Xu, Qing, Zhao, Mengyu, Wang, Qin et al. · Journal of psychiatric research · 2026 · DOI
This review article summarizes current knowledge about ME/CFS, a long-lasting illness characterized by extreme fatigue that rest doesn't improve, along with muscle pain, sore throat, and mood problems. The article examines what might cause ME/CFS, how doctors can better diagnose it, and what treatments may help. The authors note that ME/CFS cases are increasing worldwide, especially since COVID-19, and that current treatments have limited effectiveness.
This comprehensive review is timely given the surge in ME/CFS cases following the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing prevalence in younger populations. By synthesizing current understanding of mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment, it provides a foundation for advancing future research and improving clinical care for a disease that severely impacts patients' quality of life and work capacity.
As a systematic review rather than a primary research study, this article does not prove any new causal mechanisms or test novel therapies. It synthesizes existing knowledge but cannot establish definitive cause-and-effect relationships for ME/CFS etiology. The review's conclusions are limited by the quality and heterogeneity of underlying published studies.
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
Xu, Qing, Zhao, Mengyu, Wang, Qin, He, Yanwen, Ye, Guanting, Yang, Junyi, et al. (2026). Chronic fatigue syndrome: From etiology and mechanism to diagnosis and treatment.. Journal of psychiatric research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.02.026
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-xu-2026-chronic-fatigue,
author = {Xu, Qing and Zhao, Mengyu and Wang, Qin and He, Yanwen and Ye, Guanting and Yang, Junyi and Huang, Wenhai and Ren, Jianping},
title = {Chronic fatigue syndrome: From etiology and mechanism to diagnosis and treatment.},
journal = {Journal of psychiatric research},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.02.026},
note = {PubMed: 41707618},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/xu-2026-chronic-fatigue},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/xu-2026-chronic-fatigue
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