Evidence browser

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Long-term predictors of outcome in fatigued employees on sick leave: a 4-year follow-up study.

Leone, Stephanie S, Huibers, Marcus J H, Kant, Ijmert et al.·Psychological medicine·2006

This study followed 127 people who were on sick leave due to fatigue for 4 years to see who would recover and return to work. After 4 years, about one-quarter of the participants were still unable to work due to disability. The study found that people with lower physical functioning at the start were more likely to remain disabled and continue experiencing fatigue.

Mirrored symptoms in mother and child with chronic fatigue syndrome.

van de Putte, Elise M, van Doornen, Lorenz J P, Engelbert, Raoul H H et al.·Pediatrics·2006

This study looked at whether parents of teenagers with ME/CFS also have ME/CFS or similar fatigue symptoms. Researchers compared 40 adolescents with ME/CFS to 36 healthy teens and surveyed both children and parents about fatigue and mood. They found that mothers of teens with ME/CFS were significantly more likely to have fatigue and psychological distress similar to their child, while fathers showed no such pattern.

Patterns of hypocapnia on tilt in patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, nonspecific dizziness, and neurally mediated syncope.

Naschitz, Jochanan E, Mussafia-Priselac, Renata, Kovalev, Yulia et al.·The American journal of the medical sciences·2006

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and dizziness breathe too fast when standing up, causing them to exhale too much carbon dioxide (a condition called hypocapnia). Researchers tested 585 people using a tilt table that slowly raises the upper body while measuring breathing patterns. They found that 9-27% of people with these conditions showed abnormal breathing on the tilt test, compared to 0-2% of healthy controls, suggesting this may be a real but not universal feature of these illnesses.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Clinical burnout is not reflected in the cortisol awakening response, the day-curve or the response to a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test.

Mommersteeg, Paula M C, Heijnen, Cobi J, Verbraak, Marc J P M et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2006

This study tested whether burnout affects the body's stress hormone system (cortisol levels) in the same way that chronic stress does. Researchers measured cortisol levels in 74 people with burnout and 35 healthy people using saliva samples and a hormone suppression test. They found no differences between the two groups, suggesting that burnout may not change cortisol patterns the way researchers expected.

Endocrine Disruption

Medically evaluated psychological and physical health of Australian Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue.

Kelsall, Helen, Sim, Malcolm, McKenzie, Dean et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2006

This study compared fatigue and health problems in Australian military veterans who served in the Gulf War with similar military personnel who did not deploy there. Researchers found that Gulf War veterans reported more fatigue at all severity levels than the comparison group. Importantly, unexplained chronic fatigue (similar to ME/CFS) was more common in veterans, though true ME/CFS remained rare in both groups, at levels similar to the general population.

Is chronic fatigue syndrome associated with platelet activation?

Kennedy, Gwen, Norris, Gillian, Spence, Vance et al.·Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis·2006

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have problems with blood clotting and platelet activation (small cells in blood that help form clots). Researchers tested 17 patients with CFS and 16 healthy control participants using standard blood tests. They found no evidence that CFS patients have increased clotting problems or overactive platelets.

Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: an example of cytokine mediated sickness behaviour?

Heesen, C, Nawrath, L, Reich, C et al.·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2006

This study looked at whether immune system chemicals called cytokines might cause fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients, similar to how infection makes you feel tired and sick. Researchers compared blood samples from 15 MS patients with severe fatigue to 15 MS patients without fatigue, and found that those with fatigue had significantly higher levels of inflammatory molecules. This suggests that immune system activation may be a key driver of MS-related fatigue.

Diurnal excretion of urinary cortisol, cortisone, and cortisol metabolites in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jerjes, Walid K, Peters, Timothy J, Taylor, Norman F et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2006

This study measured stress hormone levels in urine samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people throughout the day. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of certain stress hormones (cortisol and cortisone) compared to healthy controls, though the daily pattern of these hormones was normal. Interestingly, when they looked at other related hormone measurements, they didn't see the same difference, which suggests the stress response system may not be working as hard in ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

Allostatic load is associated with symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Goertzel, Benjamin N, Pennachin, Cassio, de Souza Coelho, Lucio et al.·Pharmacogenomics·2006

This study looked at whether ME/CFS patients have higher 'allostatic load'—a measure of stress on the body's systems including metabolism, heart function, and hormones. Researchers compared 43 ME/CFS patients to 60 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients with higher allostatic load reported worse physical function, more body pain, and more frequent symptoms. The study suggests the body's stress response systems may play a role in ME/CFS severity.

