ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

2001–2020 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Primary healthcare provision and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a survey of patients' and General Practitioners' beliefs.

Thomas, Marie A, Smith, Andrew P·BMC family practice·2005

This study asked both ME/CFS patients and general practitioners (GPs) in Wales what they knew about ME/CFS. Researchers found that many GPs had very little specialist knowledge about the condition, and concerningly, only about half of the GPs surveyed actually believed ME/CFS was a real illness. The study suggested that creating better educational materials for both GPs and patients could help improve understanding and care.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome of childhood. Comparative study with emotional disorders.

Garralda, M Elena, Rangel, Luiza·European child & adolescent psychiatry·2005

This study compared children diagnosed with ME/CFS to children with emotional disorders like anxiety and depression to see how these conditions differ. While both groups of children experienced some similar emotional challenges, children with ME/CFS reported more severe tiredness and physical symptoms, and were more likely to have had infections or medical problems before getting sick. The results show that ME/CFS and emotional disorders can look similar in some ways but have important differences.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a clinically empirical approach to its definition and study.

Reeves, William C, Wagner, Dieter, Nisenbaum, Rosane et al.·BMC medicine·2005

This study tested two different ways of diagnosing ME/CFS to see which one worked better. Researchers in Kansas recruited 227 people—some with ME/CFS, some with unexplained fatigue that didn't meet ME/CFS criteria, some depressed, and some healthy—and admitted them to a hospital for two days of testing. They found that a new method for diagnosing ME/CFS (based on measuring fatigue severity, disability, and symptoms) worked much better at identifying truly ill people than the old method.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The epidemiology of chronic fatigue in the Swedish Twin Registry.

Evengård, Birgitta, Jacks, Andreas, Pedersen, Nancy L et al.·Psychological medicine·2005

This Swedish study contacted over 31,000 people and found that about 2.4% had symptoms matching chronic fatigue syndrome. Women were nearly four times more likely to have these symptoms than men. The researchers were surprised to find that ME/CFS may be more common than doctors previously thought.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

[Effect of physical factors on bioelectric properties of cell nuclei of buccal epithelium in students with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Samoĭlovych, V A, Hutarieva, N V, Tondiĭ, L D·Likars'ka sprava·2005

Researchers studied 60 students with chronic fatigue syndrome at a health facility, dividing them into two groups receiving different types of physical activity: one group did water-based exercise therapy while the other did conventional exercise classes and contrast showers. By measuring changes in the electrical properties of cells from the mouth's lining, researchers found that the water-based therapy group showed improved electrical cell activity that matched their clinical improvement, suggesting physical treatments may help restore normal body function in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Prospective observational study of treatments for unexplained chronic fatigue.

Bentler, Suzanne E, Hartz, Arthur J, Kuhn, Evelyn M·The Journal of clinical psychiatry·2005

This study followed 155 people with chronic fatigue over 2 years to see which treatments they found helpful. Researchers asked participants about medications, supplements, exercise, yoga, and support groups they tried. While some treatments like yoga and vitamins were associated with feeling better, other treatments like magnesium and support groups were linked to feeling worse—though it's unclear why.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Employment status in chronic fatigue syndrome. A cross-sectional study examining the value of exercise testing and self-reported measures for the assessment of employment status.

Nijs, Jo, Van de Putte, Karen, Louckx, Fred et al.·Clinical rehabilitation·2005

This study looked at whether exercise tests and questionnaires could predict which ME/CFS patients could work. Researchers tested 54 employed patients with ME/CFS and asked them about their work status and quality of life. They found that while some measures weakly related to employment, neither exercise testing nor self-reported disability measures were strong enough to reliably predict who could work.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Oxidative stress levels are raised in chronic fatigue syndrome and are associated with clinical symptoms.

Kennedy, Gwen, Spence, Vance A, McLaren, Margaret et al.·Free radical biology & medicine·2005

This study measured harmful molecules called free radicals in the blood of ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had higher levels of these damaging molecules, and in patients without heart disease risk factors, the amount of free radicals correlated with how severe their symptoms were, particularly fatigue after exertion and joint pain.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Exercise responsive genes measured in peripheral blood of women with chronic fatigue syndrome and matched control subjects.

Whistler, Toni, Jones, James F, Unger, Elizabeth R et al.·BMC physiology·2005

Researchers studied women with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy women to look for biological markers of post-exertional malaise (when activity makes symptoms worse). They measured how genes 'turn on and off' in blood cells before and after exercise. The study found that genes related to ion transport and cellular functions behave differently in ME/CFS patients after exercise compared to healthy people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Orthostatic instability in a population-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jones, James F, Nicholson, Ainsley, Nisenbaum, Rosane et al.·The American journal of medicine·2005

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have problems with their body's ability to regulate blood pressure and heart rate when changing positions (like standing up). Researchers compared 58 people with ME/CFS to 55 healthy people using a tilt table test. Surprisingly, they found that both groups had similar rates of these problems, suggesting that this particular type of autonomic dysfunction may not be a primary cause of ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Do support groups help people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia? A comparison of active and inactive members.

Friedberg, Fred, Leung, Debbie W, Quick, Joyce·The Journal of rheumatology·2005

This study asked people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia whether support groups helped them. Researchers found that active members valued support groups mostly for feeling understood and learning new information, though fewer felt the groups directly improved their illness. Interestingly, people who stayed active in groups reported worse symptoms than those who stopped attending, which may mean sicker people keep going or that something about the groups themselves affects outcomes.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

24-hour pituitary and adrenal hormone profiles in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Di Giorgio, Annabella, Hudson, Marina, Jerjes, Walid et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2005

Researchers measured hormone levels in ME/CFS patients and healthy people over a full 24-hour period to see if the body's stress-hormone system works differently. They found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of ACTH (a hormone that signals the adrenal glands) throughout the day, especially in the morning when levels normally peak. Other hormones tested were normal, suggesting a subtle problem with how the stress-hormone system is regulated.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Awareness and knowledge of fibromyalgia among French rheumatologists and general practitioners.

