Editorial: Fatigue: Exploring Chronic Fatigue: Neural Correlates, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies

Sławomir Kujawski^1*Lynette Hodges²Karl MORTEN³Pawel Zalewski^1,4

• ¹Department of Exercise Physiology and Functional Anatomy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland, Bydgoszcz, Poland
• ²Massey University School of Sport Exercise and Nutrition, Palmerston North, New Zealand
• ³University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, Oxford, United Kingdom
• ⁴Uniwersytet Warszawski, Warsaw, Poland

Fatigue and weariness have been universal experiences throughout human history, coexisting with humanity since its earliest days across all cultures and times. It occurs in ancient stories, including Genesis, in which Adam's fatigue was linked to the toil imposed upon him as part of the consequences of disobedience, a condition that made sustaining life a laborious task. Acute fatigue, which arises naturally in response to stress or work, is a normal physiological process experienced by all humans regardless of era or place. It signals the body's need to rest and adapt, playing a vital role in maintaining health and balance.In contrast, chronic fatigue, as seen in aging populations and conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), is a complex and often debilitating disorder that extends beyond normal tiredness. It involves sustained disruption of metabolic, Precision Medicine (Pochakom et al., 2025) This study offers a timely and nuanced look into the pharmacological landscape of ME/CFS among North American women, revealing a high reliance on analgesics and psychotropics despite limited evidence for their efficacy. The U-shaped relationship between medication use and physical activity underscores the delicate balance ME/CFS patients must strike to avoid post-exertional malaise. As no curative treatments exist, these findings highlight the urgent need for personalized, evidence-based therapeutic strategies that address the condition's heterogeneity, moving beyond trial-and-error toward targeted, mechanism-informed care that truly improves function and quality of life. Together, these studies construct a multidimensional framework for fatigue research encompassing mechanistic exploration, population epidemiology, clinical interventions, disease-specific investigations, psychosocial contexts, and innovative technology applications. Their integration from bench to bedside and real-world settings promises to enhance diagnostics, treatments, and preventive strategies, addressing fatigue's pervasive burden across medical and occupational domains.