ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2785 studies

1521–1540 of 2,785 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Regional grey and white matter volumetric changes in myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome): a voxel-based morphometry 3 T MRI study.

Puri, B K, Jakeman, P M, Agour, M et al.·The British journal of radiology·2012

Researchers used a specialized MRI brain scan to compare 26 ME/CFS patients with 26 healthy volunteers. They found that patients had smaller volumes of brain tissue in specific areas related to vision, memory, and movement coordination. These structural changes in the brain may help explain why ME/CFS patients often experience memory problems and other cognitive difficulties.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

IgM-mediated autoimmune responses directed against anchorage epitopes are greater in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) than in major depression.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivana, Kubera, Marta et al.·Metabolic brain disease·2012

This study examined immune system markers in people with ME/CFS, depression, and healthy controls. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had higher levels of specific immune antibodies (IgM) attacking certain body molecules compared to people with depression. These antibodies were especially high against fatty acid anchors and oxidatively damaged proteins, suggesting ME/CFS may involve distinct immune processes that differ from depression.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Xenotropic and polytropic murine leukemia virus-related sequences are not detected in the majority of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Paolucci, Stefania, Piralla, Antonio, Zanello, Cinzia et al.·The new microbiologica·2012

This study looked for two viruses (XMRV and MLV-related viruses) that had been suggested as possible causes of ME/CFS. Researchers tested 12 ME/CFS patients and 40 healthy control subjects. They found these viruses in only 2 of the 12 patients, while all controls tested negative. The results suggest these viruses are not common in ME/CFS patients, and previous reports of finding them may have been due to laboratory contamination with mouse DNA.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Responses to exercise differ for chronic fatigue syndrome patients with fibromyalgia.

Cook, Dane B, Stegner, Aaron J, Nagelkirk, Paul R et al.·Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2012

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients respond to moderate exercise on a stationary bike. Researchers found that patients who have both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia (a condition causing widespread pain) showed different heart and breathing responses during exercise compared to healthy people, including higher perceived effort and different blood pressure patterns.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Data mining: comparing the empiric CFS to the Canadian ME/CFS case definition.

Jason, Leonard A, Skendrovic, Beth, Furst, Jacob et al.·Journal of clinical psychology·2012

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS patients. Researchers used a computer-based analysis technique to test which questions from patient surveys were most helpful in accurately diagnosing the illness. They found that the Canadian criteria correctly identified 87% of ME/CFS patients, while the older empiric criteria identified about 79%, suggesting the Canadian approach may be more effective for diagnosis.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

White, Andrea T, Light, Alan R, Hughen, Ronald W et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2012

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and healthy people respond to moderate exercise by measuring changes in specific genes in blood cells. ME/CFS patients experienced much larger increases in fatigue and pain after exercise, and showed distinctive patterns of gene activity related to pain sensing and stress hormones that were different from MS patients and healthy controls.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Equity of access to specialist chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) services in England (2008-2010): a national survey and cross-sectional study.

Collin, Simon M, Sterne, Jonathan A C, Hollingworth, William et al.·BMJ open·2012

This study examined how fairly ME/CFS specialist services were distributed across England between 2008-2010. Researchers found that some areas had no specialist services at all, while others had very different numbers of patients being seen and diagnosed. In some regions, people living in poorer neighborhoods were less likely to access services than those in wealthier areas, even when services existed.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank N M, Johnson, Cort·Psychiatry research·2012

This study looked at whether ME, CFS, and chronic fatigue are truly different conditions or if they overlap too much to distinguish. Researchers tested 144 patients and found that post-exertional malaise (PEM)—where symptoms worsen after activity—is a key feature that separates ME from CFS. They also found that ME and CFS patients had higher levels of certain inflammatory markers in their blood compared to people with simple chronic fatigue.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Confidence judgment in depression and dysphoria: the depressive realism vs. negativity hypotheses.

Szu-Ting Fu, Tiffany, Koutstaal, Wilma, Poon, Lucia et al.·Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry·2012

This study looked at how accurately people judge their own knowledge and abilities. Researchers compared three groups: healthy people, those with clinical depression, and people with chronic fatigue syndrome who felt sad or low. They found that people with depression were overly critical of themselves, while people with chronic fatigue syndrome were more realistic about their abilities—similar to healthy controls.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Peripheral blood gene expression in postinfective fatigue syndrome following from three different triggering infections.

Galbraith, Sally, Cameron, Barbara, Li, Hui et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·2011

Researchers studied blood samples from 18 people who developed long-lasting fatigue after three different infections (Epstein-Barr virus, Ross River virus, and Q fever) and compared them to 18 healthy people who recovered normally. They looked for patterns in which genes were turned on or off that might explain the fatigue syndrome. While they found some differences in gene activity, these patterns were not consistent across the different infection groups, suggesting there may not be a single blood-based marker that identifies post-infectious fatigue.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the media: a content analysis of newspaper articles.

Knudsen, Ann Kristen, Omenås, Anne Nagelgaard, Harvey, Samuel B et al.·JRSM short reports·2011

Researchers analyzed Norwegian newspaper articles about ME/CFS published between 2008-2009 to see how they described treatments. They found that newspapers were much more likely to write positively about alternative treatments (like the Lightning Process) and negatively about evidence-based treatments (like cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise) than the scientific evidence supports. This matters because many people get health information from newspapers, so unbalanced reporting could influence patient choices.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lower whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in depression, but not in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome: another pathway that may be associated with coronary artery disease and neuroprogression in depression.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivanka, Kubera, Marta et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2011

This study looked at a protective enzyme called GPX that helps defend cells from damage in people with depression and ME/CFS. The researchers found that people with depression had lower levels of this enzyme compared to healthy people, but people with ME/CFS had normal levels. Both groups showed connections between low enzyme levels and symptoms like mood problems and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Failure to Detect XMRV-Specific Antibodies in the Plasma of CFS Patients Using Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescence Immunoassays.

