Byrne, E, Trounce, I, Dennett, X · Australian and New Zealand journal of medicine · 1985 · DOI
This study examined two patients with ongoing muscle pain that started after a viral-like illness and came and went unpredictably. Doctors found the patients had weak muscle fibers and signs that their muscles weren't producing energy as efficiently as they should. The findings suggest these patients may have a mild form of ME/CFS, and importantly, their muscle problems were real biological issues rather than caused by psychological factors.
This early study provided objective biochemical evidence that ME/CFS-like illness involves measurable mitochondrial dysfunction, helping establish that the condition has a biological basis rather than being primarily psychological. For patients, this research supports the legitimacy of their symptoms and guides clinicians toward appropriate medical investigation rather than dismissing symptoms as psychosomatic.
As a two-patient case series from 1985, this study cannot establish how common mitochondrial abnormalities are in ME/CFS populations or whether the observed changes are primary causes or secondary effects of illness. The small sample size and lack of control group data limit generalizability, and modern techniques would provide more detailed mitochondrial analysis than polarography alone.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Byrne, E, Trounce, I, & Dennett, X (1985). Chronic relapsing myalgia (? Post viral): clinical, histological, and biochemical studies.. Australian and New Zealand journal of medicine. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-5994.1985.tb04042.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-byrne-1985-chronic-relapsing,
author = {Byrne, E and Trounce, I and Dennett, X},
title = {Chronic relapsing myalgia (? Post viral): clinical, histological, and biochemical studies.},
journal = {Australian and New Zealand journal of medicine},
year = {1985},
doi = {10.1111/j.1445-5994.1985.tb04042.x},
note = {PubMed: 3864422},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/byrne-1985-chronic-relapsing},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/byrne-1985-chronic-relapsing
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