/CFS and long COVID. To this end, understanding the pathophysiology of and developing diagnostic as well as therapeutic approaches for these three syndromes are critical to improving patient care; they also serve as an opportunity to lead to groundbreaking discoveries in all autonomic disorders and post-acute infectious syndromes. In this Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the aim is to collect papers on a variety of topics concerning POTS, ME/CFS and long COVID. Studies and reviews on the potential biomarkers and identification of effective diagnostic tests as well as therapeutic options  in patients with these disorders are of particular interest.

We look forward to receiving your submissions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Svetlana Blitshteyn
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • POTS
  • ME/CFS
  • long COVID
  • dysautonomia
  • orthostatic intolerance
  • autoimmunity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

15 pages, 497 KB  
Article
Autonomic Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Findings from the Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) Study in the USA
by Anindita Issa, Jin-Mann S. Lin, Yang Chen, Jacob Attell, Dana Brimmer, Jeanne Bertolli, Benjamin H. Natelson, Charles W. Lapp, Richard N. Podell, Andreas M. Kogelnik, Nancy G. Klimas, Daniel L. Peterson, Lucinda Bateman and Elizabeth R. Unger
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(17), 6269; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14176269 - 5 Sep 2025
Viewed by 4946
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction are common in infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCIs), including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study aimed to evaluate autonomic symptoms and their impact on ME/CFS illness severity. Methods: Data came from a multi-site study [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction are common in infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCIs), including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study aimed to evaluate autonomic symptoms and their impact on ME/CFS illness severity. Methods: Data came from a multi-site study conducted in seven ME/CFS specialty clinics during 2012–2020. Autonomic dysfunction was assessed using the Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale 31 (COMPASS-31), medical history, and a lean test originally described by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Illness severity was assessed using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures, the 36-item short-form, as well as the CDC Symptom Inventory. This analysis included 442 participants who completed the baseline COMPASS-31 assessment, comprising 301 individuals with ME/CFS and 141 healthy controls (HC). Results: ME/CFS participants reported higher autonomic symptom burden than HC across three assessment tools (all p < 0.0001), including the COMPASS-31 total score (34.1 vs. 6.8) and medical history indicators [dizziness or vertigo (42.6% vs. 2.8%), cold extremities (38.6% vs. 5.7%), and orthostatic intolerance (OI, 33.9% vs. 0.7%)]. Among ME/CFS participants, 97% had at least one autonomic symptom. Those with symptoms in the OI, gastrointestinal, and pupillomotor domains had significantly higher illness severity than those without these symptoms. Conclusions: ME/CFS patients exhibit a substantial autonomic symptom burden that correlates with greater illness severity. Individualized care strategies targeting dysautonomia assessment and intervention may offer meaningful improvements in symptom management and quality of life for those with ME/CFS and similar chronic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID: Recent Advances and Future Direction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

7 pages, 404 KB  
Brief Report
A Signal for Voice and Speech Abnormalities in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
by Stephanie L. Grach, Jaime Seltzer and Diana M. Orbelo
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(14), 4847; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14144847 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 3239
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may report abnormalities in voice and speech; however, no formal research has been conducted in this area. Methods: An online mixed-methods survey was completed by 685 people with ME/CFS. A total of 302 [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may report abnormalities in voice and speech; however, no formal research has been conducted in this area. Methods: An online mixed-methods survey was completed by 685 people with ME/CFS. A total of 302 respondents completed the qualitative component (44.09%). Questions assessed disease experience with ME/CFS and post-exertional malaise without prompting on specific symptoms. Within the qualitative results, a search of the terms “speech, voice,” “words,” and “speak” was conducted. Results: Excluding neurocognitive associations, colloquial phrases, and “speech therapy,” there were 38 mentions of the terms in the context of voice or speech changes across 28 unique qualitative survey responses (9.27%). Conclusions: A notable portion of respondents reported voice or speech changes when responding to open-ended qualitative questions about their disease experience. More research is needed regarding the implications of voice and speech anomalies in ME/CFS pathology and disease monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID: Recent Advances and Future Direction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop