ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

654 studies

421–440 of 654 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Fatigue in child chronic health conditions: a systematic review of assessment instruments.

Crichton, Alison, Knight, Sarah, Oakley, Ed et al.·Pediatrics·2015

Fatigue is a major problem for children with chronic illnesses, but doctors use many different tools to measure it. This review looked at 20 different fatigue assessment tools used in 89 studies across 14 health conditions, including ME/CFS and cancer. The researchers found that only two tools were truly reliable and could be used across different conditions, and more research is needed to better measure fatigue in younger children.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Symptoms and Biomarkers.

Jason, Leonard A, Zinn, Marcie L, Zinn, Mark A·Current neuropharmacology·2015

This review article examines what we know about ME/CFS symptoms and biological markers that could help diagnose the disease. The authors point out that ME/CFS is often confused with other conditions like early multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease because they share similar symptoms. They call for better standardized ways to diagnose ME/CFS and more large-scale studies to understand what's happening in the body during this illness.

Biomarkers

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·2015

This review looked at eight studies involving 1,518 people with ME/CFS to see whether exercise therapy helps. The researchers found that people who did exercise therapy reported feeling less fatigued and experienced improvements in sleep, physical functioning, and overall health compared to those receiving no special treatment. Exercise therapy appeared safe, with no serious harmful effects reported, though the studies had some limitations.

Sleep

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cleare, Anthony J, Reid, Steven, Chalder, Trudie et al.·BMJ clinical evidence·2015

This research review looked at treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and found that the condition affects between 0.006% and 3% of people depending on how it's diagnosed, with women more commonly affected than men. The researchers searched multiple medical databases for studies on four main treatments: antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy (a type of talk therapy), corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs), and graded exercise therapy. They carefully reviewed 15 high-quality studies to evaluate how well these treatments work and whether they're safe.

Interventions

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fecal microbiota transplantation broadening its application beyond intestinal disorders.

Xu, Meng-Que, Cao, Hai-Long, Wang, Wei-Qiang et al.·World journal of gastroenterology·2015

This review explores how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)—transferring healthy gut bacteria from donors to patients—might help treat conditions beyond intestinal diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome. The authors found that FMT has shown promise in improving insulin sensitivity in metabolic disease and has produced favorable results in case reports of patients with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting that gut bacteria imbalance may contribute to these conditions.

Immune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Chronic fatigue syndrome and circulating cytokines: A systematic review.

Blundell, S, Ray, K K, Buckland, M et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2015

Researchers reviewed 38 studies looking at whether immune proteins called cytokines are elevated in people with ME/CFS. They found that one specific cytokine, TGF-β, was consistently higher in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people in about 63% of studies. However, most other immune proteins measured were normal, and exercise did not change cytokine levels differently between people with ME/CFS and healthy controls.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Patient Outcomes in Association With Significant Other Responses to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Band, Rebecca, Wearden, Alison, Barrowclough, Christine·Clinical psychology : a publication of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association·2015

This review looked at 14 studies examining how the people close to ME/CFS patients respond to their illness and how these responses affect patient outcomes. The researchers found that when loved ones blame patients for causing or worsening their illness, patients experience more emotional distress. Interestingly, both overly caring responses and negative responses from significant others were linked to worse symptoms and disability.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Assessment of activity limitations and participation restrictions with persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.

Vergauwen, Kuni, Huijnen, Ivan P J, Kos, Daphne et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2015

This study looked at different questionnaires and tests that doctors use to measure how much ME/CFS affects a person's daily activities and ability to participate in life. Researchers reviewed 68 studies and found that most of these tools haven't been properly tested to make sure they accurately measure ME/CFS limitations. They recommend using a disease-specific tool called the CFS-APQ if doctors need to measure these limitations, although even this tool needs more research to be fully validated.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Effectiveness of body awareness interventions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Courtois, Imke, Cools, Filip, Calsius, Joeri·Journal of bodywork and movement therapies·2015

This review looked at 29 studies testing whether body awareness exercises—activities that help you tune into and understand your body's signals—might help people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. The researchers found that these interventions did show modest improvements in pain, fatigue impact, mood, anxiety, and overall quality of life. However, the results varied quite a bit between studies, so it's not yet clear which approaches work best or for whom.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearEvidence-Map

National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Advancing the Research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Green, Carmen R, Cowan, Penney, Elk, Ronit et al.·Annals of internal medicine·2015

In 2015, the National Institutes of Health organized a major workshop bringing together experts to review what scientists know about ME/CFS and identify the most important questions that still need answers. The experts reviewed existing research evidence, listened to presentations, and considered feedback from patients and the public to create a roadmap for future research studies. This effort helped the U.S. medical and research community agree on which ME/CFS research areas should receive priority and funding.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusGuidelinePEM requiredGuideline

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness

Institute of Medicine Committee on the Diagnostic Criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome·National Academies Press·2015

The US Institute of Medicine reviewed over 9,000 scientific articles to establish new diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. The report introduced SEID (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) as a proposed name and established that ME/CFS is a serious, chronic, complex systemic disease. New criteria require PEM, unrefreshing sleep, plus cognitive impairment or orthostatic intolerance.

DiagnosticsPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Sleep Disturbances in Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review of Current Research.

