ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

643 studies

421–440 of 643 studies

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 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

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 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 requiredReview-Narrative

The inflammatory hypothesis of mood spectrum broadened to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dell'Osso, Liliana, Bazzichi, Laura, Baroni, Stefano et al.·Clinical and experimental rheumatology·2015

This review examined whether ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and mood disorders like depression might share similar root causes involving inflammation and immune system dysfunction. Researchers looked at scientific papers from 2000-2014 and found striking similarities in how these conditions affect the brain, nervous system, and immune system. The findings suggest these seemingly different conditions may be connected through common biological mechanisms rather than being completely separate diseases.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Systematic review: faecal microbiota transplantation therapy for digestive and nondigestive disorders in adults and children.

Sha, S, Liang, J, Chen, M et al.·Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics·2014

This review examined whether transferring stool bacteria from healthy donors to patients (called faecal microbiota transplantation or FMT) could help treat various diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers looked at 67 published studies involving 844 patients and found that FMT was very effective for certain gut infections and inflammatory bowel disease, with very few serious side effects reported.

Gut Microbiome

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Case definitions for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review.

Brurberg, Kjetil Gundro, Fønhus, Marita Sporstøl, Larun, Lillebeth et al.·BMJ open·2014

This study reviewed 20 different definitions doctors use to diagnose ME/CFS and examined 38 research studies that tested how well these definitions work. The researchers found that while one definition (CDC-1994/Fukuda) is used most often, no single definition has been proven to be the best. The study suggests that instead of creating more new definitions, doctors should focus on using the same definitions consistently and grouping patients by symptom patterns to predict who will improve with different treatments.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Can stress trigger Parkinson's disease?

Djamshidian, Atbin, Lees, Andrew J·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2014

This review examines whether chronic stress might trigger Parkinson's disease in people who are genetically vulnerable. The authors searched medical literature to understand how stress affects the brain's dopamine system and whether stress-related symptoms can mimic Parkinson's disease. They also explored connections between stress and other conditions like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome that share similar nervous system dysfunction.

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

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Neurological aspects of human parvovirus B19 infection: a systematic review.

Barah, Faraj, Whiteside, Sigrid, Batista, Sonia et al.·Reviews in medical virology·2014

This review examined published cases where parvovirus B19 (a common virus) was linked to neurological problems like brain inflammation and nerve damage. Researchers found 129 documented cases in medical literature, with the majority involving brain-related symptoms. The study suggests doctors should consider B19 testing when patients have unexplained brain inflammation, and that certain treatments (immunoglobulins and steroids) may help in severe cases.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a personalized integrative medicine approach.

Brown, Benjamin I·Alternative therapies in health and medicine·2014

This review examines how treating ME/CFS with a personalized, whole-body approach might help more patients than current standard treatments. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all method, doctors could tailor treatment plans based on each patient's individual factors—such as diet, nutritional deficiencies, stress, gut health, and immune system problems. The authors suggest this personalized approach could lead to better outcomes and help identify which patients would benefit most from specific treatments.

Energy Metabolism

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Assessing severity of illness and outcomes of treatment in children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Haywood, K L, Collin, S M, Crawley, E·Child: care, health and development·2014

This study looked at questionnaires that doctors use to measure how sick children with ME/CFS are and whether treatments help. The researchers found 13 different questionnaires being used, but none of them have been thoroughly tested to see if they actually work well for children with ME/CFS. The study shows we need better tools that are designed specifically for children with this condition and that actually measure what matters most to them.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Psychological trauma and functional somatic syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Afari, Niloofar, Ahumada, Sandra M, Wright, Lisa Johnson et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2014

This large analysis of 71 studies found that people who have experienced psychological trauma are about 2.7 times more likely to develop functional somatic syndromes like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. The connection was even stronger in people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This suggests that traumatic experiences are linked to increased risk of developing these chronic conditions.

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

Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis as a functional somatic syndrome.

Warren, John W·Journal of psychosomatic research·2014

This study asks whether bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) is a type of functional somatic syndrome—a condition where symptoms are real but may not show up on standard tests. The researchers reviewed existing research and found that BPS/IC shares most characteristics with other functional somatic syndromes, suggesting that at least some cases of BPS/IC might work similarly to conditions like ME/CFS.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

A review of the predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in children and adolescents.

Lievesley, Kate, Rimes, Katharine A, Chalder, Trudie·Clinical psychology review·2014

This review looked at 79 studies to understand what factors might contribute to ME/CFS in children and teenagers. The researchers found that young people with ME/CFS are more likely to also experience anxiety or depression than healthy peers. Many patients reported their illness started after an infection, and some families seemed to have multiple members with ME/CFS, though the research on these patterns is still developing.

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 unclearSystematic-Review

Overcoming the barriers to the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in primary care: a meta synthesis of qualitative studies.

Bayliss, Kerin, Goodall, Mark, Chisholm, Anna et al.·BMC family practice·2014

This study looked at 21 previous research articles about why many doctors struggle to diagnose and treat ME/CFS in general practice. The main problem found was that many doctors don't fully understand the condition and rely too much on traditional medical thinking that looks for single physical causes. Doctors who successfully diagnosed and managed ME/CFS patients tended to take a wider view of the illness and worked together with patients to find management strategies that worked for them.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Sympathetic nervous system dysfunction in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis: a review of case-control studies.

Martínez-Martínez, Laura-Aline, Mora, Tania, Vargas, Angélica et al.·Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases·2014

This review examined whether ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, IBS, and interstitial cystitis share a common problem: an overactive stress-response system in the nervous system. Researchers looked at 196 published studies that compared patients with these conditions to healthy controls. They found that about 65% of studies showed these patients have a nervous system stuck in 'overdrive,' which could explain why these conditions often occur together.

Autonomic Nervous System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Gynecological disorders in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis patients.

Cervigni, Mauro, Natale, Franca·International journal of urology : official journal of the Japanese Urological Association·2014

This review examined how often bladder pain syndrome (chronic bladder inflammation and pain) occurs together with gynecological conditions like endometriosis and vulvodynia in women. The researchers found that these conditions frequently overlap—for example, about 48% of women with endometriosis also have bladder pain syndrome. They also found that pelvic floor muscle dysfunction is very common in bladder pain patients, affecting up to 87% of them.

Pain and Sensitization

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Evidence browser

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness

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

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

The inflammatory hypothesis of mood spectrum broadened to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Systematic review: faecal microbiota transplantation therapy for digestive and nondigestive disorders in adults and children.

Case definitions for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review.

Can stress trigger Parkinson's disease?

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

Neurological aspects of human parvovirus B19 infection: a systematic review.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a personalized integrative medicine approach.

Assessing severity of illness and outcomes of treatment in children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Psychological trauma and functional somatic syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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

Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis as a functional somatic syndrome.

A review of the predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in children and adolescents.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Overcoming the barriers to the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in primary care: a meta synthesis of qualitative studies.

Sympathetic nervous system dysfunction in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis: a review of case-control studies.

Gynecological disorders in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis patients.

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Neuroinflammation Evidence

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Biomarkers

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