Evidence browser

[Mapping of function in chronic fatigue syndrome].

Nyland, Harald, Næss, Halvor, Nyland, Morten·Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke·2015

This study examined how different body functions are affected in people with ME/CFS by mapping their characteristics across a group of patients. The research looked at various functional areas to better understand the pattern of symptoms and impairments experienced by those with the condition. This type of mapping helps clinicians and researchers see which functions are most commonly affected and how they relate to each other.

Pain and SensitizationBiomarkers

Increased Vulnerability to Pattern-Related Visual Stress in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Wilson, Rachel L, Paterson, Kevin B, Hutchinson, Claire V·Perception·2015

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS experience more visual discomfort when looking at certain patterns compared to healthy people. Forty participants (20 with ME/CFS and 20 without) viewed three different striped patterns and reported how distorted or uncomfortable they looked. People with ME/CFS reported significantly more visual distortion, especially when viewing medium-frequency patterns, suggesting their eyes and brains may process visual information differently.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Longitudinal analysis of immune abnormalities in varying severities of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients.

Hardcastle, Sharni Lee, Brenu, Ekua Weba, Johnston, Samantha et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2015

This study tracked immune system changes in 42 ME/CFS patients (divided into moderate and severe groups) and 18 healthy controls over 6 months. Researchers used blood tests to count different types of immune cells. They found that people with severe ME/CFS had noticeably different immune cell patterns than those with moderate ME/CFS or healthy controls, suggesting the immune system may work differently depending on how severe the illness is.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

The effect of fatigue and fibromyalgia on sexual dysfunction in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Blazquez, Alicia, Ruiz, Eva, Aliste, Luisa et al.·Journal of sex & marital therapy·2015

This study examined sexual problems in 615 women with ME/CFS and found that sexual dysfunction was more common in those with worse fatigue, more cognitive and nervous system symptoms, and co-occurring conditions like fibromyalgia or Sjögren's syndrome. The researchers used a validated questionnaire to measure sexual satisfaction and identified patterns linking symptom severity to sexual health problems. This suggests that ME/CFS symptoms directly impact intimate relationships and sexual function.

Cognitive Impairment

Submaximal exercise testing with near-infrared spectroscopy in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients compared to healthy controls: a case-control study.

Miller, Ruth R, Reid, W Darlene, Mattman, Andre et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2015

This study tested whether a simple hand-squeezing exercise combined with a special infrared light tool could help identify ME/CFS in patients. Researchers compared 16 people with ME/CFS to 16 healthy people and measured how well oxygen was being used in their muscles during the test. People with ME/CFS showed different patterns of oxygen use and reported feeling more tired during the exercise, even though they were squeezing with less force.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Early menopause and other gynecologic risk indicators for chronic fatigue syndrome in women.

Boneva, Roumiana S, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Unger, Elizabeth R·Menopause (New York, N.Y.)·2015

This study looked at whether gynecological conditions—like irregular periods, endometriosis, and early menopause—are more common in women with ME/CFS compared to healthy women. Researchers found that women with ME/CFS reported significantly more gynecological problems and surgeries, including hysterectomies (removal of the uterus) performed at younger ages. The findings suggest that gynecological issues may be connected to ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand exactly how.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

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

The role of insomnia in the treatment of chronic fatigue.

Kallestad, Håvard, Jacobsen, Henrik B, Landrø, Nils Inge et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2015

This study examined whether improving sleep problems (insomnia) could help people with chronic fatigue feel less tired and recover better from stress. Researchers worked with 122 people who had chronic fatigue and received a 3.5-week rehabilitation program focused on acceptance and commitment therapy. They found that patients whose insomnia improved also experienced greater improvements in fatigue and had better stress recovery, suggesting that treating sleep problems may be an important part of treating chronic fatigue.

Sleep

The Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Falk Hvidberg, Michael, Brinth, Louise Schouborg, Olesen, Anne V et al.·PloS one·2015

This study measured how ME/CFS affects quality of life using a standard health questionnaire given to Danish ME/CFS patients. The results show that people with ME/CFS report significantly lower quality of life (a score of 0.47 out of 1.0) compared to the general population (0.85), and this impact is worse than 20 other health conditions studied. Even after accounting for other illnesses patients might have, ME/CFS itself was shown to cause substantial harm to daily life and wellbeing.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

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.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and DNA Hypomethylation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Promoter 1F Region: Associations With HPA Axis Hypofunction and Childhood Trauma.

