Evidence browser

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Elevations of Ventricular Lactate Levels Occur in Both Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Vu, Diana, Coplan, Jeremy D et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2017

Researchers used brain imaging to measure a substance called lactate in the fluid around the brain in people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, both conditions together, and healthy people. They found that lactate levels were higher in all three patient groups compared to healthy controls, but the levels were similar among the three patient groups. This means lactate alone cannot be used to distinguish ME/CFS from fibromyalgia.

Effect of melatonin supplementation on plasma lipid hydroperoxides, homocysteine concentration and chronic fatigue syndrome in multiple sclerosis patients treated with interferons-beta and mitoxantrone.

Adamczyk-Sowa, M, Sowa, P, Adamczyk, J et al.·Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society·2016

This study looked at whether melatonin (a natural hormone that helps regulate sleep) could help reduce fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. The researchers measured certain markers in the blood related to oxidative stress (cellular damage) and found that melatonin supplementation for 90 days lowered these harmful markers in all MS patient groups studied.

The impact of chronic fatigue syndrome on cognitive functioning in adolescents.

Nijhof, Linde N, Nijhof, Sanne L, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al.·European journal of pediatrics·2016

This study looked at how ME/CFS affects thinking and concentration in teenagers. Researchers compared 59 teenagers with ME/CFS to 40 healthy teenagers and found that those with ME/CFS had lower scores on intelligence tests than their school grades would predict. When comparing teenagers' current test scores to their performance before they got sick, the ME/CFS group showed a significant decline, while healthy teens did not.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characteristics of hyperacusis in the general population.

Paulin, Johan, Andersson, Linus, Nordin, Steven·Noise & health·2016

This study looked at how common sound sensitivity (hyperacusis) is in the general population and what characteristics people with this condition share. Researchers surveyed thousands of people and found that sound sensitivity often occurs alongside other conditions like ME/CFS, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia. People with sound sensitivity tend to avoid loud environments and may seek medical help for their symptoms.

Pain and Sensitization

Factors in Patient Empowerment: A Survey of an Online Patient Research Network.

Chiauzzi, Emil, DasMahapatra, Pronabesh, Cochin, Elisenda et al.·The patient·2016

This study asked nearly 4,000 patients with various chronic illnesses—including ME/CFS—about how involved they feel in managing their own health. Researchers found that patients often struggle to align their treatment goals with their doctors and don't always get enough time with their physicians. The study identified two main factors that help patients feel empowered: having positive interactions with their healthcare providers and feeling knowledgeable and in control of their care.

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and genotypes of transient receptor potential ion channel and acetylcholine receptor genes from isolated B lymphocytes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya, Johnston, Samantha, Chacko, Anu et al.·The Journal of international medical research·2016

This small study looked at genetic differences in immune cells (B cells) from ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had more variations in genes controlling calcium flow and acetylcholine signaling—two processes important for immune cell communication. Some of these genetic variations were much more common in patients with ME/CFS, suggesting they might play a role in the disease.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Subgroup Analysis in Burnout: Relations Between Fatigue, Anxiety, and Depression.

van Dam, Arno·Frontiers in psychology·2016

This study looked at 113 people diagnosed with burnout to see if they fall into different subgroups based on their fatigue, depression, and anxiety levels. Researchers found two distinct groups that differed mainly in how severe their symptoms were, with depression being the strongest factor that separated them. The study raises important questions about whether burnout is truly a separate condition from depression or chronic fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Mortality of people with chronic fatigue syndrome: a retrospective cohort study in England and Wales from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research Centre (SLaM BRC) Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) Register.

Roberts, Emmert, Wessely, Simon, Chalder, Trudie et al.·Lancet (London, England)·2016

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS die at higher rates than the general population. Researchers examined medical records of 2,147 people diagnosed with ME/CFS in England and Wales over 7 years and found they did not have higher overall death rates. However, the study did find a concerning increase in deaths by suicide among people with ME/CFS, suggesting that mental health support is particularly important for this group.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Factors determining fatigue in the chronic fatigue syndrome: a path analysis.

Tobback, Els, Hanoulle, Ignace, Mariman, An et al.·Acta clinica Belgica·2016

This study looked at how different factors—sleep quality, mood, and overall health—affect fatigue in ME/CFS patients. Researchers asked 167 patients to fill out questionnaires about their fatigue, sleep, personality traits, and quality of life. Surprisingly, they found that poor sleep directly harmed both physical and mental quality of life, but didn't necessarily increase fatigue scores on standard tests.

Sleep

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Comparison of serological and molecular test for diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis.

Salehi, Hassan, Salehi, Marziyeh, Roghanian, Rasoul et al.·Advanced biomedical research·2016

This study compared two different tests for diagnosing infectious mononucleosis (IM), a viral infection caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Researchers tested 100 patients suspected of having IM and 100 healthy people using two methods: a blood test (ELISA) and a genetic test (PCR). The blood test was easier, faster, and cheaper than the genetic test, making it a better choice for initial diagnosis.

