ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

2161–2180 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Comparison of subjective and objective measures of insomnia in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Watson, Nathaniel F, Kapur, Vishesh, Arguelles, Lester M et al.·Sleep·2003

People with ME/CFS report feeling like they sleep poorly and don't rest well, but when researchers measured their actual sleep using medical equipment, the sleep looked similar to their healthy identical twins. The main difference was that people with ME/CFS had more REM sleep (a specific sleep stage) and felt much less refreshed after sleeping, even though the equipment showed they were sleeping normally. This suggests that ME/CFS may involve a mismatch between how sleep actually is and how it feels.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Autoantibodies against muscarinic cholinergic receptor in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tanaka, Susumu, Kuratsune, Hirohiko, Hidaka, Yoh et al.·International journal of molecular medicine·2003

This study found that about half of ME/CFS patients have unusual antibodies (immune proteins) that target a specific brain receptor involved in muscle control and nervous system function. Patients with these antibodies reported more muscle weakness and cognitive problems than those without them. This suggests that in some ME/CFS patients, the immune system may be mistakenly attacking the body's own nerve receptors.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

[Disorder of adrenal gland function in chronic fatigue syndrome].

Zarković, Milos, Pavlović, Milorad, Pokrajac-Simeunović, Ana et al.·Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo·2003

This study tested how well the adrenal glands (which produce stress hormones) respond to a small dose of ACTH hormone in people with ME/CFS, compared to healthy people and those with adrenal problems from steroid use. The researchers found that some people with ME/CFS had a slower initial hormone response similar to adrenal insufficiency, but the response eventually caught up. This suggests ME/CFS patients may have a subtle problem with how quickly their adrenal glands respond to signals.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Psychosocial factors in chronic fatigue syndrome among Chinese Americans: a longitudinal community-based study.

Lim, Brian R, Tan, Siang-Yang, Zheng, Yan-Ping et al.·Transcultural psychiatry·2003

This study followed 57 Chinese Americans with ME/CFS for one year to understand what helps people recover. The researchers found that people who got better had experienced less stress in their lives compared to those who didn't recover. The study also suggested that having social support from friends and family might help by reducing the stress people feel.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Enterovirus related metabolic myopathy: a postviral fatigue syndrome.

Lane, R J M, Soteriou, B A, Zhang, H et al.·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2003

Researchers tested muscle samples from ME/CFS patients to see if they contained enterovirus (a type of virus). They found that about 21% of ME/CFS patients had enterovirus in their muscles, while none of the healthy control subjects did. Patients with enterovirus in their muscles were more likely to show abnormal lactate (a byproduct of muscle work) buildup during exercise, suggesting their muscles weren't using energy efficiently.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Associations between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and immune cell parameters in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nijs, Jo, De Becker, Pascale, De Meirleir, Kenny et al.·Chest·2003

Some ME/CFS patients experience unusual airway sensitivity (called bronchial hyperresponsiveness), but the reason why is unclear. This study tested whether this airway sensitivity is caused by specific immune system problems. Researchers found that patients with airway sensitivity had different immune cell patterns than healthy people, but these differences were not the same type seen in asthma, suggesting a different mechanism is at work.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Symptoms of rhinosinusitis in patients with unexplained chronic fatigue or bodily pain: a pilot study.

Chester, Alexander C·Archives of internal medicine·2003

This study looked at whether people with unexplained chronic fatigue or body pain experience more sinus and nasal symptoms than people without these conditions. Researchers compared 297 patients and found that those with unexplained fatigue were much more likely to report symptoms like facial pressure, headaches, nasal obstruction, and postnasal drip—but not allergies. This suggests that sinus problems may be connected to chronic fatigue in ways doctors haven't fully recognized.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Is hypercortisolaemia a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Renan, M J·Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme·2003

This study investigated whether people with ME/CFS have abnormal levels of cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the body. Cortisol helps regulate energy, immune function, and stress response. The researchers wanted to understand if problems with cortisol production might explain some of the fatigue and other symptoms experienced by ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Effects of posttraumatic stress disorder on cardiovascular stress responses in Gulf War veterans with fatiguing illness.

Peckerman, Arnold, Dahl, Kristina, Chemitiganti, Rahul et al.·Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical·2003

This study looked at how the bodies of Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue respond to stress, particularly focusing on heart rate and blood pressure changes. The researchers found that veterans who had both chronic fatigue and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) showed unusual cardiovascular responses to mental tasks and changes in position, such as lower blood pressure increases and slower recovery. These abnormal responses were much less pronounced in fatigued veterans without PTSD, suggesting that PTSD may be an important factor in how the body reacts to stress in this population.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Complement activation in a model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sorensen, Bristol, Streib, Joanne E, Strand, Matthew et al.·The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology·2003

Researchers asked people with ME/CFS and healthy controls to exercise on a stationary bike, then tracked their symptoms and blood markers over the following week. They found that people with ME/CFS had a specific increase in a immune system marker called C4a six hours after exercise, and their fatigue and reduced activity worsened significantly, while healthy controls did not show these changes.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Detection of enterovirus in human skeletal muscle from patients with chronic inflammatory muscle disease or fibromyalgia and healthy subjects.

Douche-Aourik, Fatima, Berlier, Willy, Féasson, Léonard et al.·Journal of medical virology·2003

Researchers tested muscle tissue samples from patients with fibromyalgia/ME/CFS and inflammatory muscle diseases to see if they contained enterovirus (a type of virus). They found viral genetic material in some patient samples but not in healthy people, though they did not find evidence of active viral proteins. This suggests that if a virus is present, it may be dormant or not fully active in muscle tissue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Subclassifying chronic fatigue syndrome through exercise testing.

