ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2785 studies

2401–2420 of 2,785 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Prognostic factors for persons with idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Hartz, A J, Kuhn, E M, Bentler, S E et al.·Archives of family medicine·1999

This study followed 199 people with chronic fatigue for 2 years to understand which factors predicted who would improve. Researchers found that people who had clearer thinking, fewer additional symptoms, better sleep patterns, and were married tended to show the most improvement in fatigue. Interestingly, when patients improved in other symptoms like depression, muscle pain, or sleep problems, their fatigue also tended to improve together.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The 1microg short Synacthen test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hudson, M, Cleare, A J·Clinical endocrinology·1999

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) or weaker adrenal gland responses compared to healthy people. Researchers gave small doses of a hormone called Synacthen to 20 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy controls, then measured cortisol levels over an hour. They found no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting that reduced adrenal reserve may not explain ME/CFS symptoms.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Natural history of severe chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hill, N F, Tiersky, L A, Scavalla, V R et al.·Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation·1999

This study followed 23 people with severe ME/CFS over approximately 4 years to see how their illness changed over time. The researchers found that most patients stayed severely ill or showed only modest improvement, with just one person (4%) fully recovering. The study suggests that severe ME/CFS has a very poor outlook for recovery in most patients.

Severe ME

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prediction of peak oxygen uptake in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mullis, R, Campbell, I T, Wearden, A J et al.·British journal of sports medicine·1999

Researchers tested 130 ME/CFS patients on exercise bikes to measure their peak oxygen uptake (fitness capacity). They found a simple formula could accurately predict oxygen uptake from how hard patients could work during the test, with only a 10.7% average error. Importantly, almost all patients (97%) reported no worsening of symptoms after this maximal exercise test.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Changes in immune parameters seen in Gulf War veterans but not in civilians with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zhang, Q, Zhou, X D, Denny, T et al.·Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·1999

This study compared immune system markers in people with ME/CFS, looking separately at Gulf War veterans and non-veterans. Researchers found that Gulf War veterans with ME/CFS had different immune patterns (more of certain types of T cells, fewer NK cells, and higher levels of inflammation markers) compared to healthy veterans. However, non-veterans with ME/CFS showed no such immune differences from healthy controls, suggesting Gulf War service may have affected the immune system differently than sporadic ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Idiopathic chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison of two case-definitions.

Arpino, C, Carrieri, M P, Valesini, G et al.·Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita·1999

This study compared how many patients were diagnosed with ME/CFS using two different diagnostic definitions from 1988 and 1994. The researchers found that the 1994 definition diagnosed more patients as having CFS, but these additional patients were less likely to have had a sudden onset of illness or signs suggesting an infectious trigger like fever or sore throat. This suggests the two definitions captured somewhat different groups of people.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Patients with fatigue in family practice: prevalence and treatment].

Kenter, E G, Okkes, I M·Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde·1999

This study looked at how often people visit their doctor complaining of fatigue and what doctors do about it. Researchers tracked visits from general practitioners across the Netherlands over 10 years, involving over 93,000 patient visits. They found that about 92 out of every 1,000 patients saw their doctor each year because of fatigue, but only about 4% had fatigue lasting 6 months or longer.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man.

Stejskal, Vera DM, Danersund, Antero, Lindvall, Anders et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·1999

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS-like symptoms had immune reactions to metals in their dental fillings and other restorations. Researchers found that many patients had immune cells that reacted to metals like mercury, nickel, and gold, and that 76% of patients who replaced their metal restorations with non-metal alternatives reported feeling better. The study suggests that metal sensitivity might trigger inflammatory responses that contribute to chronic fatigue and related conditions.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Critical life events, infections, and symptoms during the year preceding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): an examination of CFS patients and subjects with a nonspecific life crisis.

Theorell, T, Blomkvist, V, Lindh, G et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·1999

This study looked at whether stressful life events and infections in the months before ME/CFS develops might play a role in triggering the illness. Researchers interviewed 46 people with ME/CFS and 46 matched control subjects without the illness, asking them to recall what happened and how they felt month-by-month for a year. They found that people who developed ME/CFS experienced more infections and stressful events—especially in the 3 months right before onset—and their fatigue, pain, and fever symptoms stayed very high even after diagnosis, unlike the control group who recovered.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Self-reported depression and suicide attempts among U.S. women physicians.

Frank, E, Dingle, A D·The American journal of psychiatry·1999

This study surveyed over 4,500 U.S. women doctors to understand how often they experience depression and attempt suicide. The researchers found that about 1 in 5 women physicians have experienced depression at some point in their lives, and about 1.5% have attempted suicide. Several factors increased the risk, including a history of abuse, substance use, chronic fatigue syndrome, and work-related stress.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The role of depression in pain, psychophysiological syndromes and medically unexplained symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Morriss, R K, Ahmed, M, Wearden, A J et al.·Journal of affective disorders·1999

This study looked at whether depression makes ME/CFS symptoms worse. Researchers compared three groups: ME/CFS patients without depression, ME/CFS patients with depression, and people with depression alone. They found that depression did not increase pain, headaches, or other unexplained symptoms in ME/CFS patients, but it did make their social life more difficult.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A community-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, L A, Richman, J A, Rademaker, A W et al.·Archives of internal medicine·1999

Researchers in Chicago called nearly 29,000 adults to find out how many people have ME/CFS. They found that about 0.42% of the general population has the condition—roughly 1 in 240 people. The study showed that ME/CFS affects women, minority groups, and people with lower education levels more often than previously thought, challenging the old idea that it mainly affected white middle-class people.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder: comorbidity, diagnostic overlap, and implications for treatment.

