ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

644 studies

561–580 of 644 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Systematic review of multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans.

Thomas, Hollie V, Stimpson, Nicola J, Weightman, Alison L et al.·Psychological medicine·2006

This review examined 23 studies comparing health problems in Gulf War veterans to people who were not deployed. Veterans who served in the Gulf War were nearly 4 times more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome and about 3.5 times more likely to report multiple chemical sensitivities or other multi-symptom illnesses. The review suggests that deployment to the Gulf War is connected with higher rates of these conditions.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prins, Judith B, van der Meer, Jos W M, Bleijenberg, Gijs·Lancet (London, England)·2006

This review examines the major debates and disagreements about ME/CFS that have occurred over the past 20 years among doctors, researchers, and patients. The authors discuss questions about how ME/CFS is defined, how it is diagnosed, what causes it, and what treatments work best. They suggest that future research should study ME/CFS alongside other similar conditions and use new tools from neuroscience and genetics to better understand the illness.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the need for subtypes.

Jason, Leonard A, Corradi, Karina, Torres-Harding, Susan et al.·Neuropsychology review·2005

ME/CFS is a complex condition that affects people in different ways, and researchers found that treating it as one single disease may not be helpful. This review shows that patients with ME/CFS have different combinations of symptoms, different levels of disability, and different biological markers (measurable signs in the body), suggesting the condition should be divided into subtypes. Just like how different patients with diabetes or heart disease need different treatment approaches, ME/CFS patients might benefit from being grouped into categories so doctors can provide more targeted care.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Physical activity for secondary prevention of disease. Systematic reviews of randomised clinical trials.

Karmisholt, Katrine, Gøtzsche, Peter C·Danish medical bulletin·2005

This review looked at whether physical activity helps prevent disease in people who already have certain health conditions. The researchers examined 17 high-quality studies published between 1998-2004. Physical activity was helpful for some conditions like heart disease and arthritis, but did not show benefits for chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, or several other conditions.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Post-Lyme borreliosis syndrome: a meta-analysis of reported symptoms.

Cairns, Victoria, Godwin, Jon·International journal of epidemiology·2005

This study looked at patients who had Lyme disease and found that many experienced long-lasting fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and thinking difficulties even after antibiotic treatment. Researchers combined results from five previous studies comparing Lyme disease patients to healthy controls and found these symptoms were significantly more common in the Lyme disease group. The symptom pattern was notably different from other conditions like fibromyalgia or depression.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Genetic factors in neuromuscular pain.

Buskila, Dan, Neumann, Lily, Press, Joseph·CNS spectrums·2005

This review examined whether ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and related chronic pain conditions share genetic roots. Researchers looked at recent studies suggesting that genes involved in serotonin and dopamine—brain chemicals that affect mood and pain—may make some people more likely to develop these conditions. The review also highlights that environmental triggers (like infections or stress) likely play a role in people who are genetically predisposed.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

The placebo response in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cho, Hyong Jin, Hotopf, Matthew, Wessely, Simon·Psychosomatic medicine·2005

This study looked at how often ME/CFS patients improve simply from believing they will improve (the placebo effect) in clinical trials. Researchers found that the placebo response in ME/CFS is actually lower than many people assume—only about 20% of patients improved with placebo. Interestingly, patients were less likely to show placebo improvement when the treatment was psychological or psychiatric in nature, possibly because many ME/CFS patients believe their illness is physical rather than mental.

Interventions

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rimes, K A, Chalder, T·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review looked at different ways to treat chronic fatigue syndrome by examining studies on therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (talking therapy that helps change thought patterns), graded exercise therapy (gradually increasing physical activity), medications, immune treatments, and supplements. The most helpful treatments found were cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy, though many other treatments need more research. Occupational health doctors may be able to help patients manage their symptoms and return to work.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ranjith, G·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review examined research on how common ME/CFS is in different populations and what factors might be linked to it. While fatigue itself is very common, ME/CFS is actually quite rare. Interestingly, some patterns seen in specialist clinics (like who gets sick) don't always match what researchers find when they study the general population.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

A systematic review describing the prognosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cairns, R, Hotopf, M·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review looked at 28 studies about how ME/CFS progresses over time. Researchers found that full recovery without treatment is uncommon (about 5%), but roughly 4 out of 10 patients did improve their symptoms. People who had milder fatigue to start with, felt they could control their symptoms, and didn't believe their illness was purely physical tended to have better outcomes.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredEditorial

Medically unexplained symptoms and neuropsychological assessment.

Binder, Laurence M, Campbell, Keith A·Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·2004

This review examines several long-term illnesses—including ME/CFS—where patients experience real symptoms but standard medical tests don't show an obvious cause. The authors found that some patients do have measurable thinking and memory problems, but these may result from a combination of stress, past trauma, and how the body responds to illness rather than from traditional brain disease alone.

Cognitive Impairment

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Disability and chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on function.

