ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2795 studies

1261–1280 of 2,795 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The association between daytime napping and cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gotts, Zoe M, Ellis, Jason G, Deary, Vincent et al.·PloS one·2015

This study looked at how sleep patterns, especially daytime napping, affect fatigue, sleepiness, and thinking ability in people with ME/CFS. Researchers asked 118 patients to keep a sleep diary for two weeks and complete daily assessments of their symptoms. They found that afternoon napping was linked to worse cognitive problems and increased daytime sleepiness, suggesting that when and how much patients nap may influence how well they can think and function.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

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.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cytokine expression provides clues to the pathophysiology of Gulf War illness and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Khaiboullina, Svetlana F, DeMeirleir, Kenny L, Rawat, Shanti et al.·Cytokine·2015

This study looked at chemical messengers in the blood called cytokines to understand Gulf War illness (GWI) and ME/CFS better. Researchers found that certain cytokines could identify ME/CFS patients very well, but were less reliable for GWI patients. The findings suggest that while GWI and ME/CFS share many similar symptoms, they may have different underlying immune system problems.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Perceived fatigue is highly prevalent and debilitating in patients with mitochondrial disease.

Gorman, Gráinne S, Elson, Joanna L, Newman, Jane et al.·Neuromuscular disorders : NMD·2015

This study found that fatigue is very common and severely disabling in people with mitochondrial disease. About 62% of patients reported excessive fatigue, and 32% experienced severe fatigue that significantly limited their daily activities—levels comparable to fatigue in ME/CFS patients. The researchers surveyed 132 patients and compared their fatigue levels to healthy people and ME/CFS patients to understand how widespread and serious this problem is.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Response to vitamin B12 and folic acid in myalgic encephalomyelitis and fibromyalgia.

Regland, Björn, Forsmark, Sara, Halaouate, Lena et al.·PloS one·2015

This study looked at 38 ME/CFS patients who were receiving vitamin B12 injections and oral folic acid to see how well this treatment worked for them. Patients who improved the most received more frequent injections at higher doses, took more folic acid, and were less likely to use strong pain medications like opioids. The researchers found that this treatment combination showed real benefits for some patients, particularly when carefully matched to individual needs.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Painful temporomandibular disorders are common in patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and impact significantly upon quality of life.

Durham, Justin, McDonald, Claire, Hutchinson, Luke et al.·Journal of oral & facial pain and headache·2015

This study found that people with PoTS (a condition causing rapid heart rate when standing) often also have painful jaw disorders (TMD). Nearly half of the patients studied screened positive for TMD, and those with TMD reported that it significantly worsened their quality of life. The researchers suggest that doctors should routinely check for jaw pain in PoTS patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cardiac dysfunction and orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and a small left ventricle.

Miwa, Kunihisa·Heart and vessels·2015

This study looked at heart function in 40 ME/CFS patients compared to 40 healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients frequently had smaller hearts and difficulty standing up without dizziness or other symptoms (orthostatic intolerance). The smaller heart size appeared to pump less blood with each beat, which may explain why patients struggle with upright posture and fatigue.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Factor Analysis of the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire: Identifying Core Domains.

Jason, Leonard A, Sunnquist, Madison, Brown, Abigail et al.·Journal of neurology and neurobiology·2015

Researchers analyzed symptom patterns in people with ME/CFS from three countries to better understand what makes this illness unique. Using statistical analysis, they found that ME/CFS symptoms naturally organize into four main groups: exhaustion that gets worse after activity, brain fog and memory problems, sleep issues, and a combination of hormone, nervous system, and immune problems. This organized way of thinking about symptoms could help doctors recognize and study the disease more effectively.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining the Institute of Medicine's Recommendations Regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Versus Research Criteria.

Jason, Leonard A, McManimen, Stephanie, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Journal of neurology and psychology·2015

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS: one proposed by the Institute of Medicine for clinical use, and another (the Canadian criteria) recommended for research. Using patient data from the US, UK, and Norway, researchers found that patients meeting the research criteria were significantly more severely affected across multiple symptoms and daily functioning areas. This suggests the two criteria sets identify somewhat different groups of patients.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

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.

Pain and SensitizationBiomarkers

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

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 unclearCross-Sectional

Characteristics of women with endometriosis from the USA and Puerto Rico.

Fourquet, Jessica, Sinaii, Ninet, Stratton, Pamela et al.·Journal of endometriosis and pelvic pain disorders·2015

This study compared women with endometriosis in the USA and Puerto Rico to see if their symptoms and health conditions differed. Researchers found that while both groups experienced similar types of pain and fertility problems, women in the USA reported more severe pain and more often had other chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Women in Puerto Rico more frequently reported miscarriages.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

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

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.

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.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

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

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.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

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.

Immune System

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

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The association between daytime napping and cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Cytokine expression provides clues to the pathophysiology of Gulf War illness and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Perceived fatigue is highly prevalent and debilitating in patients with mitochondrial disease.

Response to vitamin B12 and folic acid in myalgic encephalomyelitis and fibromyalgia.

Painful temporomandibular disorders are common in patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and impact significantly upon quality of life.

Cardiac dysfunction and orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and a small left ventricle.

Factor Analysis of the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire: Identifying Core Domains.

Examining the Institute of Medicine's Recommendations Regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Versus Research Criteria.

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

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

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

Characteristics of women with endometriosis from the USA and Puerto Rico.

The role of insomnia in the treatment of chronic fatigue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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