Terman, M, Levine, S M, Terman, J S et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

This study looked at whether ME/CFS symptoms get worse during winter months, similar to seasonal depression. Researchers asked 110 ME/CFS patients about their symptoms in summer and winter, and found that about one-third showed a seasonal pattern with winter worsening. This suggests that some ME/CFS patients might benefit from light therapy, a treatment commonly used for seasonal depression.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Secretion of growth hormone in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Berwaerts, J, Moorkens, G, Abs, R·Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society·1998

This study looked at growth hormone levels in people with ME/CFS, because low growth hormone has been seen in related conditions like fibromyalgia. Researchers tested 20 ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy controls, measuring growth hormone in different ways. They found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of a growth hormone marker (IGF-I) and tended to produce less growth hormone at night, though other growth hormone tests were similar between groups.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Brain positron emission tomography (PET) in chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary data.

Tirelli, U, Chierichetti, F, Tavio, M et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

Researchers used a brain imaging technique called PET scans to measure energy use in the brains of 18 people with ME/CFS. They found that people with ME/CFS had lower energy use in a specific part of the brain (the brainstem) and part of the front of the brain compared to healthy people. Importantly, this pattern was different from what they saw in people with depression, suggesting ME/CFS may have its own distinct brain signature.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[31P-mr spectroscopy of peripheral skeletal musculature under load: demonstration of normal energy metabolites compared with metabolic muscle diseases].

Block, W, Träber, F, Kuhl, C K et al.·RoFo : Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Rontgenstrahlen und der Nuklearmedizin·1998

Researchers used a special MRI scanner to measure how muscles use energy during exercise by looking at chemical changes in the calf. They found that healthy people used two different types of energy pathways during exercise, while people with ME/CFS showed unusual resting energy levels but normal recovery after exercise—unlike patients with genetic metabolic disorders, whose muscles recovered very slowly.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Structure and Determinants of Illness Representations in Chronic Disease: A Comparison of Addison's Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Heijmans, M, De Ridder, D·Journal of health psychology·1998

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS and Addison's disease think about their illnesses—what they believe causes it, how long it will last, whether they can control it, and how it affects their lives. Researchers interviewed 98 ME/CFS patients and 63 Addison's disease patients and found that the two groups had quite different views about their conditions. However, the way these different beliefs connected to each other followed similar patterns in both groups.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diurnal variation of adrenocortical activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

MacHale, S M, Cavanagh, J T, Bennie, J et al.·Neuropsychobiology·1998

This study measured stress hormone (cortisol) levels in 30 ME/CFS patients and 15 healthy controls at different times of day. The researchers found that while individual cortisol measurements were similar between groups, ME/CFS patients showed a flattened pattern—their cortisol levels didn't drop as much in the evening as they should. Higher evening cortisol levels were connected to worse overall health and physical functioning in ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evaluating neuropsychological impairment in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vercoulen, J H, Bazelmans, E, Swanink, C M et al.·Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·1998

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have problems with thinking, memory, and concentration. Researchers tested patients using standard cognitive tests and also asked them to report their own memory and concentration difficulties. Surprisingly, most patients performed normally on the tests, and there was no clear connection between test results and what patients reported experiencing in daily life.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Clinical and serologic follow-up in patients with neuroborreliosis.

Treib, J, Fernandez, A, Haass, A et al.·Neurology·1998

Researchers followed 44 patients who had been treated for a tick-borne brain infection caused by Borrelia bacteria. Even though the patients' neurological symptoms improved after antibiotics, more than half continued to experience ongoing fatigue and other non-specific symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome years later. Some patients also continued to show signs of Borrelia infection in their blood tests.

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Prognostic factors for persons with idiopathic chronic fatigue.

The 1microg short Synacthen test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Natural history of severe chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prediction of peak oxygen uptake in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Changes in immune parameters seen in Gulf War veterans but not in civilians with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Idiopathic chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison of two case-definitions.

[Patients with fatigue in family practice: prevalence and treatment].

Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man.

Critical life events, infections, and symptoms during the year preceding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): an examination of CFS patients and subjects with a nonspecific life crisis.

Self-reported depression and suicide attempts among U.S. women physicians.

The role of depression in pain, psychophysiological syndromes and medically unexplained symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A community-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder: comorbidity, diagnostic overlap, and implications for treatment.

Secretion of growth hormone in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brain positron emission tomography (PET) in chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary data.

[31P-mr spectroscopy of peripheral skeletal musculature under load: demonstration of normal energy metabolites compared with metabolic muscle diseases].

Structure and Determinants of Illness Representations in Chronic Disease: A Comparison of Addison's Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Diurnal variation of adrenocortical activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evaluating neuropsychological impairment in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical and serologic follow-up in patients with neuroborreliosis.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research