ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

1201–1220 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Functional limitations in functional somatic syndromes and well-defined medical diseases. Results from the general population cohort LifeLines.

Joustra, Monica L, Janssens, Karin A M, Bültmann, Ute et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2015

This large study of nearly 90,000 people compared how much functional somatic syndromes (like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia) affect quality of life and work ability compared to well-defined medical diseases (like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis). The researchers found that people with functional somatic syndromes experience similar severe limitations in daily functioning and work as those with traditional medical diseases, challenging the idea that these conditions are less serious.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in diagnosed sleep disorders: a further test of the 'unitary' hypothesis.

Pejovic, Slobodanka, Natelson, Benjamin H, Basta, Maria et al.·BMC neurology·2015

This study looked at whether ME/CFS and fibromyalgia are actually the same condition or different disorders. Researchers compared patients with sleep-breathing problems, sleep insomnia, and healthy controls, measuring how often each group had ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or both. They found that while both conditions occurred in sleep disorder patients, fibromyalgia was much more common in insomnia patients, whereas ME/CFS appeared in both groups equally—suggesting these may be separate conditions with different causes.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Fatigue in adults with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative content analysis.

Stormorken, Eva, Jason, Leonard A, Kirkevold, Marit·BMC nursing·2015

This study interviewed 26 adults with ME/CFS about their fatigue to better understand what they experience. The researchers found that fatigue in ME/CFS is not just tiredness—it's a complex, all-consuming symptom that gets much worse with even small activities and is accompanied by other symptoms like brain fog and pain. The fatigue also changes throughout the day and is triggered by physical activity, emotions, stress, and sometimes things patients don't even realize are triggering it.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

The pre-interventional psychiatric history - an underestimated confounder in benign intracranial lesions studies.

Wenz, H, Wenz, R, Groden, C et al.·Clinical neurology and neurosurgery·2015

This study looked at 103 patients who had surgery for benign brain tumors or aneurysms and were physically recovered afterward. Researchers found that patients with a history of psychiatric conditions before surgery reported worse quality of life, more sleep problems, more fatigue symptoms, and more PTSD symptoms after surgery compared to those without prior psychiatric history—even though both groups had similar physical recovery.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Increased expression of activation antigens on CD8+ T lymphocytes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: inverse associations with lowered CD19+ expression and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, but no associations with (auto)immune, leaky gut, oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers.

Maes, Michael, Bosmans, Eugene, Kubera, Marta·Neuro endocrinology letters·2015

This study examined immune cells called CD8+ T lymphocytes in ME/CFS patients and found they show higher levels of activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) compared to healthy people and those with regular fatigue. The researchers measured 139 ME/CFS patients, 65 with chronic fatigue, and 40 healthy controls, finding distinct immune patterns in ME/CFS that don't appear to be directly linked to inflammation, gut problems, or oxidative stress.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

A new case definition of Neuro-Inflammatory and Oxidative Fatigue (NIOF), a neuroprogressive disorder, formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: results of multivariate pattern recognition methods and external validation by neuro-immune biomarkers.

Maes, Michael·Neuro endocrinology letters·2015

This study looked at whether ME/CFS could be better understood by examining specific blood markers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune activation. Researchers found two distinct groups of people with chronic fatigue—one group had significantly higher levels of problematic immune markers and inflammatory signs. The study proposes a new way to identify ME/CFS based on fatigue plus at least four of these symptoms: muscle tension, memory problems, sleep issues, digestive problems, headaches, or flu-like feelings.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

The role of the partner and relationship satisfaction on treatment outcome in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Verspaandonk, J, Coenders, M, Bleijenberg, G et al.·Psychological medicine·2015

This study looked at how a patient's partner and their relationship quality affect how well cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) works for ME/CFS. Researchers found that when partners were overly helpful or protective (called 'solicitous responses'), patients were less likely to improve significantly from their fatigue and disability. The study suggests that addressing how partners respond to the illness during treatment may be important for better outcomes.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attention network test: assessment of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Togo, Fumiharu, Lange, Gudrun, Natelson, Benjamin H et al.·Journal of neuropsychology·2015

