Renegade Research Receives Catalyst Funding for ME/CFS Device Study

The initiative, titled SIGNAL, allows participants to test devices at home for three months at no cost. The study currently focuses on the Truvaga vagus nerve stimulation device and the Vielight red light therapy system. By utilizing the Brain Inflammation Collaborative and the Solve Together platform, the team captures longitudinal data during these lending cycles, creating a scalable framework for future device evaluation.

Led by project director Tess Falor, PhD, alongside co-principal investigators Todd Davenport and Maya Lindemann, the study specifically targets accessibility for the 25% of patients who are housebound. Solve M.E. President Emily Taylor noted that this patient-led approach addresses an urgent need for symptom management while providing actionable evidence far faster than traditional research timelines. The program effectively removes financial barriers, as many of these tools remain expensive and typically lack insurance coverage.