Oakes, Brendan, Qiu, Xiaoxing, Levine, Susan et al.·Advances in virology·2011

In 2009, researchers claimed they found a virus called XMRV in most ME/CFS patients' blood. This study tested whether that finding was real by looking for antibodies (immune system markers) to XMRV in blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. The researchers found no evidence of XMRV antibodies in any of the samples, suggesting the original finding may not have been accurate.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in a Japanese community population : chronic fatigue syndrome in Japan.

Hamaguchi, Masahide, Kawahito, Yutaka, Takeda, Noriyuki et al.·Clinical rheumatology·2011

This Japanese study looked at how many people have ME/CFS in the general population and what their daily habits are like. Researchers found that about 1 in 100 people in Japan have ME/CFS, and people with the condition slept significantly less (about 5.5 hours per night) compared to people without it (about 6.3 hours). The symptom of unrefreshing sleep was particularly useful for identifying who has ME/CFS.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[The role of depression in cognitive impairment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Santamarina-Pérez, Pilar, Freniche, Verónica, Eiroa-Orosa, Francisco Jose et al.·Medicina clinica·2011

This study tested whether depression explains the thinking and memory problems that people with ME/CFS experience. Researchers gave 57 women with ME/CFS a variety of cognitive tests measuring attention, memory, and processing speed, then compared results between those with and without depression. The findings showed that cognitive problems were present in ME/CFS patients regardless of whether they had depression, suggesting that the brain fog and thinking difficulties are part of ME/CFS itself, not caused by depression.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

No detection of XMRV in blood samples and tissue sections from prostate cancer patients in Northern Europe.

Stieler, Kristin, Schindler, Sarah, Schlomm, Thorsten et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers tested blood samples and tissue samples from prostate cancer patients to look for XMRV, a virus that had been claimed to be found in some chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Using multiple testing methods, they found no clear evidence that XMRV was present in the blood or cancer tissues they examined. This study helps clarify whether XMRV is actually linked to disease or if earlier findings might have been false alarms.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Immunologic and psychosocial status in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nas, K, Cevik, R, Batum, S et al.·Bratislavske lekarske listy·2011

Researchers compared immune system markers and psychological health in 25 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy controls. They found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of a specific type of immune cell (CD56) and higher levels of an inflammatory marker (IL-6), along with more depression and reduced quality of life. These immune changes appeared connected to sleep problems, social isolation, and physical limitations.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety from adolescence up to young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

ter Wolbeek, Maike, van Doornen, Lorenz J P, Kavelaars, Annemieke et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2011

This study followed 633 teenage girls for 4.5 years to understand what causes fatigue and ME/CFS-like symptoms in young adulthood. Researchers found that fatigue, depression, and anxiety tend to rise and fall together over time, and that certain immune markers and emotional problems during teenage years could predict who would develop fatigue later. The study suggests that warning signs of future fatigue can sometimes be spotted years before symptoms become serious.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Therapist effects in routine psychotherapy practice: an account from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cella, Matteo, Stahl, Daniel, Reme, Silje Endresen et al.·Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research·2011

This study looked at whether it matters which therapist treats patients with ME/CFS when they receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Researchers tracked 374 ME/CFS patients treated by 12 different therapists in a specialized clinic and measured changes in fatigue and disability. They found that while patients improved overall, the individual therapist made almost no difference in outcomes—the patients' improvements were similar regardless of which qualified therapist treated them.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

The effect of exercise cessation on non-articular tenderness measures and quality of life in well-trained athletes.

Zeller, Lior, Abu-Shakra, Mahmoud, Weitzman, Dahlia et al.·The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ·2011

This study looked at what happens to healthy athletes when they stop exercising for just one week. Researchers found that after 7 days without exercise, athletes developed increased body tenderness (similar to fibromyalgia pain) and reported lower quality of life. The findings suggest that lack of exercise might trigger symptoms similar to those seen in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

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Regional grey and white matter volumetric changes in myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome): a voxel-based morphometry 3 T MRI study.

IgM-mediated autoimmune responses directed against anchorage epitopes are greater in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) than in major depression.

Xenotropic and polytropic murine leukemia virus-related sequences are not detected in the majority of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Responses to exercise differ for chronic fatigue syndrome patients with fibromyalgia.

Data mining: comparing the empiric CFS to the Canadian ME/CFS case definition.

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

Equity of access to specialist chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) services in England (2008-2010): a national survey and cross-sectional study.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

Confidence judgment in depression and dysphoria: the depressive realism vs. negativity hypotheses.

Peripheral blood gene expression in postinfective fatigue syndrome following from three different triggering infections.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the media: a content analysis of newspaper articles.

Lower whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in depression, but not in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome: another pathway that may be associated with coronary artery disease and neuroprogression in depression.

Failure to Detect XMRV-Specific Antibodies in the Plasma of CFS Patients Using Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescence Immunoassays.

Characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in a Japanese community population : chronic fatigue syndrome in Japan.

[The role of depression in cognitive impairment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

No detection of XMRV in blood samples and tissue sections from prostate cancer patients in Northern Europe.

Immunologic and psychosocial status in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety from adolescence up to young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

Therapist effects in routine psychotherapy practice: an account from chronic fatigue syndrome.

The effect of exercise cessation on non-articular tenderness measures and quality of life in well-trained athletes.

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