ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

1741–1760 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Neuropsychological functioning, illness perception, mood and quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease and healthy participants.

Dickson, A, Toft, A, O'Carroll, R E·Psychological medicine·2009

This study compared thinking and memory skills, mood, and quality of life in people with ME/CFS, people with thyroid disease, and healthy people. People with ME/CFS showed more problems with memory, attention, and concentration, plus higher levels of anxiety and depression. Importantly, the attention problems stayed even after researchers accounted for mood issues, suggesting cognitive problems are a core feature of ME/CFS rather than just a result of feeling depressed or anxious.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Barriers to healthcare utilization in fatiguing illness: a population-based study in Georgia.

Lin, Jin-Mann S, Brimmer, Dana J, Boneva, Roumiana S et al.·BMC health services research·2009

This study looked at why people with ME/CFS and other fatiguing illnesses skip or delay needed medical care. Researchers surveyed 780 people, including 112 with CFS, and found that 55% of those with CFS faced barriers to getting healthcare. The main barriers fell into three categories: trouble accessing care (like travel or scheduling), healthcare providers' attitudes and knowledge gaps, and problems with how the healthcare system itself works.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Allodynia in migraine: association with comorbid pain conditions.

Tietjen, Gretchen E, Brandes, Jan L, Peterlin, B Lee et al.·Headache·2009

This study looked at how often migraine patients experience allodynia—pain or discomfort from things that normally wouldn't hurt, like light touch on the skin. The researchers found that 60% of migraine patients had at least one allodynic symptom, and those with allodynia were much more likely to also have other chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as depression and anxiety.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Antecedent nonbladder syndromes in case-control study of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Warren, John W, Howard, Fred M, Cross, Raymond K et al.·Urology·2009

This study compared women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) to women without the condition to see which other illnesses appeared more often before IC/PBS developed. The researchers found that people with IC/PBS were much more likely to have had multiple other chronic conditions beforehand, particularly fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, dry mouth/eyes syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. These conditions often clustered together, suggesting that IC/PBS might be part of a broader whole-body syndrome rather than just a bladder problem.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Exploratory analysis of the relationships between aerobic capacity and self-reported fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Weinstein, Ali A, Drinkard, Bart M, Diao, Guoqing et al.·PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation·2009

This study looked at whether feeling tired (fatigue) matches up with how well the body can use oxygen during exercise in people with three different conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and ME/CFS. Researchers tested 29 patients total and found that people who reported doing more physical activity had better oxygen capacity, but surprisingly, how fatigued people *said* they felt didn't match their actual aerobic fitness levels.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in two "ideologically" contrasting clinics.

Van Houdenhove, Boudewijn, Van Hoof, Elke, Becq, Katrien et al.·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·2009

This study compared ME/CFS patients from two Belgian clinics—one focused on biological causes and one on psychological/social factors. Researchers found that patients at both clinics were actually quite similar in terms of fatigue levels, mood problems, and confidence in managing their illness. However, patients who experienced a sudden illness onset and believed their condition was physical in nature were more likely to attend the biologically-focused clinic.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The role of coping in the relationship between depression and illness severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Walker, Karen, Lindner, Helen, Noonan, Michelle·Journal of allied health·2009

This study looked at how depression and coping strategies affect how severely people with ME/CFS feel their illness impacts them. Researchers surveyed 156 ME/CFS patients about their mood, how they cope with their condition, and how they perceive their illness severity. They found that how patients cope—especially seeking social support and finding positive ways to think about their situation—may be just as important as treating depression when it comes to how sick people feel.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load: results from a population-based case-control study in Georgia.

Maloney, Elizabeth M, Boneva, Roumiana, Nater, Urs M et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2009

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have higher levels of 'allostatic load'—a measure of how much stress and wear-and-tear their bodies have accumulated over time. Researchers compared 83 people with ME/CFS, 202 people with some symptoms but not full ME/CFS, and 109 healthy controls in Georgia. They found that people with ME/CFS did have significantly higher allostatic load than healthy people, suggesting their bodies may be under greater physiological stress.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High slow-wave sleep and low-light sleep: chronic fatigue syndrome is not likely to be a primary sleep disorder.

