Biological Measures and Diagnostic Tools for Gulf War Illness: A Systematic Review

Prepared by: Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP) Center Portland VA Health Care System Portland, OR Devan Kansagara, MD, MCR, Director Recommended citation: Gean E, Ayers CK, Winchell KA, Freeman M, Press AM, Paynter R, Kansagara D, and Nugent SM. Biological measures and Diagnostic Tools for Gulf War Illness - A Systematic Review. Washington, DC: Evidence Synthesis Program, Health Services Research and Development Service, Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs. VA ESP Project #05-225; 2020.

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Aim

We conducted a systematic review to catalogue studies (both published and unpublished/ongoing) of validated biological tests for diagnosing GWI and studies of associations between biological measures and GWI for their promise as biomarkers.

Key Questions

Key Question 1: Which diagnostic tests (or test combinations) are candidates for distinguishing individuals diagnosed with GWI from individuals without GWI?

Key Question 2: Which biological measures have been examined for their potential association with GWI, and which among them have been shown to be associated with GWI?

Key Question 3: Which ongoing or unpublished research studies examine diagnostic tests or biological measures for potential association with GWI?

See also

Gean E, Ayers C, Winchell K, et al. Biological measures and diagnostic tools for Gulf War Illness – A systematic review. Life Sciences. Published online March 16, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119360

Biological Measures and Diagnostic Tools for Gulf War Illness: A Systematic Review (Management eBrief)

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