ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2784 studies

1021–1040 of 2,784 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not score higher on the autism-spectrum quotient than healthy controls: Comparison with autism spectrum disorder.

Bileviciute-Ljungar, Indre, Maroti, Daniel, Bejerot, Susanne·Scandinavian journal of psychology·2018

This study compared autistic traits in people with ME/CFS, people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and healthy people. Although ME/CFS and autism share some overlapping symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and sensitivity to sound and light, the study found that people with ME/CFS did not show more autistic traits than healthy controls. People with autism did score higher on the autism assessment, showing the test can distinguish between the conditions.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

In Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety, and Physiosomatic Symptoms Are Strongly Related to Psychotic Symptoms and Excitation, Impairments in Episodic Memory, and Increased Production of Neurotoxic Tryptophan Catabolites: a Multivariate and Machine Learning Study.

Kanchanatawan, Buranee, Thika, Supaksorn, Sirivichayakul, Sunee et al.·Neurotoxicity research·2018

This study examined 80 people with schizophrenia and 40 healthy controls to understand why schizophrenia patients often experience depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms like those seen in chronic fatigue. The researchers found that these symptoms were linked to changes in how the body breaks down tryptophan (an amino acid), problems with memory, and the severity of psychotic symptoms. The findings suggest that toxic byproducts from tryptophan metabolism may contribute to depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms in schizophrenia.

Neuroinflammation

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Depression, evening salivary cortisol and inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychoneuroendocrinological structural regression model.

Milrad, Sara F, Hall, Daniel L, Jutagir, Devika R et al.·International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2018

This study examined how depression, stress hormone levels, and inflammation connect in ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS who had higher evening cortisol (a stress hormone) levels also had more depression and higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. The results suggest that depression, hormones, and the immune system may be interconnected in ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand which causes which.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Related to Nocturnal Sleep in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Compared to Tired Controls.

Orjatsalo, Maija, Alakuijala, Anniina, Partinen, Markku·Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine·2018

This study examined how the nervous system controls heart rate and blood pressure during sleep in ME/CFS patients compared to people without the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients showed unusual patterns during sleep: their sympathetic nervous system (the 'fight or flight' system) was more active than normal, while their parasympathetic nervous system (the 'rest and digest' system) was less active, especially during deep sleep. This abnormal nervous system activity during sleep may help explain why ME/CFS patients often wake up feeling unrefreshed.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013.

Siegel, Zachary A, Brown, Abigail, Devendorf, Andrew et al.·Chronic illness·2018

Researchers examined 214 newspaper articles about ME/CFS published between 1987 and 2013 to see how the illness was described to the public. They found that newspapers often got the facts wrong or incomplete—nearly 1 in 5 headlines used the wrong name for the illness, most articles didn't explain how to diagnose it, and half didn't mention any treatments. This study shows that people reading the news may have received confusing or incomplete information about ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The presence of co-morbid mental health problems in a cohort of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Loades, Maria Elizabeth, Rimes, Katharine A, Ali, Sheila et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2018

This study looked at mental health problems in 52 teenagers with ME/CFS to see how common depression and anxiety are in this group. About one-third of the teenagers had depression, and over a quarter had anxiety disorders. Teenagers with depression reported more difficulty with school and social life. The researchers found that using a proper psychiatric interview was better than just asking teenagers to fill out questionnaires for identifying these mental health conditions.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People.

Oosterwijck, Jessica Van, Marusic, Uros, De Wandele, Inge et al.·Pain physician·2017

This study looked at why exercise doesn't reduce pain in people with ME/CFS the way it normally does in healthy people. Researchers measured how the nervous system recovered after exercise and tracked pain levels in 20 women with ME/CFS and 20 healthy women. They found that people with ME/CFS had problems with their nervous system's ability to 'turn off' after exercise, and this was connected to their pain not improving like it should.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

A Prospective Study of Infectious Mononucleosis in College Students.

Jason, Leonard A, Katz, Ben, Gleason, Kristen et al.·International journal of psychiatry (Overland Park)·2017

This study followed healthy college students over time to see what happens when they catch infectious mononucleosis (IM) and whether some develop ME/CFS afterward. Researchers collected information about students' physical health and emotional well-being before they got sick, while they had IM, and about 6 months later. By tracking students this way, the study aimed to identify which factors might put someone at higher risk of developing ME/CFS after a mono infection.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Multimodal and simultaneous assessments of brain and spinal fluid abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome and the effects of psychiatric comorbidity.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Mao, Xiangling, Stegner, Aaron J et al.·Journal of the neurological sciences·2017

This study compared brain and spinal fluid measurements in people with ME/CFS and healthy controls to understand what physical changes occur in the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of a protective brain chemical (glutathione), reduced blood flow to the brain, higher levels of lactate (a sign of energy problems), and more abnormalities in spinal fluid compared to healthy people. Importantly, these differences were the same whether or not ME/CFS patients also had depression or anxiety, suggesting psychiatric conditions are not making the disease worse.

