ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

643 studies

381–400 of 643 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

The treatment of fatigue by non-invasive brain stimulation.

Lefaucheur, Jean-Pascal, Chalah, Moussa A, Mhalla, Alaa et al.·Neurophysiologie clinique = Clinical neurophysiology·2017

Researchers reviewed 15 studies examining whether non-invasive brain stimulation techniques—specifically transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—can reduce fatigue in various conditions including ME/CFS. While most studies showed promising results, especially in multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, the evidence remains limited and inconsistent because different studies used different methods and measured fatigue in different ways.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Children's experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative studies.

Parslow, Roxanne M, Harris, Sarah, Broughton, Jessica et al.·BMJ open·2017

This study reviewed 10 research papers about how children with ME/CFS experience their illness. The researchers found that ME/CFS causes major disruption to children's lives, affecting their ability to go to school, see friends, and plan their futures. Children struggle when doctors don't recognize or understand their condition, but they cope better when they have support from family, friends, and healthcare providers who believe their illness is real.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

[Psychological Health of Children with Chronic Physical Illness and their Parents - Results from Meta-Analyses].

Pinquart, Martin·Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie·2017

This study reviewed research on how children with long-term illnesses and their parents cope emotionally. The researchers found that children with ME/CFS and chronic headaches showed the highest levels of depression and anxiety. Interestingly, parents were often more distressed than their sick children, particularly parents of children with HIV/AIDS or cerebral palsy.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Psychological Interventions for Children with Functional Somatic Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Bonvanie, Irma J, Kallesøe, Karen H, Janssens, Karin A M et al.·The Journal of pediatrics·2017

This review looked at 27 studies testing whether talking therapies and psychological treatments help children with long-lasting physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, and nausea. The researchers found that psychological treatments did help reduce symptoms, disability, and school absences, and these improvements lasted even after treatment ended.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Do evidence based interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome improve sleep? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Russell, Charlotte, Kyle, Simon D, Wearden, Alison J·Sleep medicine reviews·2017

This review looked at whether two common treatments for ME/CFS—cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET)—actually help people sleep better. The researchers found only 8 studies that measured sleep as an outcome. GET showed some promise for improving sleep, but results were inconsistent across different studies. CBT had very limited evidence, with only one study out of two showing sleep improvements. Overall, we know very little about whether adding specific sleep management techniques to these treatments makes a difference.

Sleep

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways.

Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Maes, Michael·Molecular neurobiology·2017

This review examines why people with ME/CFS often have low cortisol levels (a stress hormone). The researchers found that the problem likely starts with an overactive immune system producing excessive inflammatory markers, which then damages the body's stress-hormone system. This is important because it suggests the low cortisol is a consequence of the disease, not its cause.

Immune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredEditorial

[Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Critical Review].

Rollnik, Jens D·Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2017

This review examines whether ME/CFS is a distinct disease or if its symptoms overlap significantly with depression and other conditions. The authors found that while ME/CFS affects less than 1% of the population, there is no clear biological explanation for what causes it, and there are no universally agreed-upon diagnostic criteria. They recommend trying exercise, antidepressants, and talk therapy, but caution against using aggressive immune therapies without stronger evidence.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Role of dietary modification in alleviating chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms: a systematic review.

Jones, Kathryn, Probst, Yasmine·Australian and New Zealand journal of public health·2017

Researchers reviewed 22 studies looking at whether changing what you eat could help ME/CFS symptoms. They found some promise with certain supplements like omega-3 fatty acids and D-ribose, as well as foods high in polyphenols (like berries and green tea). However, the evidence overall was limited and inconsistent—meaning we don't yet have clear dietary recommendations that work reliably for most ME/CFS patients.

Interventions

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Vitamin and mineral status in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Joustra, Monica L, Minovic, Isidor, Janssens, Karin A M et al.·PloS one·2017

This review looked at whether people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia have low levels of vitamins and minerals, and whether taking supplements helps. Researchers found very little evidence that vitamin or mineral deficiencies cause these illnesses or that supplements improve symptoms. While some studies showed lower vitamin E levels in patients, this finding disappeared when looking only at higher-quality research.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Yoga intervention and functional pain syndromes: a selective review.

Sutar, Roshan, Yadav, Suresh, Desai, Geetha·International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)·2016

This review looked at studies examining whether yoga might help people with chronic pain conditions that are hard to diagnose, including ME/CFS. The researchers found that several studies suggested yoga may provide modest benefits for these types of pain conditions. However, more large-scale research is needed to confirm how helpful yoga really is.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusGuidelinePEM not requiredGuideline

Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women.

Speer, Linda M, Mushkbar, Saudia, Erbele, Tara·American family physician·2016

Chronic pelvic pain in women is long-lasting pain in the pelvic area that lasts more than six months and often has no clear cause. This guideline explains that pelvic pain is frequently linked to other pain conditions and mental health issues like depression, and recommends a whole-person approach to treatment that combines medical care, physical therapy, and behavioral support.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Attentional and interpretive bias towards illness-related information in chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review.

