ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2784 studies

1181–1200 of 2,784 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of Tropheryma whipplei in different populations from the North of Spain.

García-Álvarez, Lara, Pérez-Matute, Patricia, Blanco, José Ramón et al.·Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica·2016

Researchers tested stool samples from healthy people, HIV patients, and people with ME/CFS from Spain to see how common a bacterium called Tropheryma whipplei was in each group. They found this bacterium in about 25% of all samples, but it was more common in HIV patients (34%) than in healthy people without other conditions (20%), and was not found in any of the ME/CFS patients tested.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Variability of postural orthostatic tachycardia in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and orthostatic intolerance.

Miwa, Kunihisa·Heart and vessels·2016

This study looked at how the hearts and nervous systems of 24 ME/CFS patients with orthostatic intolerance (dizziness or fatigue when standing) behaved on their "good days" versus "bad days." Researchers found that on bad days, patients' hearts raced more when standing up, they couldn't stand as long, and their hearts pumped less blood—suggesting their nervous systems were working abnormally, sometimes overactive and sometimes underactive.

Autonomic Nervous System

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

Self-critical perfectionism predicts lower cortisol response to experimental stress in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kempke, Stefan, Luyten, Patrick, Mayes, Linda C et al.·Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·2016

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS who tend to be hard on themselves and set unrealistically high standards (self-critical perfectionism) have a different stress response than others. Researchers gave 41 women with ME/CFS a stressful test and measured their cortisol (a stress hormone) levels. They found that those with higher self-critical perfectionism felt more stressed mentally, but their bodies produced less cortisol in response—suggesting their stress system isn't working as well as it should.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Methods of applying the 1994 case definition of chronic fatigue syndrome - impact on classification and observed illness characteristics.

Unger, E R, Lin, J-M S, Tian, H et al.·Population health metrics·2016

Researchers tested two different ways of diagnosing ME/CFS using the same official criteria to see if the method mattered. One method asked patients direct questions about fatigue and symptoms, while the other used standardized questionnaires with scoring thresholds. They found that both methods identified similar people as having ME/CFS (about 82% agreement), but the questionnaire method identified somewhat more cases without them being less severely ill.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Mitochondrial DNA variants correlate with symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Billing-Ross, Paul, Germain, Arnaud, Ye, Kaixiong et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2016

This study examined whether differences in mitochondrial DNA (the genetic instructions inside the energy-producing parts of our cells) are linked to ME/CFS symptoms. Researchers compared DNA from 193 ME/CFS patients and 196 healthy people and found that while certain mitochondrial DNA patterns were associated with specific symptoms like neurological problems, pain, and digestive issues, they were not linked to whether someone actually develops ME/CFS. This suggests mitochondrial DNA variations may influence how severe certain symptoms are, rather than causing the disease itself.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characteristics of patients contacting a center for undiagnosed and rare diseases.

Mueller, Tobias, Jerrentrup, Andreas, Bauer, Max Jakob et al.·Orphanet journal of rare diseases·2016

This study looked at 522 adults who visited a hospital center for help with diseases that hadn't been diagnosed yet. Most patients were women, and their main complaints were general weakness, joint pain, and stomach discomfort. The researchers found that many patients had been given diagnoses like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or irritable bowel syndrome—conditions where symptoms are real but hard to explain with standard medical tests.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Illness progression in chronic fatigue syndrome: a shifting immune baseline.

Russell, Lindsey, Broderick, Gordon, Taylor, Renee et al.·BMC immunology·2016

This study looked at three inflammatory proteins (IL-1α, IL-6, and IL-8) in the blood of people with ME/CFS at different stages of illness—newly diagnosed teenagers, people in the middle of their illness, and those who had been sick for over a decade. The researchers found that the pattern of these proteins changes as the illness progresses, suggesting that the body's immune response shifts over time. By adjusting for how long someone has been ill, doctors might be able to use these three proteins together to identify ME/CFS with 75-88% accuracy.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM 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

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Salience Network of Adolescent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Wortinger, Laura Anne, Endestad, Tor, Melinder, Annika Maria D et al.·PloS one·2016

This study looked at how the brains of teenagers with ME/CFS show different activity patterns compared to healthy teenagers. Researchers used brain imaging to examine a network called the salience network, which helps the brain notice important signals like pain and fatigue. They found that teenagers with ME/CFS had weaker connections in this network, and the strength of these connections was linked to how severe their fatigue and pain symptoms were.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Workers on transformation of the shelter object of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant into an ecologically-safe system show qEEG abnormalities and cognitive dysfunctions: A follow-up study.

Loganovsky, Konstantyn, Perchuk, Iryna, Marazziti, Donatella·The world journal of biological psychiatry : the official journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry·2016

This study followed 196 workers who helped clean up and secure the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor between 2004 and 2008. Researchers tested their brain electrical activity and thinking skills before and after the work. The workers showed changes in brain wave patterns and developed mild memory and concentration problems after exposure to radiation, similar to symptoms seen in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Statistically modelling the relationships between Type D personality and social support, health behaviors and symptom severity in chronic illness groups.

