ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2785 studies

2161–2180 of 2,785 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in children: a cross sectional survey.

Patel, M X, Smith, D G, Chalder, T et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2003

This study looked at 36 children with ME/CFS who were seen at a specialist clinic in England. Most children improved significantly or returned to normal health, and those who received treatment attended school more often. However, about one-third of children left school without any qualifications, showing that ME/CFS can seriously disrupt education even when health improves.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Enhanced glucocorticoid sensitivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gaab, Jens, Rohleder, Nicolas, Heitz, Vera et al.·Acta neuropsychiatrica·2003

This study looked at how the bodies of ME/CFS patients respond to stress hormones called glucocorticoids (particularly cortisol). Researchers gave 21 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy people a stressful social task, then measured their cortisol levels and how sensitive their immune cells were to glucocorticoids. They found that ME/CFS patients' immune cells were more sensitive to these stress hormones than healthy people's cells, even though their cortisol levels rose similarly to controls.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

First-night effect in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Le Bon, Olivier, Minner, Pierre, Van Moorsel, Cédric et al.·Psychiatry research·2003

When people with ME/CFS spend a night in a sleep lab, their sleep patterns often change between the first and second night—a phenomenon called the 'first-night effect.' This study found that ME/CFS patients do experience this adaptation effect, where sleep measurements like total sleep time and sleep quality improve on the second night. Understanding this pattern helps doctors interpret sleep test results more accurately.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Distinguishing patients with chronic fatigue from those with chronic fatigue syndrome: a diagnostic study in UK primary care.

Darbishire, L, Ridsdale, L, Seed, P T·The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2003

This study looked at 141 people in UK doctor's offices who came in with fatigue lasting six months or longer. The researchers found that about two-thirds had chronic fatigue that didn't quite meet the official ME/CFS definition, while one-third had ME/CFS. People with ME/CFS had more severe symptoms, were more likely to be depressed and unemployed, and visited their doctor much more often than those with chronic fatigue alone.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Illness perceptions and levels of disability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Moss-Morris, Rona, Chalder, Trudie·Journal of psychosomatic research·2003

This study compared how people with ME/CFS and people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) view their illnesses and how disabled they feel. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS believe their symptoms are caused by a virus or immune problem, think their symptoms affect more areas of daily life, and report greater difficulty with work and social activities compared to RA patients—even though both groups have similar levels of physical disability.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness among Gulf War veterans: a population-based survey of 30,000 veterans.

Kang, Han K, Natelson, Benjamin H, Mahan, Clare M et al.·American journal of epidemiology·2003

This study compared Gulf War veterans to non-deployed veterans and found that those who served in the Gulf War had much higher rates of both PTSD and a condition resembling ME/CFS. Interestingly, while PTSD risk increased steadily with exposure to combat stress, ME/CFS-like illness only became more common at lower stress levels, suggesting that factors beyond stress alone may have caused the fatigue condition in Gulf War veterans.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Fatigue in a community sample of twins.

Sullivan, P F, Kovalenko, P, York, T P et al.·Psychological medicine·2003

This study looked at fatigue that interferes with daily life in nearly 8,000 twins to understand what causes it. The researchers found that fatigue is connected to many different things—including depression, anxiety, stress, and how people view their health—but not always in the same way for everyone. The study suggests that fatigue is not one simple condition but rather several different types with different underlying causes.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of a protocol and computerised questionnaires.

Prins, J B, Elving, L D, Koning, H et al.·The Netherlands journal of medicine·2003

This study looked at whether doctors and researchers using a computer questionnaire agreed on who has ME/CFS. They reviewed 516 patients with chronic fatigue and found that doctors and researchers agreed about 84% of the time. When they disagreed, it was usually because they couldn't agree on how severe the fatigue was or how much it affected daily life. Only 3% of patients had a physical medical condition that explained their fatigue.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Assessment of cardiovascular reactivity by fractal and recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate and pulse transit time.

Naschitz, J E, Rosner, I, Shaviv, N et al.·Journal of human hypertension·2003

Researchers tested how the hearts of people with ME/CFS respond to a simple physical challenge (tilting from lying down to sitting up). They measured heart rate and blood vessel responses using advanced mathematical analysis that detects patterns typically missed by standard methods. People with ME/CFS showed very different heart responses compared to healthy people and those with high blood pressure, suggesting their cardiovascular systems react abnormally to physical stress.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Medication use by persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results of a randomized telephone survey in Wichita, Kansas.

Jones, James F, Nisenbaum, Rosane, Reeves, William C·Health and quality of life outcomes·2003

This study looked at what medications and supplements people with ME/CFS use compared to people without the illness. Researchers called people in Wichita, Kansas and identified those with ME/CFS, then invited them to a clinic visit where they reported all their medications and supplements. People with ME/CFS used about twice as many different drugs as healthy people, with pain relievers and vitamins being most common.