This study tested whether a computer-based attention test called the Attention Network Task (ANT) could measure thinking and processing speed problems in ME/CFS patients. Researchers compared 41 ME/CFS patients (some with depression, some without) to 29 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients took longer to respond to tasks, especially when the tasks were complex, even though they made the same number of mistakes as controls. This suggests that slowed thinking speed, rather than errors, may be the main cognitive problem in ME/CFS.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Study findings challenge the content validity of the Canadian Consensus Criteria for adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Fagermoen, Even, Sulheim, Dag et al.·Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)·2015

Researchers tested whether the Canadian Consensus Criteria—a set of guidelines used to diagnose ME/CFS in teenagers—actually identify meaningful differences between patients. They compared 120 adolescents with ME/CFS, grouping them by whether they met these criteria or not. The study found that the two groups were nearly identical in most disease markers and how they recovered over time, suggesting the criteria may not be capturing important real-world differences between patients.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Role of polymorphisms of inducible nitric oxide synthase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in idiopathic environmental intolerances.

De Luca, Chiara, Gugliandolo, Agnese, Calabrò, Carlo et al.·Mediators of inflammation·2015

This study looked at genetic variations in genes that control nitric oxide (a chemical messenger in the body) in people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and chemical sensitivities. Researchers found that certain genetic patterns were more common in these patient groups and were associated with higher levels of oxidative stress markers, suggesting these genetic differences might play a role in these overlapping conditions.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Measuring substantial reductions in activity.

Schafer, Charles, Evans, Meredyth, Jason, Leonard A et al.·Journal of prevention & intervention in the community·2015

ME/CFS diagnosis requires showing a significant drop in daily activities, but doctors have struggled to measure this fairly. This study looked at different ways to measure activity levels—including work, quality of life surveys, and activity trackers—to find which method works best. The researchers found that tracking current work activities was the most useful way to show the substantial reduction in functioning that ME/CFS patients experience.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Pain in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: the role of traumatic stress and coping strategies.

Krzeczkowska, Anna, Karatzias, Thanos, Dickson, Adele·Psychology, health & medicine·2015

This study looked at pain in people with ME/CFS and how they cope with it. Researchers compared 27 people with ME/CFS to 27 healthy people and found that those with ME/CFS experienced more pain and had different coping strategies. People with ME/CFS who had severe pain were less likely to use helpful coping methods like accepting their situation or thinking positively about it.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Distinct plasma immune signatures in ME/CFS are present early in the course of illness.

Hornig, Mady, Montoya, José G, Klimas, Nancy G et al.·Science advances·2015

This study found that people with ME/CFS have distinctive patterns of immune system markers in their blood, but only early in the disease. Researchers compared blood samples from 52 people with early-stage ME/CFS to 348 healthy people and 246 people with long-standing ME/CFS. The early-stage group showed heightened immune activity that was not present in people who had been sick longer, suggesting the disease's immune profile changes over time.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Right arcuate fasciculus abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zeineh, Michael M, Kang, James, Atlas, Scott W et al.·Radiology·2015

This study used advanced brain imaging to compare 15 ME/CFS patients with 14 healthy controls. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had less white matter (the brain's communication pathways) overall, and specific changes in fiber structure on the right side of the brain. The severity of these brain changes correlated with how sick patients felt, suggesting this could be a measurable biological marker of the illness.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with pandemic influenza infection, but not with an adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine.

Magnus, Per, Gunnes, Nina, Tveito, Kari et al.·Vaccine·2015

This large study of the Norwegian population during the 2009 flu pandemic found that people who caught the H1N1 influenza virus were more than twice as likely to develop ME/CFS afterward. However, people who received the pandemic flu vaccine did not show an increased risk of developing ME/CFS. This suggests that actually getting infected with the flu virus itself, rather than the vaccine, may trigger ME/CFS in some people.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evidence in chronic fatigue syndrome for severity-dependent upregulation of prefrontal myelination that is independent of anxiety and depression.