Hughes, Alicia, Hirsch, Colette, Chalder, Trudie et al.·British journal of health psychology·2016

This review looked at research studies examining how people with ME/CFS pay attention to and interpret information about illness and symptoms. The studies found that some people with ME/CFS tend to notice health-related threats more quickly and interpret their body sensations as signs of illness more readily than healthy people do. These thinking patterns may help keep the fatigue and illness beliefs going, even when other factors aren't actively causing symptoms.

Cognitive Impairment

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Neuroimaging of Central Sensitivity Syndromes: Key Insights from the Scientific Literature.

Walitt, Brian, Ceko, Marta, Gracely, John L et al.·Current rheumatology reviews·2016

This review examined brain imaging studies of ME/CFS and similar conditions to understand what happens in the nervous system. Researchers found that people with these conditions show increased sensitivity to pain and other sensations, suggesting these are real physical conditions—not imaginary or feigned. However, brain imaging hasn't yet revealed a single clear pattern or 'fingerprint' that all these conditions share, and we still don't know if this sensory sensitivity causes the disease or is a result of it.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Larun, Lillebeth, Brurberg, Kjetil G, Odgaard-Jensen, Jan et al.·The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2016

This review looked at eight studies testing whether exercise therapy helps people with ME/CFS feel less fatigued. Overall, exercise therapy reduced fatigue more than doing nothing or standard care, and patients also reported improvements in sleep, physical function, and general health. The review found no evidence that exercise made things worse, though more research is needed to determine the best type and intensity of exercise for each person.

Sleep

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.

Stadje, Rebekka, Dornieden, Katharina, Baum, Erika et al.·BMC family practice·2016

This study reviewed 26 previous research studies about why people feel tired when they visit their doctor. The researchers found that serious physical diseases are actually quite rare in tired patients—only about 4% have a serious organic condition. Depression was much more common, affecting about 18% of people who complain of tiredness. The main message is that doctors should focus on checking for depression and emotional stress rather than ordering extensive tests for serious diseases in most cases.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Treatment for paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and comorbid depression: a systematic review.

Loades, Maria E, Sheils, Elizabeth A, Crawley, Esther·BMJ open·2016

This review looked at studies treating depression in children and teens with ME/CFS, since about one-third of young people with ME/CFS also experience depression. The researchers found that while some treatments like cognitive-behavioural therapy and specialized hospital programmes showed some promise in helping with depression symptoms, there are no studies specifically designed to test what works best for depression in young people with ME/CFS. This means we still don't have clear answers about the best way to help these young people.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredMeta-Analysis

Effect of Acute Exercise on Fatigue in People with ME/CFS/SEID: A Meta-analysis.

Loy, Bryan D, O'Connor, Patrick J, Dishman, Rodney K·Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2016

This review of seven studies looked at how a single exercise session affects fatigue in people with ME/CFS. The combined results showed that exercise increased fatigue more in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls. Importantly, fatigue got worse over time—it was most noticeable 4 or more hours after exercise ended, rather than immediately during or right after the activity stopped.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Chronic fatigue syndrome - an update.

Rimbaut, Steven, Van Gutte, Céline, Van Brabander, Lina et al.·Acta clinica Belgica·2016

This review examined research on ME/CFS published over 25 years and found that despite extensive scientific study, no single cause of the condition has been definitively proven. Currently, the best-supported treatments are cognitive behavioral therapy (a talk therapy) and graded exercise therapy (gradually increasing activity), though these show only moderate benefits. The study highlights how common ME/CFS is and how significantly it affects people's ability to work and participate in daily life.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

A Role for the Intestinal Microbiota and Virome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?

Navaneetharaja, Navena, Griffiths, Verity, Wileman, Tom et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2016

This review examines whether infections—particularly viruses in the gut—might trigger ME/CFS. The authors suggest that an imbalance in the gut's microbial and viral communities could be a key factor in developing the disease. They propose that understanding these gut infections could help identify better treatments and ways to prevent ME/CFS.

Immune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Distress in significant others of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review of the literature.

Harris, Kamelia, Band, Rebecca J, Cooper, Hazel et al.·British journal of health psychology·2016

This review looked at six studies examining how ME/CFS affects the emotional health of family members and partners of patients. Most studies found that loved ones experience significant stress and worry. The review discovered that supporters feel more distressed when they blame the patient for their symptoms, when they are female, or when the patient is struggling with mental health issues. However, one study suggested that accepting the illness could help reduce this stress.

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The treatment of fatigue by non-invasive brain stimulation.

Children's experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative studies.

[Psychological Health of Children with Chronic Physical Illness and their Parents - Results from Meta-Analyses].

Psychological Interventions for Children with Functional Somatic Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Do evidence based interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome improve sleep? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways.

[Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Critical Review].

Role of dietary modification in alleviating chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms: a systematic review.

Vitamin and mineral status in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yoga intervention and functional pain syndromes: a selective review.

Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women.

Attentional and interpretive bias towards illness-related information in chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review.

Neuroimaging of Central Sensitivity Syndromes: Key Insights from the Scientific Literature.

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review.

Treatment for paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and comorbid depression: a systematic review.

Effect of Acute Exercise on Fatigue in People with ME/CFS/SEID: A Meta-analysis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome - an update.

A Role for the Intestinal Microbiota and Virome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?

Distress in significant others of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review of the literature.

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