ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

161–180 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidelines on Public Perspectives Toward Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Thematic and Sentiment Analysis on Twitter (Rebranded as X).

Khakban, Iliya, Jain, Shagun, Gallab, Joseph et al.·Journal of medical Internet research·2025

Researchers analyzed nearly 900,000 posts about ME/CFS on Twitter from 2010 to 2024 to understand what patients and the public were discussing about the illness. They found that most posts were neutral (47%), but negative posts increased over time, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and when new UK treatment guidelines were published in 2021. Patients frequently expressed frustration about ME/CFS being dismissed as a mental health condition and celebrated the 2021 guidelines that recognized it as a physical disease.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

People with Long COVID and ME/CFS Exhibit Similarly Impaired Dexterity and Bimanual Coordination: A Case-Case-Control Study.

Sanal-Hayes, Nilihan E M, Hayes, Lawrence D, Mclaughlin, Marie et al.·The American journal of medicine·2025

This study tested hand coordination and fine motor skills in people with long COVID and ME/CFS using a simple pegboard task where participants place small pegs into holes as quickly and accurately as possible. Both patient groups performed similarly to each other but notably worse than healthy people, suggesting that problems with hand coordination and dexterity are common to both conditions. The findings highlight that these motor difficulties deserve specific medical attention and treatment in both long COVID and ME/CFS patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Provocation of brachial plexus and systemic symptoms during the elevated arm stress test in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Edwards, Charles C, Byrnes, Julia M, Broussard, Camille A et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2025

Researchers tested whether a simple arm position exercise (holding arms overhead and opening/closing fists) could trigger symptoms in ME/CFS patients who struggle with overhead activities. They found that nearly all patients (97%) developed arm symptoms like pain, numbness, or heaviness during the test, and 41% also experienced whole-body symptoms like dizziness, brain fog, or a racing heart. This suggests that some ME/CFS patients may have nerve compression issues in their shoulders or neck that worsen with certain arm positions.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Immune Signatures in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) and Myalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Insights from the Fecal Microbiome and Serum Cytokine Profiles.

Tobi, Martin, Chaudhari, Diptaraj, Ryan, Elizabeth P et al.·Biomolecules·2025

Researchers compared gut bacteria and immune molecules in the blood of people with long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that people with these conditions have unusual patterns of gut bacteria and different levels of immune signaling molecules compared to healthy controls. These differences suggest the immune system and gut health may play a role in why some people develop long-lasting fatigue after infection.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Network structure of functional somatic symptoms.

Litzenburger, Alexandra, Rothacher, Yannick, Hanusch, Kay-Uwe et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2025

This study looked at how symptoms cluster together in people with functional somatic syndromes (like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and others). Researchers surveyed over 3,000 young adults and used network analysis to map which symptoms tend to appear together. They found that fatigue and depression are particularly important symptoms that connect different symptom groups, and identified ten distinct clusters of related symptoms.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Mapping the complexity of ME/CFS: Evidence for abnormal energy metabolism, altered immune profile, and vascular dysfunction.

Heng, Benjamin, Gunasegaran, Bavani, Krishnamurthy, Shivani et al.·Cell reports. Medicine·2025

This study examined blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people to understand what goes wrong in the body. Researchers found that immune cells in ME/CFS patients are struggling to make energy (ATP), the fuel that powers our cells. The immune system also showed signs of being immature or worn out, and blood proteins related to clotting and blood vessel problems were elevated, suggesting blood vessel dysfunction may contribute to ME/CFS symptoms.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Deep sequencing of BCR heavy chain repertoires in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ryback, Audrey A, Cowan, Graeme J M·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This study examined immune system cells called B cells in people with ME/CFS to see if the disease might be caused by chronic infections or autoimmune problems. Researchers compared blood samples from 25 patients with mild/moderate ME/CFS, 36 with severe ME/CFS, healthy people, and people with multiple sclerosis. They found that ME/CFS patients' B cells did not show the typical patterns expected if chronic infection or autoimmunity were the main cause, though they did notice a difference in the balance of certain antibody types in milder cases.

Severe MEImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Efficacy of repeated immunoadsorption in patients with post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and elevated β2-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies: a prospective cohort study.

Stein, Elisa, Heindrich, Cornelia, Wittke, Kirsten et al.·The Lancet regional health. Europe·2025

This study tested a blood-filtering treatment called immunoadsorption in 20 patients with post-COVID ME/CFS who had specific autoantibodies (immune proteins attacking their own bodies). After five treatment sessions, 70% of patients improved, with better physical function, reduced fatigue, and less post-exertional malaise lasting at least six months. The treatment removed harmful immune proteins from the blood and was generally well tolerated.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Age-Related Changes in the Clinical Picture of Long COVID.

