ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2785 studies

1821–1840 of 2,785 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

A longitudinal study of the relationship between psychological distress and recurrence of upper respiratory tract infections in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Faulkner, Susan, Smith, Andrew·British journal of health psychology·2008

This study tracked 21 ME/CFS patients and 18 healthy people over 15 weeks to see if stress affects how often they catch colds and respiratory infections. ME/CFS patients caught infections much more frequently than healthy people, and importantly, high stress levels in one week predicted who would get sick the next week. The same stress also made their fatigue symptoms worse.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Attenuated morning salivary cortisol concentrations in a population-based study of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and well controls.

Nater, Urs M, Maloney, Elizabeth, Boneva, Roumiana S et al.·The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·2008

This study looked at cortisol, a hormone released by the body in the morning to help us wake up and manage stress. Researchers compared cortisol levels in people with ME/CFS to healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients, especially women, had lower morning cortisol levels than expected. This suggests the hormone system that controls cortisol may not be working normally in ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The Energy Envelope Theory and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, Leonard, Muldowney, Kathleen, Torres-Harding, Susan·AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses·2008

This study tested the Energy Envelope Theory, which suggests that ME/CFS symptoms get worse when people spend more energy than they have available. Researchers asked people with ME/CFS to track their daily energy use compared to their available energy, and found that those who exceeded their energy budget experienced more severe fatigue, pain, depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. The findings support the idea that staying within your energy limits may help manage ME/CFS symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing factor test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Van Den Eede, F, Moorkens, G, Hulstijn, W et al.·Psychological medicine·2008

This study tested how well the stress-response system (HPA axis) works in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers gave patients a special test involving two hormones and measured cortisol levels in saliva. They found that ME/CFS patients had lower cortisol responses than healthy controls, suggesting their stress-response system may not be working properly—but this was especially true for patients without a history of childhood trauma.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Evidence for T-helper 2 shift and association with illness parameters in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Torres-Harding, Susan, Sorenson, Matthew, Jason, Leonard A et al.·Bulletin of the IACFS/ME·2008

This study looked at immune system differences in people with ME/CFS by measuring two types of immune cells called Th1 and Th2. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS who had a stronger shift toward Th2 immune responses also reported worse sleep quality and had higher stress hormone levels in their saliva. This suggests that immune system imbalances might be connected to some of the troubling symptoms people with ME/CFS experience.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Gait characteristics of subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome and controls at self-selected and matched velocities.

Paul, Lorna, Rafferty, Danny, Wood, Leslie et al.·Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2008

People with ME/CFS often walk differently than healthy people. Researchers tracked how 12 people with ME/CFS and 12 healthy controls walked, measuring their leg and ankle movements. People with ME/CFS walked slower and had different ankle movements, especially when walking at their own comfortable pace.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

The economic impact of ME/CFS: individual and societal costs.

Jason, Leonard A, Benton, Mary C, Valentine, Lisa et al.·Dynamic medicine : DM·2008

This study looked at how much money ME/CFS costs both individual patients and society as a whole in the United States. Researchers examined medical bills, test costs, and medication expenses for ME/CFS patients in two different groups. They found that ME/CFS is very expensive—costing between $2,000 and $8,600 per patient per year in direct medical costs alone, and billions of dollars to society when you include lost work and productivity.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Implementing cognitive behavior therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome in mental health care: a costs and outcomes analysis.

Scheeres, Korine, Wensing, Michel, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al.·BMC health services research·2008

This study tested whether cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a talk-based treatment, could be successfully offered to ME/CFS patients at a mental health center and whether it was worth the cost. Researchers tracked 125 patients before and after treatment and found that 37% recovered from CFS, patients' healthcare costs went down, and overall costs to society were lower. The study suggests that offering CBT for ME/CFS in mental health settings could be both helpful and financially reasonable.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Memory for fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: relationships to fatigue variability, catastrophizing, and negative affect.

Sohl, Stephanie J, Friedberg, Fred·Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)·2008

This study explored how ME/CFS patients remember their fatigue compared to what they actually experience day-to-day. Over 3 weeks, 53 patients recorded their fatigue levels as they happened, then recalled how fatigued they had been the previous week. The research found that people who had more variable fatigue, as well as those struggling with worry, depression, or anxiety, tended to remember their fatigue differently than they actually experienced it.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Seroprevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii among employees of the Veterinary University in Kosice, eastern Slovakia.

Dorko, Erik, Kalinova, Zuzana, Weissova, Tatiana et al.·Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM·2008

This study tested veterinary university employees in Slovakia for past or present infection with a bacteria called Coxiella burnetii, which causes Q fever—a disease spread mainly through contact with infected animals or their fluids. Researchers found that more than one-third of the employees had antibodies (immune markers) suggesting exposure to this bacteria, and some employees reported having chronic fatigue syndrome, fever of unknown origin, and other unexplained health problems.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Physical health 25 years later: the predictive ability of neuroticism.

Charles, Susan Turk, Gatz, Margaret, Kato, Kenji et al.·Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·2008

This study followed over 21,000 people for 25 years to see if personality traits measured in 1973 could predict physical health problems in 1998–2002. The researchers found that people who scored higher on neuroticism—a trait involving worry, emotional sensitivity, and stress—were more likely to report having chronic conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. However, when family history was considered, some of these connections weakened, suggesting that genetics may partly explain why certain personality traits and health problems run in families.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The prevalence of generalized soft tissue rheumatic conditions in Turkish medical students.

