Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Defects in Gulf War Syndrome

Inclusion Criteria: * Short-term memory loss or a severe inability to concentrate that affects work, school or other normal activities * Muscle Pain, myalgias * Pain without redness or swelling in a number of joints * Intense or changing patterns of headaches * Unrefreshing sleep * After any exertion, weariness that lasts for more than a day Exclusion Criteria: * Organ failure (e.g. emphysema, cirrhosis, cardiac failure, chronic renal failure) * Chronic infections (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C) * Rheumatic and chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis.) * Major neurologic diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy or other disease requiring ongoing medication that could cause fatigue, stroke, head injury with residual neurologic deficits) * Diseases requiring systemic treatment (e.g. organ or bone marrow transplantation; systemic chemotherapy; radiation of brain, thorax, abdomen, or pelvis) * Major endocrine diseases (e.g. hypopituitarism, adrenal insufficiency) * Myocardial infarction, heart failure * Morbid obesity (body mass index \>40) * Permanent psychiatric exclusions: Lifetime diagnoses of bipolar affective disorders, schizophrenia or any subtype, delusional disorders of any subtype, dementias of any subtype, organic brain disorders, and alcohol or substance abuse within 2 years before onset of the fatiguing illness. * History of allergic reaction to lidocaine * History of keloid formation with skin incisions.