Vanness, J Mark, Snell, Christopher R, Strayer, David R et al.·Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2003

Researchers tested 189 people with ME/CFS using an exercise test that measures how much oxygen the body can use. They sorted patients into four groups based on fitness level—from no impairment to severe. The study found that people with ME/CFS vary widely in their physical capacity, and that fitness level affects how the body responds to exercise in measurable ways.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Autonomic instability, as measured by pupillary unrest, is not associated with multiple sclerosis fatigue severity.

Egg, R, Högl, B, Glatzl, S et al.·Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)·2002

This study looked at whether problems with the nervous system's ability to regulate automatic body functions (like pupil responses) might explain fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients. Researchers measured pupil movements in MS patients and healthy volunteers, then compared these measurements to fatigue severity scores. Surprisingly, they found the opposite of what they expected: people with more pupil instability actually reported less fatigue, not more.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and immune dysfunction: cause or effect?

Pollack, Shimon·The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ·2002

This study examined whether immune system problems in ME/CFS patients are a cause of the illness or a result of having the illness. Researchers compared immune markers between people with ME/CFS and healthy controls to understand this relationship better. The study helps clarify an important question: does a faulty immune system trigger ME/CFS, or does having ME/CFS damage the immune system over time?

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and circulating cell-free DNA from plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome and non-fatigued subjects.

Vernon, Suzanne D, Shukla, Sanjay K, Conradt, Jennifer et al.·BMC microbiology·2002

Researchers tested whether bacteria in the bloodstream might be linked to ME/CFS by analyzing blood samples from people with ME/CFS and healthy controls. They found that healthy people had more detectable bacterial DNA in their blood than ME/CFS patients did, and no unique or unusual bacteria were found in either group. This suggests that a specific bacterial infection is unlikely to be a primary cause of ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Natural course and predicting self-reported improvement in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome with a relatively short illness duration.

van der Werf, Sieberen P, de Vree, Berna, Alberts, Maurice et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2002

This study followed 79 people with ME/CFS who had been ill for less than 2 years to see what happened over the next year without treatment. About 46% of these patients reported feeling better after one year, which is much higher than the 20% improvement rate seen in people who had been ill for longer. The study found that people who didn't improve tended to have worse concentration problems, fewer social supports, and didn't believe their illness had a physical cause.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Long-term follow-up of patients from the 1989 Q fever outbreak: no evidence of excess cardiac disease in those with fatigue.

Ayres, J G, Wildman, M, Groves, J et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2002

This study followed people who had Q fever (a bacterial infection) during an outbreak in 1989 to see if persistent fatigue afterward was caused by heart damage. Researchers tested their hearts using ECGs, ultrasounds, and exercise tests over many years. They found that people with ongoing fatigue after Q fever did not have hidden heart problems, though a few people did develop serious heart infections from the original infection.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Physicians' diagnoses of psychiatric disorders for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Torres-Harding, Susan R, Jason, Leonard A, Cane, Victoria et al.·International journal of psychiatry in medicine·2002

This study looked at whether doctors correctly identify psychiatric conditions (like depression or anxiety) in patients with ME/CFS compared to other groups. Researchers found that doctors often missed psychiatric disorders when they were present, but they rarely incorrectly diagnosed someone as having a psychiatric condition when they didn't. Interestingly, patients themselves were often better at recognizing their own psychiatric symptoms than their physicians were.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Dry eyes and mouth syndrome--a subgroup of patients presenting with sicca symptoms.

Price, E J, Venables, P J W·Rheumatology (Oxford, England)·2002

This study looked at 34 patients who had dry eyes and dry mouth symptoms but did not meet the standard criteria for Sjögren's syndrome. These patients had many symptoms on questionnaires but few objective physical findings, and most of them also had features more typical of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome rather than Sjögren's.

Diagnostics

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry.

Anderson, Lisa S, Beverly, William T, Corey, Linda A et al.·Twin research : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies·2002

The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry is a large database of over 51,000 twin pairs born in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina between 1913 and 2000. Researchers use this registry to study many health conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, by comparing identical and fraternal twins to understand which health problems may run in families or be inherited. The registry carefully protects participant privacy and allows qualified researchers to recruit twins for specific studies.

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Comparison of subjective and objective measures of insomnia in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Autoantibodies against muscarinic cholinergic receptor in chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Disorder of adrenal gland function in chronic fatigue syndrome].

Psychosocial factors in chronic fatigue syndrome among Chinese Americans: a longitudinal community-based study.

Enterovirus related metabolic myopathy: a postviral fatigue syndrome.

Associations between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and immune cell parameters in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Symptoms of rhinosinusitis in patients with unexplained chronic fatigue or bodily pain: a pilot study.

Is hypercortisolaemia a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Effects of posttraumatic stress disorder on cardiovascular stress responses in Gulf War veterans with fatiguing illness.

Complement activation in a model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of enterovirus in human skeletal muscle from patients with chronic inflammatory muscle disease or fibromyalgia and healthy subjects.

Subclassifying chronic fatigue syndrome through exercise testing.

Autonomic instability, as measured by pupillary unrest, is not associated with multiple sclerosis fatigue severity.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and immune dysfunction: cause or effect?

Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and circulating cell-free DNA from plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome and non-fatigued subjects.

Natural course and predicting self-reported improvement in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome with a relatively short illness duration.

Long-term follow-up of patients from the 1989 Q fever outbreak: no evidence of excess cardiac disease in those with fatigue.

Physicians' diagnoses of psychiatric disorders for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dry eyes and mouth syndrome--a subgroup of patients presenting with sicca symptoms.

The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry.

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