Energy Metabolism

Sleep characteristics of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and non-fatigued controls: results from a population-based study.

Reeves, William C, Heim, Christine, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·BMC neurology·2006

This study compared sleep patterns in people with ME/CFS and healthy controls using overnight sleep monitoring tests. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had slightly more breathing interruptions during sleep, but overall sleep architecture (the normal stages and patterns of sleep) was similar between the two groups. The results suggest that while sleep problems are common in ME/CFS, they may not be caused by the same underlying sleep abnormalities seen in other sleep disorders.

Sleep

Chronic widespread pain and its comorbidities: a population-based study.

Kato, Kenji, Sullivan, Patrick F, Evengård, Birgitta et al.·Archives of internal medicine·2006

This large study of over 44,000 Swedish adults found that chronic widespread pain (a hallmark of fibromyalgia) occurs together with ME/CFS, joint pain, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome much more often than by chance alone. Interestingly, when researchers compared twins, they discovered that shared family genes and home environment—not just the pain condition itself—explained much of why these conditions cluster together.

Long-term outcomes of an integrative rehabilitation program on quality of life: a follow-up study.

Taylor, Renee R, Thanawala, Sachi G, Shiraishi, Yukiko et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2006

This study tested whether a counseling program could improve quality of life for people with ME/CFS. Twenty-three participants attended 8 group sessions about managing their illness, followed by 7 months of one-on-one counseling. When researchers checked in at multiple points over a year, they found that people reported better quality of life for up to 12 months after completing the program.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Mortality in a cohort of chronically fatigued patients.

Smith, Wayne R, Noonan, Carolyn, Buchwald, Dedra·Psychological medicine·2006

Researchers tracked 1,201 patients with chronic fatigue for up to 14 years to see if the condition was linked to higher death rates. They found that overall death rates were normal, but suicide rates were much higher than expected in the general population—especially among patients with chronic fatigue who did NOT meet the full criteria for ME/CFS, and particularly those with a history of depression.

[The peculiarities of formation and approaches to the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome in young patients with focal brain damage].

Boĭko, A N, Batysheva, T T, Matvievskaia, O V et al.·Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova·2006

This study looked at chronic fatigue (tiredness that doesn't go away) in young patients who had brain injuries or diseases like multiple sclerosis or other brain conditions. Researchers tested whether a medication called Fezam (made from piracetam and cinnarizin) could help reduce this fatigue. The medication did help reduce fatigue severity, particularly in MS patients, though some patients experienced mild side effects like sleep problems.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Premorbid predictors of chronic fatigue.

Kato, Kenji, Sullivan, Patrick F, Evengård, Birgitta et al.·Archives of general psychiatry·2006

This study looked at whether stress and personality traits before someone got sick could predict who would develop chronic fatigue later. Researchers followed nearly 20,000 Swedish twins for 25+ years, measuring their stress levels and personalities in the 1970s, then checking in the late 1990s to see who had developed chronic fatigue-like illness. They found that people who reported higher stress before getting sick were significantly more likely to develop chronic fatigue, though genetic factors played an important role in this relationship.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the role of positivity to illness in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Hyland, Michael E, Sodergren, Samantha C, Lewith, George T·Journal of health psychology·2006

This study followed 53 ME/CFS patients for 12 months to see if having a positive outlook about their illness helped reduce fatigue. Researchers found that patients who developed a more positive perspective on their condition did experience improvements in mental fatigue later on. However, the study suggests that positivity itself may not be the direct cause of feeling better—instead, supportive care from healthcare providers may help patients feel more positive, which then happens before mental fatigue improves.

Well-being in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: the role of acceptance.

Van Damme, Stefaan, Crombez, Geert, Van Houdenhove, Boudewijn et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2006

This study looked at whether accepting ME/CFS—rather than fighting against it—might help patients feel better overall. Ninety-seven patients answered questionnaires about their fatigue, daily functioning, mood, and how much they accepted their illness. The researchers found that patients who accepted their condition reported better emotional health and less anxiety, even when accounting for how severe their fatigue was.