Eyigor, Sibel, Ozdedeli, Selcen, Durmaz, Berrin·Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases·2008

This study looked at how common soft tissue pain conditions—including fibromyalgia, muscle pain, and joint hypermobility—are among medical students in Turkey. Researchers found that about 1 in 5 students had one of these conditions, with women affected much more often than men. Students with these conditions reported lower quality of life, especially in physical functioning and energy levels.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach.

Chia, J K S, Chia, A Y·Journal of clinical pathology·2008

This study examined stomach biopsies from 165 ME/CFS patients to look for enterovirus (a type of virus) because many patients report stomach problems. Researchers found that 82% of ME/CFS patients had signs of enterovirus in their stomach cells, compared to only 20% of healthy control patients. Some patients tested positive for the virus years apart, suggesting a persistent infection rather than a one-time illness.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sympathetic cardiovascular control during orthostatic stress and isometric exercise in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wyller, Vegard Bruun, Saul, J Philip, Walløe, Lars et al.·European journal of applied physiology·2008

This study looked at how the bodies of adolescents with ME/CFS respond to physical stress, specifically when lying down while pressure is applied to the legs and while squeezing a hand grip. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had higher heart rates and stress hormone levels even at rest, and their cardiovascular system overreacted to the leg pressure test but underreacted during the hand grip exercise compared to healthy teenagers.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Increase in prefrontal cortical volume following cognitive behavioural therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

de Lange, Floris P, Koers, Anda, Kalkman, Joke S et al.·Brain : a journal of neurology·2008

This study found that ME/CFS patients have less brain tissue volume in certain areas compared to healthy people, but this loss can partially reverse with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Patients who received CBT showed improvement in their symptoms, physical activity, and thinking speed, and their brain scans revealed increased grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex (the front part of the brain involved in decision-making). This suggests that some of the brain changes seen in ME/CFS may not be permanent and could improve with effective treatment.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Determinants of health care use in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a cross-sectional study.

Scheeres, Korine, Wensing, Michel, Severens, Hans et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2008

This study looked at what factors influence how much medical care ME/CFS patients use. Researchers surveyed 263 ME/CFS patients about their doctor visits and hospital stays over 6 months, and measured their fatigue severity and physical functioning. They found that how sick patients are, how long they've had the illness, and whether they focus a lot on their symptoms all affect how much healthcare they use.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Symptoms, impairment and illness intrusiveness--their relationship with depression in women with CFS/ME.

Dancey, Christine P, Friend, Julie·Psychology & health·2008

This study looked at how ME/CFS symptoms and daily limitations affect depression in women with the illness. The researchers found that ME/CFS is particularly intrusive—it disrupts many areas of life more than other chronic illnesses do. How much the illness disrupts daily life turned out to be the strongest predictor of whether someone develops depression, more so than the symptoms or impairments alone.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Alterations in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in a population-based sample of cases with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nater, Urs M, Youngblood, Laura Solomon, Jones, James F et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2008

This study measured stress hormone (cortisol) levels and immune markers in saliva and blood from people with ME/CFS, people with significant fatigue who don't meet full CFS criteria, and healthy controls. People with ME/CFS showed an abnormal pattern: lower cortisol in the morning and higher in the evening (the opposite of what's healthy), suggesting their stress-response system may not be working normally.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome: testing popular hypotheses using a national birth cohort study.

Harvey, Samuel B, Wadsworth, Michael, Wessely, Simon et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2008

This study followed nearly 5,000 people from birth into their 50s to understand what causes ME/CFS. Researchers found that people who exercised more throughout their life—and continued exercising even as they felt increasingly tired—were more likely to develop ME/CFS later on. The study suggests that continuing to push yourself physically while experiencing growing fatigue may play a role in developing this condition.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Measuring health outcomes of a multidisciplinary care approach in individuals with chronic environmental conditions using an abbreviated symptoms questionnaire.

Fox, Roy, Sampalli, Tara, Fox, Jonathan·Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare·2008

This study looked at how well a multidisciplinary treatment program (combining different types of care) worked for people with multiple chemical sensitivity and related conditions like ME/CFS. Researchers tracked 292 patients over time and used a symptom questionnaire to measure improvement. They found that some symptoms like difficulty concentrating and tiredness improved quickly (within 6 months), while others like fatigue took longer to improve.

Cognitive Impairment

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A longitudinal study of the relationship between psychological distress and recurrence of upper respiratory tract infections in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Attenuated morning salivary cortisol concentrations in a population-based study of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and well controls.

The Energy Envelope Theory and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing factor test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence for T-helper 2 shift and association with illness parameters in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Gait characteristics of subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome and controls at self-selected and matched velocities.

The economic impact of ME/CFS: individual and societal costs.

Implementing cognitive behavior therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome in mental health care: a costs and outcomes analysis.

Memory for fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: relationships to fatigue variability, catastrophizing, and negative affect.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii among employees of the Veterinary University in Kosice, eastern Slovakia.

Physical health 25 years later: the predictive ability of neuroticism.

The prevalence of generalized soft tissue rheumatic conditions in Turkish medical students.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach.

Sympathetic cardiovascular control during orthostatic stress and isometric exercise in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Increase in prefrontal cortical volume following cognitive behavioural therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Determinants of health care use in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a cross-sectional study.

Symptoms, impairment and illness intrusiveness--their relationship with depression in women with CFS/ME.

Alterations in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in a population-based sample of cases with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome: testing popular hypotheses using a national birth cohort study.

Measuring health outcomes of a multidisciplinary care approach in individuals with chronic environmental conditions using an abbreviated symptoms questionnaire.

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