ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2807 studies

1241–1260 of 2,807 studies

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 requiredCross-Sectional

The Self beyond Somatic Symptoms: A Narrative Approach to Self-Experience in Adolescent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

van Geelen, Stefan M, Fuchs, Coralie E, van Geel, Rolf et al.·Psychopathology·2015

This study looked at how adolescents with ME/CFS experience themselves and their identity, beyond just listing their symptoms. Researchers compared 42 teenagers with ME/CFS to teenagers with arthritis and healthy peers, and found that those with ME/CFS reported feeling more powerless, isolated, and unable to achieve their goals, while also having lower self-esteem and mental health scores. The findings suggest that ME/CFS deeply affects not just the body, but how young people see and value themselves.

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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sleep characteristics, exercise capacity and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Aerenhouts, Dirk, Ickmans, Kelly, Clarys, Peter et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2015

This study looked at how sleep problems and low activity levels are connected in people with ME/CFS. Researchers measured fitness capacity, sleep patterns, and daily activity in 42 women with ME/CFS and compared them to 24 healthy inactive women. People with ME/CFS slept more, spent more time in bed, had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and were less physically active than the control group.

Sleep

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 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 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

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 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 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

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

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 not requiredCross-Sectional

Endogenous event-related potentials in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome without central nervous system involvement.

Dziadkowiak, E, Sebastian, A, Wiland, P et al.·Scandinavian journal of rheumatology·2015

This study looked at brain electrical activity in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (an autoimmune disease affecting moisture-producing glands) to see if they had subtle thinking or processing problems. Researchers found that patients showed slightly delayed brain responses to cognitive tasks, and these delays were linked to how long they'd had the disease and how inflamed their salivary glands were. Patients with both Sjögren's syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome showed different patterns than those with Sjögren's syndrome alone.

Cognitive Impairment

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

Hall, Daniel L, Antoni, Michael H, Lattie, Emily G et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2015

This study compared how fatigue affects daily life in people with ME/CFS versus breast cancer survivors who experience fatigue. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients reported more severe fatigue and more depression than the cancer survivors. Importantly, in ME/CFS patients, higher depression was closely tied to greater fatigue-related problems in daily activities, suggesting that mood and fatigue interference may be connected in ways worth exploring for treatment.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Estimated herd prevalence and sequence types of Coxiella burnetii in bulk tank milk samples from commercial dairies in Indiana.

Bauer, Amy E, Olivas, Sonora, Cooper, Maria et al.·BMC veterinary research·2015

Researchers tested milk samples from 316 dairy farms in Indiana to see how common a bacterium called Coxiella burnetii is in cattle herds. This bacterium causes Q fever, which can lead to chronic fatigue in people. They found that over 61% of Indiana dairy herds had evidence of this bacterium in their milk, suggesting it is widespread among cattle.

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

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

The Self beyond Somatic Symptoms: A Narrative Approach to Self-Experience in Adolescent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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.

Sleep characteristics, exercise capacity and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Measuring substantial reductions in activity.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Endogenous event-related potentials in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome without central nervous system involvement.

Right arcuate fasciculus abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

Estimated herd prevalence and sequence types of Coxiella burnetii in bulk tank milk samples from commercial dairies in Indiana.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research