Antibodies to β adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Loebel, Madlen, Grabowski, Patricia, Heidecke, Harald et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2016

Researchers tested whether ME/CFS patients have unusually high levels of antibodies (immune proteins) that attack nerve signaling receptors in the body. They found that about 30% of ME/CFS patients had elevated antibodies against certain receptors involved in adrenaline and acetylcholine signaling—chemicals that control heart rate, breathing, and other automatic body functions. Importantly, patients who received rituximab (a treatment that depletes B cells) and improved showed decreases in these antibody levels, suggesting a possible link between these antibodies and disease activity.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The Relationship between Age and Illness Duration in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Kidd, Elizabeth, Brown, Abigail, McManimen, Stephanie et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2016

This study looked at how age and how long someone has had ME/CFS might affect their symptoms and daily functioning. Researchers divided patients into four groups based on whether they were younger or older than 55, and whether they'd had the illness for more or less than 10 years. Interestingly, older patients who had lived with ME/CFS for over 10 years reported better mental health functioning than the other groups, while younger patients with longer illness duration experienced worse immune and nervous system symptoms compared to older patients with similar illness duration.

Psychological wellbeing and quality-of-life among siblings of paediatric CFS/ME patients: A mixed-methods study.

Velleman, Sophie, Collin, Simon M, Beasant, Lucy et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2016

This study looked at how having a brother or sister with ME/CFS affects the healthy siblings in the family. Researchers asked 34 siblings to answer questions about their mood, anxiety, and quality of life, and found that siblings had higher anxiety levels than other young people their age. When researchers talked in detail with nine of these siblings, they learned that the condition creates stress on family life, leaves siblings confused about what's happening, and can make them feel socially isolated—but good communication and family support can help.

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

ERK1/2, MEK1/2 and p38 downstream signalling molecules impaired in CD56 dim CD16+ and CD56 bright CD16 dim/- natural killer cells in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients.

Huth, Teilah Kathryn, Staines, Donald, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya·Journal of translational medicine·2016

This study looked at natural killer (NK) cells, which are immune cells that help fight infections and abnormal cells. Researchers found that NK cells in ME/CFS patients have problems with their internal signaling systems—the chemical pathways that tell these cells to attack threats. Specifically, certain types of NK cells showed abnormal activity in proteins called ERK, MEK, and p38 when compared to healthy people. These problems in cell signaling might explain why people with ME/CFS have weaker immune responses.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

A potential biomarker for fatigue: Oxidative stress and anti-oxidative activity.

Fukuda, Sanae, Nojima, Junzo, Motoki, Yukari et al.·Biological psychology·2016

This study looked at whether certain markers of cellular damage from harmful molecules (oxidative stress) and the body's ability to repair that damage (antioxidant capacity) could be used to identify ME/CFS patients and measure their fatigue levels. Researchers compared these markers in ME/CFS patients at rest versus healthy people during and after exercise, finding that ME/CFS patients had a different pattern of these markers compared to healthy controls.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Distinctive personality profiles of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Ablin, Jacob N, Zohar, Ada H, Zaraya-Blum, Reut et al.·PeerJ·2016

This study looked at whether people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have different personality patterns. Researchers surveyed 204 patients and found two distinct groups: one group tended to worry more, avoid situations that felt threatening, had difficulty identifying their emotions, and received less social support; the other group showed more resilience and healthier coping patterns. Importantly, these personality differences existed even though the groups had similar illness severity, suggesting that how people psychologically respond to their illness varies significantly.

A Preliminary Comparative Assessment of the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis.

Brenu, Ekua W, Broadley, Simon, Nguyen, Thao et al.·Journal of immunology research·2016

This study looked at specific immune cells called CD8+ T cells in people with ME/CFS and compared them to people with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of certain proteins on their CD8+ T cells that help these immune cells function properly. These findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve problems with how immune cells are working, similar to but different from what happens in multiple sclerosis.

Gene Expression Factor Analysis to Differentiate Pathways Linked to Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Depression in a Diverse Patient Sample.

Iacob, Eli, Light, Alan R, Donaldson, Gary W et al.·Arthritis care & research·2016

Researchers studied blood cell genes from 261 people—including those with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, depression, and healthy controls—to see if certain genes work together in patterns tied to these conditions. They found four distinct gene clusters, and two of these clusters showed opposite patterns in ME/CFS patients compared to those with depression, suggesting these conditions may involve different biological pathways even when they overlap.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Abnormal Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Results of Seed and Data-Driven Analyses.

Gay, Charles W, Robinson, Michael E, Lai, Song et al.·Brain connectivity·2016

This study used brain imaging (MRI) to examine how different regions of the brain communicate with each other in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have weaker communication between certain brain regions, particularly in areas involved in attention and movement. These abnormal communication patterns were directly linked to how severe patients' fatigue symptoms were.

Natural killer cells and single nucleotide polymorphisms of specific ion channels and receptor genes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya, Huth, Teilah, Chacko, Anu et al.·The application of clinical genetics·2016

This study looked at immune cells called natural killer cells in ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy controls. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had weaker natural killer cell function and carried genetic variations in genes related to calcium regulation and nerve signal transmission. These genetic differences were not found in the healthy control group, suggesting they may play a role in ME/CFS.