Neu, Daniel, Cappeliez, Bernard, Hoffmann, Guy et al.·Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·2009

This study compared sleep patterns between people with ME/CFS and people with a primary sleep disorder (sleep apnea) to see if ME/CFS might actually be a sleep problem in disguise. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients have distinctly different sleep patterns—more deep sleep and fewer light sleep stages—compared to people with actual sleep disorders. This suggests ME/CFS is not primarily a sleep disorder, even though both conditions cause people to feel unrefreshed.

Sleep

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

"Functional" or "psychosomatic" symptoms, e.g. a flu-like malaise, aches and pain and fatigue, are major features of major and in particular of melancholic depression.

Maes, Michael·Neuro endocrinology letters·2009

This study looked at whether depression and ME/CFS share similar physical symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, and feeling like you have an infection. Researchers found that people with severe depression often experience these "body-centered" symptoms as a major part of their illness. The findings suggest that doctors should pay more attention to these physical symptoms when diagnosing and treating depression.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Further validation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a US adult population sample.

Lin, Jin-Mann S, Brimmer, Dana J, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·Population health metrics·2009

This study tested whether a 20-question fatigue measurement tool (the MFI-20) works well for people with ME/CFS and other chronic illnesses. Researchers gave the questionnaire to 783 people in Georgia—some with ME/CFS-like illness, some with chronic unwellness, and some who were healthy—and found that the tool reliably distinguished between these groups and accurately measured different types of fatigue.

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Transcription profile analysis of vastus lateralis muscle from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Pietrangelo, T, Mancinelli, R, Toniolo, L et al.·International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology·2009

Researchers examined muscle tissue from ME/CFS patients and found abnormalities in how genes are expressed—essentially, certain genetic instructions were turned up or down compared to healthy people. The biggest changes involved genes related to energy production in cells, muscle structure, and communication between nerves and muscles. These findings suggest that problems at the cellular level may explain why ME/CFS patients experience muscle weakness and fatigue.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Illness intrusiveness in myalgic encephalomyelitis: an exploratory study.

Goudsmit, E M, Stouten, B, Howes, S·Journal of health psychology·2009

This study looked at how much ME disrupts different areas of patients' lives—work, social activities, hobbies, and relationships. Researchers asked 24 people with ME about their symptoms, how disabled they felt, and their mood. They found that ME significantly intrudes on daily life, and this intrusion was linked to fatigue, brain fog, disability, and depression. Patients who had ME plus other health conditions reported even more life disruption than those with ME alone.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cardiovascular dysfunction with low cardiac output due to a small heart in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Miwa, Kunihisa, Fujita, Masatoshi·Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)·2009

This study found that many ME/CFS patients experience heart-related symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, and dizziness. Using heart imaging tests, researchers discovered that about one-third of ME/CFS patients had smaller-than-normal hearts that pump less blood than expected, which may contribute to their fatigue and other symptoms.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Implications of gender in chronic Lyme disease.

Wormser, Gary P, Shapiro, Eugene D·Journal of women's health (2002)·2009

This study compared three groups of patients: those with confirmed Lyme disease, those with lingering symptoms after Lyme disease treatment (post-Lyme disease syndrome), and those diagnosed with 'chronic Lyme disease' (a less clearly defined condition). The researchers found that women made up a much larger percentage of the chronic Lyme disease group compared to the other two groups. This suggests that some patients labeled with chronic Lyme disease may actually have other conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome that also affect more women.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Increased 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidative damage to DNA, in major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivanka, Kubera, Marta et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2009

This study measured a marker of DNA damage in the urine of people with ME/CFS, depression, both conditions together, and healthy controls. Researchers found that people with both ME/CFS and depression had the highest levels of this DNA damage marker, and the damage correlated with fatigue severity and flu-like symptoms. This suggests that oxidative stress—a type of cellular damage from harmful molecules—may play a role in both conditions.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychomotor functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome and major depressive disorder: a comparative study.

