Evidence browser

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Behavioural effects of infectious mononucleosis.

Hall, S R, Smith, A P·Neuropsychobiology·1996

This study looked at how infectious mononucleosis (IM) affects the brain and behavior in both the short and long term. Researchers tested memory, attention, coordination, and mood in people with acute IM, people who had recovered months earlier, and healthy controls. They found that acute IM caused similar brain and behavior problems to the flu, while people recovering from IM months later showed patterns similar to those seen in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Cognitive Impairment

The localization of pain in chronic fatigue syndrome on a pain drawing according to grid areas.

Líndal, E, Bergmann, S, Thorlacius, S et al.·Perceptual and motor skills·1996

This study looked at where people with ME/CFS experience pain by having them mark painful areas on a body diagram divided into sections. The researchers wanted to understand the pattern of pain locations across different body regions in ME/CFS patients. This type of mapping can help doctors better understand how pain is distributed in the condition.

Pain and Sensitization

A comparison of the characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in primary and tertiary care.

Euba, R, Chalder, T, Deale, A et al.·The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·1996

This study compared ME/CFS patients seen in general doctor's offices with those referred to a specialist clinic. Patients at the specialist clinic had more severe fatigue and physical symptoms, and were more functionally disabled, but were often wealthier and more likely to believe their illness had a physical cause. Interestingly, nearly half of those referred to the specialist clinic didn't actually meet the official criteria for ME/CFS.

'Seronegative' Sjögren's syndrome manifested as a subset of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nishikai, M, Akiya, K, Tojo, T et al.·British journal of rheumatology·1996

This study looked at whether some people diagnosed with ME/CFS who also experience dry eyes and mouth might actually have a related condition called Sjögren's syndrome. Researchers tested one-third of ME/CFS patients with these dry symptoms against several official diagnostic criteria for Sjögren's syndrome and found they met the criteria. However, these patients tested negative for the antibodies typically found in Sjögren's syndrome, making them an unusual variant of the disease.

Diagnostics

Frequency of deviant immunological test values in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Natelson, B H, Ellis, S P, Braonáin, P J et al.·Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·1995

Researchers tested 11 different immune system markers in ME/CFS patients and compared them to fatigued people without ME/CFS. They found that three immune tests (protein A binding, Raji cell test, and complement proteins C3 or C4) showed different results between the groups. However, most other immune tests they looked at, including antibody levels and other complement markers, did not reliably distinguish ME/CFS patients from those with other causes of fatigue.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearLongitudinal

Outcome and prognosis of patients with chronic fatigue vs chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bombardier, C H, Buchwald, D·Archives of internal medicine·1995

This study followed 445 patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) for about 1.5 years to see how they recovered. While 64% of patients improved overall, only 2% felt completely better. Patients diagnosed with CFS had more severe symptoms and lower functioning than those with simple chronic fatigue, and depression made recovery less likely.

The practice of infectious diseases in the 1990s: the Canadian experience.

Schlech, W F·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1995

This study surveyed Canadian infectious disease doctors in 1990 to see what kinds of infections they were treating. The researchers found that bacterial infections were more common in hospitalized patients, while viral infections were more common in office visits. Interestingly, the survey included mentions of chronic fatigue syndrome alongside other infectious diseases, suggesting doctors were considering it in their practice at that time.

Prevalence of IgM antibodies to human herpesvirus 6 early antigen (p41/38) in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Patnaik, M, Komaroff, A L, Conley, E et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·1995

Researchers tested whether people with ME/CFS have more signs of a virus called human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) compared to healthy people. They found that 77% of ME/CFS patients had antibodies suggesting exposure to or active HHV-6 infection, compared to only 12% of healthy controls. This suggests HHV-6 may be more common in people with ME/CFS, though it's unclear whether the virus causes the illness or is simply more active in these patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

General practitioners' attitudes to patients with a self diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Scott, S, Deary, I, Pelosi, A J·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1995

This study looked at what general practitioners (GPs) think about patients who diagnose themselves with ME/CFS. Researchers surveyed GPs in Scotland to understand their attitudes toward self-diagnosed ME/CFS patients. The findings revealed important gaps between patient experiences and how some doctors view the condition.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Neuropsychological impairments in chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and depression.

DeLuca, J, Johnson, S K, Beldowicz, D et al.·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·1995

This study tested thinking and memory skills in people with ME/CFS, comparing them to people with multiple sclerosis, depression, and healthy individuals. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had significant trouble processing information quickly, similar to those with depression. The cognitive problems in ME/CFS were not explained by depression or anxiety alone.

Cognitive Impairment

Cell-mediated immune function and the outcome of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wilson, A, Hickie, I, Lloyd, A et al.·International journal of immunopharmacology·1995

Researchers followed 103 ME/CFS patients for an average of 3.2 years to see if their immune system function predicted how well they would recover. Most patients improved over time, but about one-third remained unable to work. The study found that immune cell measurements taken at the start did not seem to predict who would get better or worse.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a clinical and laboratory study with a well matched control group.

Swanink, C M, Vercoulen, J H, Bleijenberg, G et al.·Journal of internal medicine·1995

This study compared 88 people with ME/CFS to 77 healthy controls matched by age, sex, and location. Researchers tested blood work, checked for infections, and used questionnaires to measure fatigue, depression, and how much the illness affected daily life. Standard blood tests came back normal in ME/CFS patients, but they reported significantly more fatigue, depression, and difficulty with daily activities than healthy controls.

Comparison of coxsackie B neutralisation and enteroviral PCR in chronic fatigue patients.

Nairn, C, Galbraith, D N, Clements, G B·Journal of medical virology·1995

Researchers tested whether two different methods of detecting enterovirus (a type of virus) could identify it in ME/CFS patients. One method looked for antibodies (immune proteins) the body makes against Coxsackie B virus, while the other used PCR to directly detect viral genetic material. They found that the PCR test was better at distinguishing ME/CFS patients from healthy people, but the antibody test could not tell the two groups apart.

Quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schweitzer, R, Kelly, B, Foran, A et al.·Social science & medicine (1982)·1995

This 1995 study compared 47 people with ME/CFS to 30 healthy controls to understand how the condition affects daily life and well-being. Using surveys and interviews, researchers found that ME/CFS patients experienced significantly worse quality of life, particularly in social activities and relationships. The findings showed that isolation and loss of ability to work or participate in hobbies were major impacts that deserved more clinical attention.

Silicone breast implant--associated musculoskeletal manifestations.

Cuellar, M L, Gluck, O, Molina, J F et al.·Clinical rheumatology·1995

This study looked at 300 women with silicone breast implants who came to a rheumatology clinic with muscle and joint pain. The researchers found that over 80% of these women had signs of connective tissue disease, and more than half met criteria for fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. When some women had their implants removed, over 70% reported improvement in their overall symptoms.