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 requiredObservational

Self-management training for people with chronic disease: an exploratory study.

Wright, C C, Barlow, J H, Turner, A P et al.·British journal of health psychology·2003

This study tested whether a self-management training course designed for people with various chronic diseases—including ME/CFS—could help them feel better. The course, taught by community volunteers, focused on practical skills like managing symptoms using mental strategies and talking with doctors. After four months, participants reported less fatigue, better mood, and more confidence in managing their illness.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychiatric morbidity in the chronic fatigue syndrome: are patients with personality disorder more physically impaired?

Ciccone, Donald S, Busichio, Kim, Vickroy, Michael et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2003

This study looked at whether mental health conditions or personality traits explained why people with ME/CFS experience severe physical disability. Researchers compared 84 women with ME/CFS who had no psychiatric diagnosis, those with psychiatric illness, and those with both psychiatric illness and personality disorders. The key finding was that having mental health conditions did not explain the physical impairment and disability caused by ME/CFS—the disease itself, not psychiatric factors, was the primary driver of disability.

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

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 not requiredCase-Control

Multiple co-infections (Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, human herpes virus-6) in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients: association with signs and symptoms.

Nicolson, G L, Gan, R, Haier, J·APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica·2003

This study tested the blood of 200 ME/CFS patients and 100 healthy controls for three types of infections: Mycoplasma bacteria, Chlamydia bacteria, and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6). The researchers found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher rates of these infections compared to healthy people, and patients with multiple infections at the same time tended to have more severe symptoms.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sleep and chronic pain: challenges to the alpha-EEG sleep pattern as a pain specific sleep anomaly.

Rains, Jeanetta C, Penzien, Donald B·Journal of psychosomatic research·2003

Researchers looked at a brain wave pattern during sleep called alpha-EEG, which has been thought to be linked to chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. They found that this sleep pattern was uncommon (only 5% of patients) and occurred in people with chronic pain, psychiatric conditions, and other medical problems. Surprisingly, less than 40% of people with this sleep pattern actually had chronic pain, suggesting the pattern alone does not cause pain.

Sleep

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comparative study of anxiety, depression, somatization, functional disability, and illness attribution in adolescents with chronic fatigue or migraine.

Smith, Mark S, Martin-Herz, Susanne P, Womack, William M et al.·Pediatrics·2003

This study compared teenage girls and boys with chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, and healthy peers to understand their emotional health and how much school they missed. Teenagers with chronic fatigue that met official diagnostic criteria had higher rates of anxiety, depression, and physical complaints than the other groups, and missed far more school days. Interestingly, parents of teenagers with unexplained chronic fatigue were less likely to think psychological stress was contributing to their child's illness compared to parents of teenagers with migraines.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Differences between patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and with chronic fatigue at an infectious disease clinic in Stockholm, Sweden.

Evengård, Birgitta, Jonzon, Eva, Sandberg, Anneli et al.·Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences·2003

This study compared two groups of people with severe, long-lasting fatigue seen at an infectious disease clinic in Sweden: those who met criteria for ME/CFS and those with chronic fatigue (CF) but not ME/CFS. The main finding was that ME/CFS patients reported more physical symptoms and work disability, and most had a sudden onset following an infection, whereas CF patients had more mental health symptoms and a more gradual, burnout-like pattern. The researchers suggest these may be two different conditions with different underlying causes.

Diagnostics

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Chronic fatigue syndrome in children: a cross sectional survey.

Enhanced glucocorticoid sensitivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

First-night effect in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Distinguishing patients with chronic fatigue from those with chronic fatigue syndrome: a diagnostic study in UK primary care.

Illness perceptions and levels of disability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness among Gulf War veterans: a population-based survey of 30,000 veterans.

Fatigue in a community sample of twins.

Diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of a protocol and computerised questionnaires.

Assessment of cardiovascular reactivity by fractal and recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate and pulse transit time.

Medication use by persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results of a randomized telephone survey in Wichita, Kansas.

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

Self-management training for people with chronic disease: an exploratory study.

Psychiatric morbidity in the chronic fatigue syndrome: are patients with personality disorder more physically impaired?

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

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

Multiple co-infections (Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, human herpes virus-6) in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients: association with signs and symptoms.

Sleep and chronic pain: challenges to the alpha-EEG sleep pattern as a pain specific sleep anomaly.

Is hypercortisolaemia a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Comparative study of anxiety, depression, somatization, functional disability, and illness attribution in adolescents with chronic fatigue or migraine.

Differences between patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and with chronic fatigue at an infectious disease clinic in Stockholm, Sweden.

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