Snodgrass, Kelli, Harvey, Adrienne, Scheinberg, Adam et al.·Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine·2015

Children and teens with ME/CFS commonly struggle with sleep problems, but we don't know much about exactly what types of sleep issues they experience or how severe they are. This review looked at six studies comparing sleep in young people with ME/CFS to healthy children, and found that most studies showed children with ME/CFS have more sleep disturbances. However, the researchers note that more high-quality studies are needed to truly understand sleep problems in pediatric ME/CFS.

Sleep

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.

Smith, M E Beth, Haney, Elizabeth, McDonagh, Marian et al.·Annals of internal medicine·2015

This study reviewed 35 clinical trials testing different treatments for ME/CFS to see what actually works. The researchers found that a few treatments showed promise—particularly a drug called rintatolimod for exercise performance, and talking therapies plus graded exercise programs for improving fatigue and daily functioning—but most other treatments tested didn't have enough evidence to prove they help. Overall, doctors still need better studies to know for sure which treatments work best for different patients.

Interventions

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Differential effects of behavioral interventions with a graded physical activity component in patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue (Syndrome): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Marques, M M, De Gucht, V, Gouveia, M J et al.·Clinical psychology review·2015

This review looked at 16 studies testing whether combining talking therapy with gradually increased physical activity helps ME/CFS patients feel less tired and function better. The researchers found small to medium improvements in fatigue, daily functioning, and mood, especially when treatments involved less frequent face-to-face contact with providers or were delivered by psychologists in hospital settings.

E0 ConsensusGuidelinePEM requiredGuideline

Beyond myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an IOM report on redefining an illness.

Clayton, Ellen Wright·JAMA·2015

This influential 2015 report from the Institute of Medicine recommended that doctors use a new name and definition for ME/CFS to better reflect what the illness actually is. The report emphasized that ME/CFS is a serious medical condition with real biological causes, not a psychological problem. It called for improved recognition, diagnosis, and research to help the millions of people living with this debilitating illness.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredSystematic-Review

Diagnostic Methods for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.

Haney, Elizabeth, Smith, M E Beth, McDonagh, Marian et al.·Annals of internal medicine·2015

This study reviewed 44 existing research papers to understand how doctors diagnose ME/CFS. Researchers found that doctors currently use nine different sets of diagnostic guidelines, and a new one was recently proposed by the Institute of Medicine. However, none of these methods have been properly tested to reliably identify ME/CFS patients in real-world situations where doctors are uncertain about the diagnosis.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Irritable bowel syndrome: relations with functional, mental, and somatoform disorders.

Hausteiner-Wiehle, Constanze, Henningsen, Peter·World journal of gastroenterology·2014

This review looked at how irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) relates to other conditions like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, as well as depression and anxiety. The authors found that IBS often occurs alongside these other conditions and that about half of IBS patients have no mental health symptoms, while the other half do. They suggest that doctors should treat IBS as a complex condition that affects multiple body systems and the mind, rather than separating physical symptoms from mental ones.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Malfunctioning of the autonomic nervous system in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic literature review.

Van Cauwenbergh, Deborah, Nijs, Jo, Kos, Daphne et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·2014

This review examined 27 studies that looked at how the autonomic nervous system (the part of your nervous system that controls automatic body functions like heart rate) works differently in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients often show unusual heart rate responses during tilting tests, which is consistent with a condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). These autonomic nervous system differences might help doctors diagnose ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Diagnosis and Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Smith, M E Beth, Nelson, Heidi D, Haney, Elizabeth et al.·Evidence report/technology assessment·2014

This review examined research on how doctors diagnose ME/CFS and which treatments help patients. Researchers looked at 71 studies and found that there is no single agreed-upon way to diagnose ME/CFS, and different diagnostic criteria identify somewhat different groups of patients. Some treatments like counseling and graded exercise showed benefits for fatigue and quality of life, though graded exercise was associated with more reported side effects.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Traditional Chinese medicine for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Wang, Yu-Yi, Li, Xin-Xue, Liu, Jian-Ping et al.·Complementary therapies in medicine·2014

This review examined 23 studies testing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome, involving 1,776 patients. The treatments included herbal medicines, acupuncture, qigong, and other TCM approaches. Most studies found that TCM helped reduce fatigue symptoms, though the quality of these studies was often poor, and it's unclear if TCM improves overall quality of life for patients.

Interventions

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Evidence browser

Fatigue in child chronic health conditions: a systematic review of assessment instruments.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Symptoms and Biomarkers.

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fecal microbiota transplantation broadening its application beyond intestinal disorders.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and circulating cytokines: A systematic review.

Patient Outcomes in Association With Significant Other Responses to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Assessment of activity limitations and participation restrictions with persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.

Effectiveness of body awareness interventions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Advancing the Research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness

Sleep Disturbances in Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review of Current Research.

Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.

Differential effects of behavioral interventions with a graded physical activity component in patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue (Syndrome): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Beyond myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an IOM report on redefining an illness.

Diagnostic Methods for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.

Irritable bowel syndrome: relations with functional, mental, and somatoform disorders.

Malfunctioning of the autonomic nervous system in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic literature review.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Traditional Chinese medicine for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

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Neuroinflammation Evidence

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