Biomarkers

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 requiredObservational

Postural orthostatic tachycardia is not a useful diagnostic marker for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roerink, M E, Lenders, J W M, Schmits, I C et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2017

This study tested whether a condition called POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome)—where heart rate increases too much when standing—is a reliable marker for ME/CFS. Researchers found that POTS was equally common in ME/CFS patients and in people with fatigue who don't have ME/CFS, suggesting POTS is not a useful diagnostic tool for ME/CFS. The study did find that adolescents with both conditions responded less well to cognitive behavioral therapy than those with ME/CFS alone.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Novel characterisation of mast cell phenotypes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

Nguyen, Thao, Johnston, Samantha, Chacko, Anu et al.·Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology·2017

This study looked at immune cells called mast cells in the blood of people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients—especially those with severe illness—had more mast cells and these cells showed different activation patterns. Mast cells are known to release chemicals that cause inflammation, so understanding them better could help explain some ME/CFS symptoms.

Immune System

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

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome prevalence is grossly overestimated using Oxford criteria compared to Centers for Disease Control (Fukuda) criteria in a U.S. population study.

Baraniuk, James N·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2017

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS by surveying a large representative sample of Americans. The researchers found that using the less strict Oxford criteria identified far more people as having ME/CFS (about 20-25%) compared to the stricter CDC (Fukuda) criteria (about 2%). When they looked more carefully at who truly had ME/CFS using both fatigue severity and other symptom requirements, they found that 85% of people labeled as CFS by the Oxford criteria didn't actually meet the stricter definition.

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 ModerateCommentaryPEM unclearCommentary

Support for the microgenderome invites enquiry into sex differences.

Wallis, Amy, Butt, Henry, Ball, Michelle et al.·Gut microbes·2017

This study looked at how gut bacteria, sex hormones, and the immune system interact differently in men and women with ME/CFS. The researchers found that the relationship between specific types of bacteria in the gut and ME/CFS symptoms varies between males and females. This suggests that biological sex may play an important role in how the microbiome affects ME/CFS symptoms.

Immune System

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 requiredCase-Control

Elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels in chronic fatigue syndrome associate with cardiac dysfunction: a case control study.

Tomas, Cara, Finkelmeyer, Andreas, Hodgson, Tim et al.·Open heart·2017

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of a hormone called BNP (brain natriuretic peptide) in their blood compared to healthy people without the condition. Interestingly, those with higher BNP levels had smaller heart chambers, which suggests their hearts may be working differently in ME/CFS. The researchers believe this finding is related to the condition itself, not simply from being inactive.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Impact of Rantes from jawbone on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Lechner, J, Huesker, K, Von Baehr, V·Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents·2017

This study investigated whether inflammation in the jawbone might contribute to ME/CFS. Researchers compared jawbone tissue from 21 ME/CFS patients with tissue from 19 healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher levels of inflammatory proteins (RANTES and FGF-2) in areas of jawbone that had undergone incomplete healing. The authors suggest that this hidden jawbone inflammation might be a previously unknown trigger for ME/CFS.

Immune System

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Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not score higher on the autism-spectrum quotient than healthy controls: Comparison with autism spectrum disorder.

In Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety, and Physiosomatic Symptoms Are Strongly Related to Psychotic Symptoms and Excitation, Impairments in Episodic Memory, and Increased Production of Neurotoxic Tryptophan Catabolites: a Multivariate and Machine Learning Study.

Depression, evening salivary cortisol and inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychoneuroendocrinological structural regression model.

Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Related to Nocturnal Sleep in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Compared to Tired Controls.

A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013.

The presence of co-morbid mental health problems in a cohort of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People.

A Prospective Study of Infectious Mononucleosis in College Students.

Multimodal and simultaneous assessments of brain and spinal fluid abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome and the effects of psychiatric comorbidity.

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.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia is not a useful diagnostic marker for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Novel characterisation of mast cell phenotypes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

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

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome prevalence is grossly overestimated using Oxford criteria compared to Centers for Disease Control (Fukuda) criteria in a U.S. population study.

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

Support for the microgenderome invites enquiry into sex differences.

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

Elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels in chronic fatigue syndrome associate with cardiac dysfunction: a case control study.

Impact of Rantes from jawbone on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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