ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

1021–1040 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Anxiety and depression in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): Examining the incidence of health anxiety in CFS/ME.

Daniels, Jo, Brigden, Amberly, Kacorova, Adela·Psychology and psychotherapy·2017

This study looked at how many people with ME/CFS also experience health anxiety—worry about physical symptoms and their meaning. Researchers surveyed 45 ME/CFS patients and found that most had elevated worry about their health, and many had clinically significant health anxiety. The findings suggest that health anxiety is common in ME/CFS and may be worth screening for and treating.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Natural course of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescents.

Norris, Tom, Collin, Simon M, Tilling, Kate et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2017

This study followed teenagers in the UK from ages 13 to 18 to understand what happens to disabling fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer. The researchers found that while more teenagers reported this kind of fatigue as they got older, about 75% of those with persistent fatigue at age 13 felt better by age 16. Only about 8% of teenagers had this disabling fatigue throughout their entire teenage years.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Gross and fine motor function in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rasouli, Omid, Fors, Egil A, Borchgrevink, Petter Chr et al.·Journal of pain research·2017

This study compared how quickly people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia could start moving when they heard a sound, and how well they could do precise hand movements compared to healthy people. Both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia groups were slower to start walking in response to the sound, though their fine hand movements were similar to healthy controls. The results suggest that ME/CFS and fibromyalgia may affect the speed of starting movement, but not the precision of hand tasks.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.

Jain, Vageesh, Arunkumar, Amit, Kingdon, Caroline et al.·BMC neurology·2017

This study compared cognitive problems (like trouble concentrating and memory issues) and sleep difficulties in people with ME/CFS and people with MS. Researchers found that cognitive and sleep problems were much more common in ME/CFS patients—98% reported trouble concentrating, and 55% reported severe unrefreshing sleep. The study also identified that ME/CFS patients who were older, current smokers, or had lower incomes were more likely to experience severe symptoms.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional Processing Vulnerability Factors.

Brooks, Samantha K, Chalder, Trudie, Rimes, Katharine A·Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy·2017

This study looked at whether certain personality traits and thinking patterns might make someone more vulnerable to developing ME/CFS. Researchers compared 67 people with ME/CFS to 73 healthy people, asking about their personalities both now and before they became ill. They found that people who later developed ME/CFS tended to be perfectionists, were very self-sacrificing, and had unhelpful beliefs about emotions—especially before they got sick.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Activin B is a novel biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) diagnosis: a cross sectional study.

Lidbury, Brett A, Kita, Badia, Lewis, Donald P et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2017

Researchers tested blood samples from people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy controls, looking for differences in proteins called activins. They found that people with ME/CFS had significantly higher levels of a protein called activin B, while activin A remained normal. This pattern could potentially be used as a blood test to help diagnose ME/CFS, since currently there is no reliable diagnostic test available.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Guided Self-Help for Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Prior to Starting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: a Cohort Study.

Ali, Sheila, Goldsmith, Kimberley, Burgess, Mary et al.·Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy·2017

This study tested whether guided self-help materials could help ME/CFS patients improve their physical functioning while waiting for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Patients filled out questionnaires at the start, just before CBT began, and after CBT ended. The self-help guidance helped improve how much patients could physically do, but didn't significantly reduce fatigue or improve social life during the waiting period. However, CBT itself did help with all three areas.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Current Safety Concerns with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: A Cluster Analysis of Reports in VigiBase®.

Chandler, Rebecca E, Juhlin, Kristina, Fransson, Jonas et al.·Drug safety·2017

Researchers analyzed thousands of reports from a global database of side effects following HPV vaccination. They found that certain combinations of symptoms—headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and fainting—were reported more often after HPV vaccination than with other vaccines, particularly in young women. These symptom clusters resemble conditions like POTS, CRPS, and chronic fatigue syndrome, though most reports did not include an official diagnosis.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Endogenous Pain Facilitation Rather Than Inhibition Differs Between People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, and Controls: An Observational Study.

Collin, Simon M, Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira et al.·Pain physician·2017

This study tested how people with ME/CFS, people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and healthy people respond to pain. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have lower pain thresholds and more pain amplification than people with MS, suggesting their nervous systems may process pain differently. These findings suggest that ME/CFS pain may involve a different biological mechanism than MS pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Long-term follow-up after cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Janse, Anthonie, Nikolaus, Stephanie, Wiborg, Jan F et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2017

This study followed 511 people for up to 10 years after they completed cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for ME/CFS. While about 70% of people maintained improved physical function, fatigue levels increased somewhat over time, and some people experienced a return of severe fatigue and activity limitations. The results suggest CBT can help many people in the long term, but not everyone stays better.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Clinically proven mtDNA mutations are not common in those with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schoeman, Elizna M, Van Der Westhuizen, Francois H, Erasmus, Elardus et al.·BMC medical genetics·2017

This study examined the DNA inside the energy-producing parts of cells (mitochondria) in 93 ME/CFS patients from the UK and South Africa. The researchers looked for specific mutations that are known to cause mitochondrial disease. They found that these known harmful mutations were not present in the ME/CFS patients studied, suggesting that ME/CFS is not caused by these well-established mitochondrial mutations.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Differences in ME and CFS Symptomology in Patients with Normal and Abnormal Exercise Test Results.

McManimen, Stephanie L, Jason, Leonard A·International journal of neurology and neurotherapy·2017

This study looked at ME/CFS patients who had different results after exercise testing. Some patients showed abnormal test results and experienced severe post-exertional malaise (PEM)—that exhaustion and symptom flare-up after activity—while others had normal test results with milder PEM. The researchers found that patients with abnormal test results tended to be more disabled, experience worse PEM, and were more likely to be bedbound than those with normal results.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England.