Blotman, F, Thomas, E, Myon, E et al.·Clinical and experimental rheumatology·2005

This study asked French doctors (both general practitioners and specialists called rheumatologists) how much they knew about fibromyalgia, a condition with widespread muscle pain and fatigue. The results showed that most doctors had never formally learned about this condition in medical school, and many did not fully recognize it as a legitimate disease. The study highlights that doctors need better training to understand and properly diagnose fibromyalgia.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

[Clinical observation on effect of electro-acupuncture on back-shu points in treating chronic fatigue syndrome].

Wang, Qian, Xiong, Jia-xuan·Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi = Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine·2005

This study tested whether a type of acupuncture called electro-acupuncture (using small electrical currents with acupuncture needles) could help people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) feel less tired and have fewer symptoms. Forty patients received treatment targeting specific acupuncture points on the back, and researchers measured their fatigue and symptom levels before and after treatment. The results showed that fatigue and symptoms improved significantly after the treatment.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Brain 5-HT1A receptor binding in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using positron emission tomography and [11C]WAY-100635.

Cleare, Anthony J, Messa, Cristina, Rabiner, Eugenii A et al.·Biological psychiatry·2005

This study used brain imaging to measure a specific receptor (5-HT1A) that helps regulate serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain. Researchers compared 10 ME/CFS patients with 10 healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients had significantly fewer of these receptors, especially in a brain region called the hippocampus (involved in memory and emotion). This suggests that serotonin regulation in the brain may work differently in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Stress-induced changes in LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gaab, Jens, Rohleder, Nicolas, Heitz, Vera et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2005

This study tested how ME/CFS patients' immune systems respond to stress compared to healthy people. Researchers gave both groups a stressful public speaking task, then exposed their blood samples to a bacterial substance to measure immune response. Unlike healthy controls whose immune response increased after stress, ME/CFS patients showed a decreased immune response, suggesting their bodies may not mobilize infection-fighting chemicals normally during stress.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The definition of disabling fatigue in children and adolescents.

Fowler, Tom, Duthie, Pamela, Thapar, Anita et al.·BMC family practice·2005

This study looked at how disabling fatigue in children and teens should be defined, since the current definition used for adults might not fit young people well. Researchers found that children with disabling fatigue that didn't quite meet the strict adult criteria still suffered just as much and missed just as much school as those who did meet the strict criteria. The study suggests that doctors should use a broader, less restrictive definition to catch all children who need help.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Weaver, Shelley A, Tseng, Chin-Lin et al.·Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·2005

Researchers performed spinal taps on 44 ME/CFS patients and 13 healthy people to look for signs of brain inflammation. They found that 30% of ME/CFS patients had abnormal levels of white blood cells or proteins in their spinal fluid, compared to none in the healthy group. They also found that certain immune molecules were different in ME/CFS patients, particularly in those with sudden flu-like symptom onset. These results suggest that ME/CFS may involve real physical changes in the nervous system, not just psychological factors.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Prevalence of atopy in chronic fatigue syndrome].

Ferré Ybarz, L, Cardona Dahl, V, Cadahía García, A et al.·Allergologia et immunopathologia·2005

Researchers compared allergies and allergic sensitivity in 25 people with ME/CFS to 20 healthy controls. While patients with ME/CFS reported slightly more respiratory symptoms and drug allergies, the study found no significant difference in overall allergic sensitization between the two groups. This suggests that allergies may not be a core feature of ME/CFS, though some patients do experience them.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The prevalence of self-reported chronic fatigue in a U.S. twin registry.

Furberg, Helena, Olarte, Megan, Afari, Niloo et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2005

This study looked at how common fatigue-related illnesses are among twins in the United States and found that fatigue symptoms are quite common, affecting over one-third of people at some point in their lives. Women were 2-3 times more likely to report fatigue than men, and women typically experienced it at younger ages. People with chronic fatigue had significantly worse quality of life and more additional symptoms than those without fatigue.

Diagnostics

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Evidence browser

Primary healthcare provision and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a survey of patients' and General Practitioners' beliefs.

Chronic fatigue syndrome of childhood. Comparative study with emotional disorders.

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a clinically empirical approach to its definition and study.

The epidemiology of chronic fatigue in the Swedish Twin Registry.

[Effect of physical factors on bioelectric properties of cell nuclei of buccal epithelium in students with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Prospective observational study of treatments for unexplained chronic fatigue.

Employment status in chronic fatigue syndrome. A cross-sectional study examining the value of exercise testing and self-reported measures for the assessment of employment status.

Oxidative stress levels are raised in chronic fatigue syndrome and are associated with clinical symptoms.

Exercise responsive genes measured in peripheral blood of women with chronic fatigue syndrome and matched control subjects.

Orthostatic instability in a population-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Do support groups help people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia? A comparison of active and inactive members.

24-hour pituitary and adrenal hormone profiles in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Awareness and knowledge of fibromyalgia among French rheumatologists and general practitioners.

[Clinical observation on effect of electro-acupuncture on back-shu points in treating chronic fatigue syndrome].

Brain 5-HT1A receptor binding in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using positron emission tomography and [11C]WAY-100635.

Stress-induced changes in LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The definition of disabling fatigue in children and adolescents.

Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Prevalence of atopy in chronic fatigue syndrome].

The prevalence of self-reported chronic fatigue in a U.S. twin registry.

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