Fain, Mindy J, Horne, Benjamin D, Horwitz, Leora I et al.·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·2025

This study looked at how Long COVID symptoms change as people get older. Researchers compared people aged 18–39 with those aged 40–70+ who had recovered from COVID-19 infection at least 135 days earlier. They found that middle-aged adults (40–59) were more likely to have Long COVID than young adults, but surprisingly, adults aged 70+ were actually less likely to report it—and when they did, their symptoms looked different, with less fatigue, pain, and brain fog compared to younger people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Exploratory study on autoantibodies to arginine-rich human peptides mimicking Epstein-Barr virus in women with post-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hoheisel, Friederike, Fleischer, Kathrin Maria, Rubarth, Kerstin et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This study looked for certain antibodies in the blood of women with post-COVID and ME/CFS that might mistakenly attack the body's own proteins. The researchers found that patients with these conditions had more of these problematic antibodies than healthy people, and these antibodies were linked to common ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, pain, and autonomic problems. The results suggest that a virus (EBV) may trigger the immune system to attack human proteins that look similar to viral proteins.

Pain and SensitizationAutonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

Development and validation of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using EpiSwitch® 3-dimensional genomic regulatory immuno-genetic profiling.

Hunter, Ewan, Alshaker, Heba, Bundock, Oliver et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2025

Researchers developed a new blood test called EpiSwitch®CFS that may help diagnose ME/CFS by detecting specific patterns in how DNA is organized in blood cells. When tested on stored blood samples from 47 ME/CFS patients and 61 healthy people, the test correctly identified 92% of ME/CFS patients and correctly ruled out 98% of healthy controls. This could potentially help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more reliably, since there is currently no standard blood test for the condition.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Risk factors for fatigue severity in the post-COVID-19 condition: A prospective controlled cohort study of nonhospitalised adolescents and young adults.

Selvakumar, Joel, Havdal, Lise Beier, Brodwall, Elias Myrstad et al.·Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2025

This study followed young people (ages 12–25) who had COVID-19 to understand why some develop long-lasting fatigue while others recover well. Researchers found that how severe symptoms were in the first few weeks after infection—and psychological factors like loneliness and worry—were much stronger predictors of ongoing fatigue at 6 months than any blood test or physical measure. Surprisingly, whether someone actually had COVID-19 made only a small difference; other life circumstances and emotional stress mattered more.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining Well-Being and Cognitive Function in People With Long COVID and ME/CFS, and Age-Matched Healthy Controls: A Case-Case-Control Study.

Sanal-Hayes, Nilihan E M, Mclaughlin, Marie, Hayes, Lawrence D et al.·The American journal of medicine·2025

This study compared how people with long COVID and ME/CFS experience their daily well-being and thinking abilities, compared to healthy people of similar ages. Researchers found that both long COVID and ME/CFS patients reported similar struggles with fatigue, pain, sleep problems, anxiety, and difficulty with everyday activities—but their actual test performance on thinking tasks was comparable to healthy controls. The findings suggest that both conditions affect quality of life in very similar ways.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Autonomic Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Findings from the Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) Study in the USA.

Issa, Anindita, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Chen, Yang et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2025

This study found that people with ME/CFS experience much higher levels of autonomic nervous system problems—which control things like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion—compared to healthy people. Nearly all ME/CFS patients (97%) had at least one autonomic symptom, with common complaints including dizziness, cold hands and feet, and difficulty standing up. The more autonomic symptoms someone had, especially in certain areas like blood pressure regulation and stomach problems, the more severe their overall illness tended to be.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Absence of BOLD adaptation in chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by task functional MRI.

Schönberg, Laura, Mohamed, Abdalla Z, Yu, Qiang et al.·Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism·2025

This study looked at how the brain responds when people with ME/CFS do mental tasks, using brain imaging to measure blood flow. Researchers found that while healthy people's brains become more efficient with repeated effort (showing less activation over time), people with ME/CFS showed the opposite pattern—their brains actually increased activity with each repetition. This suggests that ME/CFS may involve a fundamental difference in how the brain adapts to mental work, potentially explaining why cognitive tasks feel so exhausting.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Long COVID in the population of COVID-19 hospitalized patients discharged from SUS' hospitals in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil: a patient-engaged cohort survey study.

Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo, Lima, Sheyla Maria Lemos, Escosteguy, Claudia Caminha et al.·BMC infectious diseases·2025

This Brazilian study surveyed over 11,000 people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 to see how many experienced long-lasting symptoms months later. About 71% reported frequent ongoing symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain, while 39% said they had Long COVID. The researchers found that women, people with previous health conditions, and certain age groups were more likely to experience these persistent symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

The Relation Between Cardiac Output and Cerebral Blood Flow in ME/CFS Patients with a POTS Response During a Tilt Test.

van Campen, C Linda M C, Visser, Frans C·Journal of clinical medicine·2025

When people with ME/CFS and POTS stand up, their blood pressure and heart rate don't respond normally, causing symptoms like dizziness and fatigue. This study looked at 260 ME/CFS patients during a tilt test to understand how the heart's output of blood relates to blood flow in the brain. The researchers found two different patterns: about two-thirds of patients showed their brain blood flow dropped at roughly the same rate as their heart's output decreased, while about one-third had a different pattern where their heart was racing but their heart output wasn't dropping as much, and their brain blood flow didn't follow the expected pattern.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Circulating cell-free RNA signatures for the characterization and diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gardella, Anne E, Eweis-LaBolle, Daniel, Loy, Conor J et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Researchers analyzed tiny pieces of RNA floating in the blood of people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people. They used a computer program to identify a pattern of these RNA pieces that could help diagnose ME/CFS with 77% accuracy. The study found that people with ME/CFS have different levels of immune cells releasing material into their blood, suggesting the immune system is behaving differently.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearRegistry-Resource

Unequal access to diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis in England.

Samms, Gemma Louise, Ponting, Chris P·BMC public health·2025

This study examined NHS records from England to understand how many people have ME/CFS and whether diagnosis is fair across different groups. Researchers found that about 100,000 people in England have been officially diagnosed with ME/CFS, but the actual number may be much higher—around 404,000 in the UK. The diagnosis rates varied significantly depending on gender, age, ethnicity, and where people live, suggesting some patients are being missed.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Diagnostic Journey of Dysautonomia Patients: Insights from a Patient-Reported Outcome Study.

O'Dell, John A, Walker, Ash, Latham, Andrew J et al.·Journal of patient experience·2025

This study followed 672 adults with dysautonomia (a condition where the nervous system that controls automatic body functions doesn't work properly) to understand how long it takes to get diagnosed and which doctors help with diagnosis. On average, it took 7.7 years for people to receive a diagnosis, and they often saw multiple types of doctors before getting answers. The study found that dysautonomia commonly occurs alongside other conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, mast cell disorders, and ME/CFS, which can make diagnosis even more confusing.

Autonomic Nervous SystemDiagnostics

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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidelines on Public Perspectives Toward Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Thematic and Sentiment Analysis on Twitter (Rebranded as X).

People with Long COVID and ME/CFS Exhibit Similarly Impaired Dexterity and Bimanual Coordination: A Case-Case-Control Study.

Provocation of brachial plexus and systemic symptoms during the elevated arm stress test in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Immune Signatures in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) and Myalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Insights from the Fecal Microbiome and Serum Cytokine Profiles.

Network structure of functional somatic symptoms.

Mapping the complexity of ME/CFS: Evidence for abnormal energy metabolism, altered immune profile, and vascular dysfunction.

Deep sequencing of BCR heavy chain repertoires in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Efficacy of repeated immunoadsorption in patients with post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and elevated β2-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies: a prospective cohort study.

Age-Related Changes in the Clinical Picture of Long COVID.

Exploratory study on autoantibodies to arginine-rich human peptides mimicking Epstein-Barr virus in women with post-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Development and validation of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using EpiSwitch® 3-dimensional genomic regulatory immuno-genetic profiling.

Risk factors for fatigue severity in the post-COVID-19 condition: A prospective controlled cohort study of nonhospitalised adolescents and young adults.

Examining Well-Being and Cognitive Function in People With Long COVID and ME/CFS, and Age-Matched Healthy Controls: A Case-Case-Control Study.

Autonomic Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Findings from the Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) Study in the USA.

Absence of BOLD adaptation in chronic fatigue syndrome revealed by task functional MRI.

Long COVID in the population of COVID-19 hospitalized patients discharged from SUS' hospitals in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil: a patient-engaged cohort survey study.

The Relation Between Cardiac Output and Cerebral Blood Flow in ME/CFS Patients with a POTS Response During a Tilt Test.

Circulating cell-free RNA signatures for the characterization and diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Unequal access to diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis in England.

The Diagnostic Journey of Dysautonomia Patients: Insights from a Patient-Reported Outcome Study.

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