Earl, Kate E, Sakellariou, Giorgos K, Sinclair, Melanie et al.·BMJ open·2017

This study investigated whether low vitamin D levels contribute to the fatigue experienced by people with ME/CFS. Researchers compared 92 ME/CFS patients with 94 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients actually had higher vitamin D levels, often because they were taking vitamin D supplements. Importantly, there was no connection between vitamin D levels and how fatigued patients felt, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency is not a cause of ME/CFS fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neuroendocrine disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tomic, Slavica, Brkic, Snezana, Lendak, Dajana et al.·Turkish journal of medical sciences·2017

This study looked at hormone levels in 40 women with ME/CFS compared to 40 healthy women to see if hormonal imbalances might explain ME/CFS symptoms. While standard hormone tests showed mostly normal results, researchers found that cortisol (a stress hormone) didn't follow its natural daily rhythm in ME/CFS patients the way it does in healthy people, and thyroid hormone T3 was lower in the ME/CFS group. The findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve subtle disruptions in how the body regulates these hormones over time.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Whole blood gene expression in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome: an exploratory cross-sectional study suggesting altered B cell differentiation and survival.

Nguyen, Chinh Bkrong, Alsøe, Lene, Lindvall, Jessica M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2017

This study looked at blood samples from 29 teenagers with ME/CFS and compared them to 18 healthy teens to see if their genes were working differently. The researchers found that certain immune cells involved in fighting infection were not developing or surviving normally in the ME/CFS group, and that signs of inflammation and antiviral activity were higher. These gene changes were connected to nervous system problems and symptoms like post-exertional malaise (feeling much worse after activity).

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Down-regulation of renin-aldosterone and antidiuretic hormone systems in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Miwa, Kunihisa·Journal of cardiology·2017

This study found that ME/CFS patients have smaller hearts and lower levels of certain hormones that control blood volume and fluid balance compared to healthy people. When researchers gave half the ME/CFS patients a synthetic hormone called desmopressin for five days, about half of them felt better, with less dizziness when standing and improved ability to do daily activities.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearObservational

Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (MCAM): Design and Implementation of a Prospective/Retrospective Rolling Cohort Study.

Unger, Elizabeth R, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Tian, Hao et al.·American journal of epidemiology·2017

Researchers created a large study called MCAM to better understand ME/CFS by collecting standardized health information from patients across seven U.S. clinics. They also enrolled healthy people and patients with similar illnesses for comparison. The study tracked patients over time, collected samples for future research, and documented how doctors were treating ME/CFS patients, aiming to identify different types of ME/CFS and find tests that could help diagnosis.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM requiredCross-Sectional

A Comparison of Case Definitions for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A, Nehrke, Pamela et al.·Journal of chronic diseases and management·2017

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that 76% of people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome met the newer Institute of Medicine criteria, but only 44% met the revised London criteria. The London criteria identified patients who were more severely physically impaired, suggesting that different diagnostic tools can identify different groups of patients.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Factors impacting the illness trajectory of post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative study of adults' experiences.

Stormorken, Eva, Jason, Leonard A, Kirkevold, Marit·BMC public health·2017

This study interviewed 26 adults who developed severe fatigue lasting at least four years after a bacterial infection (Giardia). Researchers asked them about their experiences and what factors made their illness better or worse. The study found that both the healthcare system (like delayed diagnosis and doctors dismissing symptoms) and personal choices (like ignoring body signals or pushing too hard) significantly affected how people's illness progressed over time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

RNA-Seq Analysis of Gene Expression, Viral Pathogen, and B-Cell/T-Cell Receptor Signatures in Complex Chronic Disease.

Bouquet, Jerome, Gardy, Jennifer L, Brown, Scott et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2017

Researchers used genetic testing to compare blood samples from people with ME/CFS and a similar condition called alternative Lyme disease to healthy controls and people with lupus. They looked for differences in gene activity, immune cell patterns, and viral infections. Surprisingly, they found no major differences in gene activity between ME/CFS patients and healthy people, though they did find differences in lupus patients as expected.

Immune System

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Anxiety and depression in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): Examining the incidence of health anxiety in CFS/ME.

Natural course of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescents.

Gross and fine motor function in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional Processing Vulnerability Factors.

Activin B is a novel biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) diagnosis: a cross sectional study.

Guided Self-Help for Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Prior to Starting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: a Cohort Study.

Current Safety Concerns with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: A Cluster Analysis of Reports in VigiBase®.

Endogenous Pain Facilitation Rather Than Inhibition Differs Between People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, and Controls: An Observational Study.

Long-term follow-up after cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinically proven mtDNA mutations are not common in those with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Differences in ME and CFS Symptomology in Patients with Normal and Abnormal Exercise Test Results.

Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England.

Neuroendocrine disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Whole blood gene expression in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome: an exploratory cross-sectional study suggesting altered B cell differentiation and survival.

Down-regulation of renin-aldosterone and antidiuretic hormone systems in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (MCAM): Design and Implementation of a Prospective/Retrospective Rolling Cohort Study.

A Comparison of Case Definitions for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Factors impacting the illness trajectory of post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative study of adults' experiences.

RNA-Seq Analysis of Gene Expression, Viral Pathogen, and B-Cell/T-Cell Receptor Signatures in Complex Chronic Disease.

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