Horwood, Sharon, Anglim, Jeromy, Tooley, Greg·Psychology & health·2016

This study looked at whether certain personality traits (called Type D personality, which involves being prone to worry and keeping emotions to yourself) are more common in people with chronic illnesses like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, and whether these traits affect health behaviors, social support, and symptom severity. Researchers surveyed 182 healthy people and 207 people with various chronic illnesses, and found that Type D personality was more common in the chronic illness groups. The study suggests that personality traits may influence how symptoms develop and how well people manage their conditions across different chronic diseases.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Treatment Outcome and Metacognitive Change in CBT and GET for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Fernie, Bruce A, Murphy, Gabrielle, Wells, Adrian et al.·Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy·2016

This study tested whether two common treatments for ME/CFS—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET)—work equally well in real-world clinical settings. Researchers found that both treatments reduced fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and improved physical functioning similarly. They also discovered that changes in how patients think about their symptoms (measured by a questionnaire) were linked to improvements in fatigue, regardless of which treatment they received.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Reductions in circulating levels of IL-16, IL-7 and VEGF-A in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Landi, Abdolamir, Broadhurst, David, Vernon, Suzanne D et al.·Cytokine·2016

Researchers measured 34 different immune system proteins in blood samples from 100 ME/CFS patients and 79 healthy controls. They found that three specific immune proteins—IL-16, IL-7, and VEGF-A—were significantly lower in ME/CFS patients. This pattern was different from what is seen in other chronic diseases with similar fatigue symptoms, suggesting it may be unique to ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

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 not requiredLongitudinal

Cow's milk protein intolerance in adolescents and young adults with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rowe, Peter C, Marden, Colleen L, Jasion, Samantha E et al.·Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)·2016

This study looked at whether young people with ME/CFS often have problems digesting cow's milk protein. Researchers found that about 1 in 3 young patients with ME/CFS had milk protein intolerance, which caused stomach problems like reflux and pain. When these patients stopped eating milk products, their stomach symptoms improved and their quality of life got better.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

TauG-guidance of dynamic balance control during gait initiation in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Rasouli, Omid, Stensdotter, Ann-Katrin, Van der Meer, Audrey L H·Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)·2016

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia balance themselves when they start to walk. Using special equipment that measures foot pressure, researchers found that patients with both conditions had more difficulty controlling their weight shift onto one foot compared to healthy people. This suggests that balance problems in these conditions aren't just about standing still—they also affect the dynamic movements needed for everyday activities like walking.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Subjective but Not Actigraphy-Defined Sleep Predicts Next-Day Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Prospective Daily Diary Study.

Russell, Charlotte, Wearden, Alison J, Fairclough, Gillian et al.·Sleep·2016

This study found that how people with ME/CFS feel about their sleep quality matters more for next-day fatigue than what sleep monitors actually measure. When patients reported poor sleep quality or felt their sleep wasn't refreshing, they experienced worse fatigue the following day. Interestingly, people who worried or felt anxious before bed reported worse sleep, and waking up in a bad mood partly explained why poor sleep led to more fatigue.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Index markers of chronic fatigue syndrome with dysfunction of TCA and urea cycles.

Yamano, Emi, Sugimoto, Masahiro, Hirayama, Akiyoshi et al.·Scientific reports·2016

Researchers analyzed blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people to look for chemical markers that could help diagnose the disease. They found that certain metabolites—molecules involved in energy production and waste removal—were abnormal in ME/CFS patients. Two specific chemical ratios in the blood showed promise as potential diagnostic tools, correctly identifying CFS patients about 75-80% of the time.

BiomarkersEnergy Metabolism

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

High prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of Tropheryma whipplei in different populations from the North of Spain.

Variability of postural orthostatic tachycardia in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and orthostatic intolerance.

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.

Self-critical perfectionism predicts lower cortisol response to experimental stress in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Methods of applying the 1994 case definition of chronic fatigue syndrome - impact on classification and observed illness characteristics.

Mitochondrial DNA variants correlate with symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Characteristics of patients contacting a center for undiagnosed and rare diseases.

Illness progression in chronic fatigue syndrome: a shifting immune baseline.

Characteristics of hyperacusis in the general population.

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

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Salience Network of Adolescent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Workers on transformation of the shelter object of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant into an ecologically-safe system show qEEG abnormalities and cognitive dysfunctions: A follow-up study.

Statistically modelling the relationships between Type D personality and social support, health behaviors and symptom severity in chronic illness groups.

Treatment Outcome and Metacognitive Change in CBT and GET for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Reductions in circulating levels of IL-16, IL-7 and VEGF-A in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Cow's milk protein intolerance in adolescents and young adults with chronic fatigue syndrome.

TauG-guidance of dynamic balance control during gait initiation in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Subjective but Not Actigraphy-Defined Sleep Predicts Next-Day Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Prospective Daily Diary Study.

Index markers of chronic fatigue syndrome with dysfunction of TCA and urea cycles.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research