Ross, Susan D, Estok, Rhonda P, Frame, Diana et al.·Archives of internal medicine·2004

Researchers reviewed 37 studies about how ME/CFS affects people's ability to work. They found that most people with ME/CFS in these studies were unemployed. Surprisingly, depression was the only factor clearly linked to job loss, while other symptoms didn't consistently predict employment problems. Only three types of treatment—cognitive behavior therapy, rehabilitation, and exercise—showed promise in helping people return to work.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The management of fibromyalgia.

Rao, Srinivas G, Clauw, Daniel J·Drugs of today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998)·2004

This guideline reviews how fibromyalgia is managed and notes that it shares similarities with other conditions like ME/CFS, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic headaches. These conditions cause pain that comes from the central nervous system rather than from injured tissue, which means common pain medications like NSAIDs and opioids don't work well. Instead, certain antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, exercise, and talk therapy tend to be more helpful.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Reid, Steven, Chalder, Trudie, Cleare, Anthony et al.·Clinical evidence·2004

This review examined what we know about treating chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) by looking at multiple existing studies together. The authors searched medical literature to find which treatments have evidence supporting their use. This systematic review helps doctors and patients understand what treatments have been studied and what the research shows about their effectiveness.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Edmonds, M, McGuire, H, Price, J·The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2004

This review looked at five studies testing whether graded exercise helps people with ME/CFS. At 12 weeks, patients who did exercise therapy felt less tired and had better physical function than those who didn't exercise. However, more people dropped out of the exercise groups, suggesting the treatment may be difficult for some patients to continue.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Psycho-educational interventions for children with chronic disease, parents and siblings: an overview of the research evidence base.

Barlow, J H, Ellard, D R·Child: care, health and development·2004

This review looked at studies testing whether educational and psychological programs help children and teenagers with chronic diseases—including ME/CFS—and their families cope better. The researchers found that programs using cognitive-behavioral techniques (which help people change unhelpful thinking patterns) showed promise for improving things like confidence in managing illness, quality of life, and reducing symptoms like fatigue in ME/CFS patients. However, the review found that most studies were small and didn't always explain their programs clearly.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Psychological treatment of patients with chronic toxic encephalopathy: lessons from studies of chronic fatigue and whiplash.

van Hout, Moniek S E, Wekking, Ellie M, Berg, Ina J et al.·Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2003

This review looked at studies on psychological treatments for chronic toxic encephalopathy (a condition from long-term solvent exposure) and compared them with research on chronic fatigue syndrome and whiplash injuries. The reviewers found that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)—a type of talk therapy that helps change unhelpful thinking patterns—and gradually increasing activity levels showed promise in helping people with fatigue and thinking problems. They suggest these same approaches might help people with toxic encephalopathy, though more research is needed.

Cognitive Impairment

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredEditorial

Safety of immunisation and adverse events following vaccination against hepatitis B.

Duclos, Philippe·Expert opinion on drug safety·2003

This review examined whether the hepatitis B vaccine is safe, particularly looking at claims that it might cause chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and other serious conditions. After reviewing scientific evidence from multiple independent health organizations including the WHO and US Institute of Medicine, researchers found no proof that the vaccine causes these conditions. The vaccine has a strong safety record, and the theoretical risks are far outweighed by its proven benefits in preventing liver disease and cancer.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a review.

Afari, Niloofar, Buchwald, Dedra·The American journal of psychiatry·2003

ME/CFS is a serious illness marked by extreme tiredness lasting at least 6 months, along with other symptoms that significantly limit daily activities. This review brings together current scientific knowledge about how ME/CFS is diagnosed, how common it is, what causes it, and how it can be treated. The evidence suggests ME/CFS is complex, likely caused by multiple factors working together, and treatment works best when tailored to each person's specific needs.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

A systematic review and critical evaluation of the immunology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lyall, Marc, Peakman, Mark, Wessely, Simon·Journal of psychosomatic research·2003

Researchers reviewed all the studies looking at immune system problems in ME/CFS patients to see what patterns emerged. They found that results were mixed and often contradictory—some studies showed low natural killer cells, while others didn't, especially when looking at higher-quality research. The review suggests that how studies are designed and conducted can affect whether certain immune changes are found.

Immune System

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Systematic review of multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the need for subtypes.

Physical activity for secondary prevention of disease. Systematic reviews of randomised clinical trials.

Post-Lyme borreliosis syndrome: a meta-analysis of reported symptoms.

Genetic factors in neuromuscular pain.

The placebo response in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

A systematic review describing the prognosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Medically unexplained symptoms and neuropsychological assessment.

Disability and chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on function.

The management of fibromyalgia.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psycho-educational interventions for children with chronic disease, parents and siblings: an overview of the research evidence base.

Psychological treatment of patients with chronic toxic encephalopathy: lessons from studies of chronic fatigue and whiplash.

Safety of immunisation and adverse events following vaccination against hepatitis B.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a review.

A systematic review and critical evaluation of the immunology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

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