Low-resolution electromagnetic brain tomography (LORETA) of monozygotic 
twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroimage. 2006 Dec 12; [Epub ahead of print]

Leslie Sherlin [a,*], Thomas Budzynski [c], Helen Kogan Budzynski 
[c], Marco Congedo [b], Mary E. Fischer [e] and Dedra Buchwald [d]

Affiliations:
[a] Nova Tech EEG, Inc., 8503 E Keats Ave, Mesa, AZ 85208, USA
[b] Nova Tech EEG, Inc., Grenoble, France
[c] The Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, University of 
Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
[d] The Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
[e] The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois, 
Chicago, USA
[*] Corresponding Author: LeslieSherlin@aol.com

Received 14 September 2005;
revised 28 October 2006;
accepted 2 November 2006.
Available online 13 December 2006.

NLM Citation: PMID: 17169580


BACKGROUND: Previous work using quantified EEG has suggested that brain 
activity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and normal 
persons differs. Our objective was to investigate if specific frequency 
band-pass regions and spatial locations are associated with CFS using 
low-resolution electromagnetic brain tomography (LORETA).

METHODS: We conducted a co-twin control study of 17 pairs of monozygotic 
twins where 1 twin met criteria for CFS and the co-twin was healthy. Twins 
underwent an extensive battery of tests including a structured psychiatric 
interview and a quantified EEG. Eyes closed EEG frequency-domain analysis 
was computed and the entire brain volume was compared of the CFS and 
healthy twins using a multiple comparison procedure.

RESULTS: Compared with their healthy co-twins, twins with CFS differed in 
current source density. The CFS twins had higher delta in the left uncus 
and parahippocampal gyrus and higher theta in the cingulate gyrus and right 
superior frontal gyrus.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that neurophysiological activity in 
specific areas of the brain may differentiate individuals with CFS from 
those in good health. The study corroborates that slowing of the deeper 
structures of the limbic system is associated with affect. It also supports 
the neurobiological model that the right forebrain is associated with 
sympathetic activity and the left forebrain with the effective management 
of energy. These preliminary findings await replication.



Keywords: Chronic fatigue syndrome; Twins; Electroencephalography; Low 
resolution electromagnetic tomography; LORETA