Schrijvers, D, Van Den Eede, F, Maas, Y et al.·Journal of affective disorders·2009

This study compared how quickly people with ME/CFS and depression could complete two drawing tasks—one simple and one complex. Both patient groups worked more slowly than healthy people, but the pattern of slowness differed between the two conditions. People with depression were especially slow at simple motor tasks, while both patient groups struggled similarly with the more cognitively demanding task.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Ventricular cerebrospinal fluid lactate is increased in chronic fatigue syndrome compared with generalized anxiety disorder: an in vivo 3.0 T (1)H MRS imaging study.

Mathew, Sanjay J, Mao, Xiangling, Keegan, Kathryn A et al.·NMR in biomedicine·2009

Researchers used a specialized brain scan to measure a substance called lactate in the fluid surrounding the brain in people with ME/CFS, people with anxiety disorder, and healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS had about three times more lactate in their brain fluid than the other groups, suggesting their brain cells may not be using energy efficiently.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Illness perceptions in patients with fibromyalgia.

van Ittersum, M W, van Wilgen, C P, Hilberdink, W K H A et al.·Patient education and counseling·2009

This study looked at how people with fibromyalgia understand and perceive their illness by having 196 patients complete a questionnaire. The researchers found that fibromyalgia patients often feel confused about their condition, believe it will last a long time, and worry it will significantly impact their daily life. The questionnaire tool was found to be reliable for measuring these beliefs in Dutch-speaking fibromyalgia patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Glucocorticoid receptor mediated negative feedback in chronic fatigue syndrome using the low dose (0.5 mg) dexamethasone suppression test.

Papadopoulos, Andrew, Ebrecht, Marcel, Roberts, Amanda D L et al.·Journal of affective disorders·2009

This study looked at how the body's stress hormone system works in ME/CFS patients. Researchers gave a small dose of a synthetic hormone called dexamethasone to 18 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy people, then measured how much their natural stress hormone (cortisol) decreased in response. Interestingly, ME/CFS patients who also had depression showed a larger drop in cortisol than healthy controls, suggesting their feedback system may be working overtime.

Endocrine Disruption

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Neuropsychological functioning, illness perception, mood and quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease and healthy participants.

Barriers to healthcare utilization in fatiguing illness: a population-based study in Georgia.

Allodynia in migraine: association with comorbid pain conditions.

Antecedent nonbladder syndromes in case-control study of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Exploratory analysis of the relationships between aerobic capacity and self-reported fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in two "ideologically" contrasting clinics.

The role of coping in the relationship between depression and illness severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load: results from a population-based case-control study in Georgia.

High slow-wave sleep and low-light sleep: chronic fatigue syndrome is not likely to be a primary sleep disorder.

"Functional" or "psychosomatic" symptoms, e.g. a flu-like malaise, aches and pain and fatigue, are major features of major and in particular of melancholic depression.

Further validation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a US adult population sample.

Transcription profile analysis of vastus lateralis muscle from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Illness intrusiveness in myalgic encephalomyelitis: an exploratory study.

Cardiovascular dysfunction with low cardiac output due to a small heart in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Implications of gender in chronic Lyme disease.

Increased 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidative damage to DNA, in major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psychomotor functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome and major depressive disorder: a comparative study.

Ventricular cerebrospinal fluid lactate is increased in chronic fatigue syndrome compared with generalized anxiety disorder: an in vivo 3.0 T (1)H MRS imaging study.

Illness perceptions in patients with fibromyalgia.

Glucocorticoid receptor mediated negative feedback in chronic fatigue syndrome using the low dose (0.5 mg) dexamethasone suppression test.

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