Vangeel, Elise, Van Den Eede, Filip, Hompes, Titia et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2015

This study looked at a chemical marker called DNA methylation on a gene (NR3C1) that controls how the body responds to stress. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower levels of this methylation compared to healthy people, which may explain why their bodies don't handle stress hormones properly. Interestingly, childhood trauma did not appear to create additional changes in this marker among ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Features of a population of patients from northern Italy.

Capelli, E, Lorusso, L, Ghitti, M et al.·International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology·2015

This Italian study looked at medical records from 82 ME/CFS patients to understand what might trigger the illness and how it differs between men and women. Researchers found that patients who developed the condition at younger ages were more likely to have autoimmune problems (where the immune system attacks the body's own cells). The study also examined family members to see if certain events or conditions ran in families.

Frequent IgG subclass and mannose binding lectin deficiency in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Guenther, Sabrina, Loebel, Madlen, Mooslechner, Agnes A et al.·Human immunology·2015

This study looked at immune system proteins called antibodies and a molecule called mannose binding lectin (MBL) in 300 people with ME/CFS. The researchers found that about 25% of patients had lower-than-normal levels of certain antibodies, while another 25% had higher-than-normal levels. Additionally, 15% had low MBL levels, compared to only 6% in healthy people. These immune defects were connected to frequent respiratory infections in ME/CFS patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Toward An Empirical Case Definition.

Jason, Leonard A, Kot, Bobby, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Health psychology and behavioral medicine·2015

Researchers studied which symptoms are most important for diagnosing ME/CFS by comparing patients with the condition to people without it. They found that four main symptoms stood out: extreme fatigue, symptom worsening after activity (called post-exertional malaise), thinking or memory problems, and sleep that doesn't feel refreshing. Using these core symptoms could help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more reliably.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Finding benefit in stressful uncertain circumstances: relations to social support and stigma among women with unexplained illnesses.

McInnis, Opal A, McQuaid, Robyn J, Bombay, Amy et al.·Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2015

People with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia face more stigma and judgment from others compared to people with more widely recognized illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis. This study found that when women with ME/CFS have good social support, they are less likely to hide their illness due to shame. However, women with ME/CFS reported finding less personal growth and positive change from their illness experience compared to women with other chronic conditions.

Slow wave sleep in the chronically fatigued: Power spectra distribution patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome and primary insomnia.

Neu, Daniel, Mairesse, Olivier, Verbanck, Paul et al.·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2015

This study looked at the deepest, most restorative type of sleep in people with ME/CFS and primary insomnia to understand why both groups feel tired and don't feel rested despite sleeping. Researchers used special brain wave measurements during sleep and found that both groups had unusual patterns of very slow brain waves during deep sleep, even though they were getting normal or sometimes even extra amounts of deep sleep. The findings suggest that the problem may not be getting enough deep sleep, but rather that the quality or type of brain activity during that sleep is different.

Sleep

Chronic multisymptom illness among female Veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mohanty, April F, Muthukutty, Anusha, Carter, Marjorie E et al.·Medical care·2015

This study looked at how common chronic multisymptom illnesses—including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome—are among female veterans who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers found that these conditions were more than twice as common in this group compared to other female veterans. The study suggests that deployment experiences may play a role in developing these illnesses.

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.

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

Sympathetic activation is associated with increased IL-6, but not CRP in the absence of obesity: lessons from postural tachycardia syndrome and obesity.

Okamoto, Luis E, Raj, Satish R, Gamboa, Alfredo et al.·American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2015

This study looked at how an overactive nervous system relates to inflammation in the body. Researchers compared people with POTS (a condition causing increased heart rate when standing) to healthy controls, both lean and obese. They found that an overactive nervous system was linked to higher levels of IL-6, a marker of inflammation, even in people without obesity—but only obesity combined with nervous system overactivity produced high CRP, another inflammation marker.