Barnden, Leighton R, Crouch, Benjamin, Kwiatek, Richard et al.·NMR in biomedicine·2015

This study used advanced brain imaging (MRI scans) to examine white matter—the brain's communication wiring—in 25 people with ME/CFS and compared them to 25 healthy controls. The researchers found that in people with more severe ME/CFS, certain areas of the brain showed signs of increased myelination (the protective coating around nerve fibers), particularly in the prefrontal region. Importantly, these brain changes appeared to be distinct from depression and anxiety, suggesting ME/CFS involves unique brain differences.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Childhood trauma in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: focus on personality disorders and psychopathology.

Sáez-Francàs, Naia, Calvo, Natalia, Alegre, José et al.·Comprehensive psychiatry·2015

This study looked at whether ME/CFS patients who experienced childhood trauma are more likely to have personality disorders and mental health challenges like depression. Researchers surveyed 166 ME/CFS patients using questionnaires about their childhood experiences and current mental health. They found that about one-third had experienced childhood trauma, and nearly half had signs of a personality disorder. Importantly, emotional trauma (like neglect or abuse) was more strongly connected to personality disorders than physical trauma.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome versus sudden onset myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jason, Leonard A, Evans, Meredyth, Brown, Abigail et al.·Journal of prevention & intervention in the community·2015

This study looked at whether using a specific definition of ME (sudden onset myalgic encephalomyelitis) identifies a sicker group of patients compared to the broader CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) definition. Researchers found that people who met the ME criteria had more severe symptoms, greater disability, and worse post-exertional malaise (feeling much worse after physical activity) than those meeting only the CFS criteria. The findings suggest that the ME definition may identify patients with more serious illness.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

An investigation of symptoms predating CFS onset.

Evans, Meredyth, Barry, Morgan, Im, Young et al.·Journal of prevention & intervention in the community·2015

This study looked at whether ME/CFS patients had symptoms before their fatigue started. Current diagnostic rules only count symptoms that happen at the same time as fatigue or afterward. The researchers found that many patients did experience lasting symptoms—like allergies and asthma—before their main fatigue began. Understanding these earlier symptoms might help doctors better understand how ME/CFS develops.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Polymorphism in COMT is associated with IgG3 subclass level and susceptibility to infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Löbel, Madlen, Mooslechner, Agnes Anna, Bauer, Sandra et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2015

This study looked at a genetic variation in a gene called COMT that affects how the body handles stress hormones. Researchers compared 74 ME/CFS patients with 76 healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients with a specific genetic variant (Met/Met) had higher stress hormone levels, weaker immune responses to certain infections, and got respiratory infections more often. This suggests that a person's genes may influence both their stress response and infection risk in ME/CFS.

Immune System

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Functional limitations in functional somatic syndromes and well-defined medical diseases. Results from the general population cohort LifeLines.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in diagnosed sleep disorders: a further test of the 'unitary' hypothesis.

Fatigue in adults with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative content analysis.

The pre-interventional psychiatric history - an underestimated confounder in benign intracranial lesions studies.

Increased expression of activation antigens on CD8+ T lymphocytes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: inverse associations with lowered CD19+ expression and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, but no associations with (auto)immune, leaky gut, oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers.

A new case definition of Neuro-Inflammatory and Oxidative Fatigue (NIOF), a neuroprogressive disorder, formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: results of multivariate pattern recognition methods and external validation by neuro-immune biomarkers.

The role of the partner and relationship satisfaction on treatment outcome in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Attention network test: assessment of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Study findings challenge the content validity of the Canadian Consensus Criteria for adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Role of polymorphisms of inducible nitric oxide synthase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in idiopathic environmental intolerances.

Measuring substantial reductions in activity.

Pain in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: the role of traumatic stress and coping strategies.

Distinct plasma immune signatures in ME/CFS are present early in the course of illness.

Right arcuate fasciculus abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with pandemic influenza infection, but not with an adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine.

Evidence in chronic fatigue syndrome for severity-dependent upregulation of prefrontal myelination that is independent of anxiety and depression.

Childhood trauma in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: focus on personality disorders and psychopathology.

Chronic fatigue syndrome versus sudden onset myalgic encephalomyelitis.

An investigation of symptoms predating CFS onset.

Polymorphism in COMT is associated with IgG3 subclass level and susceptibility to infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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