ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

2661–2680 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase are found in patients with severe fatiguing illness.

Natelson, B H, Ye, N, Moul, D E et al.·Journal of medical virology·1994

This study looked for specific antibodies (proteins the immune system makes) against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that abnormal levels of these antibodies were twice as common in ME/CFS patients, and the effect was even stronger in sicker patients. This suggests these antibodies might help doctors identify which ME/CFS patients have more severe illness.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Italian patients with persistent fatigue.

Conti, F, Priori, R, De Petrillo, G et al.·Annali italiani di medicina interna : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di medicina interna·1994

Researchers in Rome studied 63 patients with persistent fatigue lasting at least 6 months to see how many actually had ME/CFS. They found that only 6 patients (about 10%) met the official diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, while 37 patients (59%) had other medical conditions explaining their fatigue, such as infections or other illnesses. This suggests that ME/CFS is relatively uncommon as a cause of severe fatigue compared to other treatable conditions.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Use of dynamic tests of muscle function and histomorphometry of quadriceps muscle biopsies in the investigation of patients with chronic alcohol misuse and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wassif, W S, Sherman, D, Salisbury, J R et al.·Annals of clinical biochemistry·1994

Researchers tested muscle function and examined muscle samples from people with ME/CFS and people with chronic alcohol problems to see if their muscle problems were similar or different. They found that while some people initially thought to have ME/CFS actually had other conditions (like a rare enzyme deficiency or inflammation), the muscle changes in alcohol misuse were quite distinct and recognizable through muscle biopsies.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Seasonal symptom variation in patients with chronic fatigue: comparison with major mood disorders.

Zubieta, J K, Engleberg, N C, Yargiç, L I et al.·Journal of psychiatric research·1994

This study compared how much ME/CFS and chronic fatigue symptoms vary by season in different groups of patients. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS and chronic fatigue had much less seasonal symptom variation than people with seasonal depression or other mood disorders. Even when fatigue patients did experience some seasonal changes, they didn't find it particularly distressing.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: immune dysfunction, role of pathogens and toxic agents and neurological and cardial changes].

Hilgers, A, Frank, J·Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)·1994

This study examined 375 patients with ME/CFS to understand what goes wrong with their immune systems and which infections might be involved. Researchers found that most patients had problems with immune cell function, signs of past viral infections (especially Epstein-Barr virus), and imbalances in immune chemicals. The study suggests ME/CFS may be connected to autoimmune problems and multiple infections.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A comparison of case definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bates, D W, Buchwald, D, Lee, J et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study tested whether three different sets of diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS identified the same patients. Researchers looked at 805 patients at two clinics and found that about 55-61% met each of the three definitions, though different patients sometimes qualified under different criteria. The study suggests that using broader, more flexible definitions might better capture people with ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Population based study of fatigue and psychological distress.

Pawlikowska, T, Chalder, T, Hirsch, S R et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1994

This study surveyed over 15,000 people in England to find out how common fatigue is and what causes it. About 18% reported severe tiredness lasting at least 6 months. The researchers found that fatigue and mood problems (like anxiety or depression) often occur together, and that very few people with severe fatigue actually identified it as ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A brief mental fatigue questionnaire.

Bentall, R P, Wood, G C, Marrinan, T et al.·The British journal of clinical psychology·1993

Researchers created a short questionnaire to measure mental tiredness and tested it in people with ME/CFS, depression, recovered ME/CFS, muscle disease, and healthy people. The questionnaire worked well at identifying mental fatigue, but it could not tell the difference between people with ME/CFS and people with depression—both groups reported similar types and amounts of mental tiredness.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

A controlled study of brain magnetic resonance imaging in patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Natelson, B H, Cohen, J M, Brassloff, I et al.·Journal of the neurological sciences·1993

Researchers compared brain scans (MRIs) of 52 people with ME/CFS to 52 similar healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients were much more likely to have abnormal brain scans—27% compared to only 2% in the control group. The abnormalities included areas of white matter changes and some brain tissue enlargement, though the researchers noted that some of these findings might actually indicate other medical conditions rather than ME/CFS itself.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Human herpesvirus 6 and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Eymard, D, Lebel, F, Miller, M et al.·The Canadian journal of infectious diseases = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses·1993

This study compared antibody levels against human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in two groups: people with ME/CFS and people with chronic fatigue who didn't meet the official ME/CFS diagnosis. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had significantly higher antibody levels against HHV-6, suggesting the virus might play a role in the condition. The study also found that sore throat, headache, and recurrent fatigue were more common in the ME/CFS group.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue in primary care attenders.

McDonald, E, David, A S, Pelosi, A J et al.·Psychological medicine·1993

Researchers studied 77 primary care patients with chronic fatigue and found that 26% met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Most patients received other diagnoses, including depression and a condition called neurasthenia. Interestingly, patients seen in general practice were more likely to recognize that stress and emotional factors played a role in their fatigue, unlike hospital patients who often blamed purely physical causes like viruses.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

General practitioners acceptance of the validity of chronic fatigue syndrome as a diagnosis.

Denz-Penhey, H, Murdoch, J C·The New Zealand medical journal·1993

Researchers surveyed 83 general practitioners in New Zealand to see if they believed ME/CFS was a real medical condition. The vast majority (90%) said yes, they accepted it as a valid diagnosis. Most doctors said they had treated patients with this condition, suggesting ME/CFS was being recognized and diagnosed in primary care.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The overdiagnosis of Lyme disease.

Steere, A C, Taylor, E, McHugh, G L et al.·JAMA·1993

This study looked at 788 people referred to a Lyme disease clinic who were thought to have Lyme disease. Researchers found that only 23% actually had active Lyme disease, while 57% did not have Lyme disease at all—many of these patients had chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia instead. The main problem was that patients were being incorrectly diagnosed with Lyme disease and given antibiotics that didn't help because they didn't actually have the infection.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in a primary care practice.

Bates, D W, Schmitt, W, Buchwald, D et al.·Archives of internal medicine·1993

This study looked at how common severe, long-lasting fatigue is in a primary care doctor's office and how often it is ME/CFS. Researchers found that while about 27% of patients had long-term fatigue affecting their daily life, most could be explained by other medical or mental health conditions. Only about 0.3% to 1% of patients actually had ME/CFS, depending on which diagnostic criteria were used.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: clinical epidemiology and aetiological classification.

Manu, P, Lane, T J, Matthews, D A·Ciba Foundation symposium·1993

This study looked at 405 patients who came to a hospital complaining of chronic fatigue and tried to figure out what was causing it. Doctors found that most patients had psychiatric conditions like depression or anxiety rather than physical diseases. About 30% of patients met the definition for ME/CFS, and these patients were more likely to attribute their illness to a viral infection than other fatigued patients.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Japanese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are negative for known retrovirus infections.

Honda, M, Kitamura, K, Nakasone, T et al.·Microbiology and immunology·1993

This study tested 30 Japanese patients with ME/CFS to see if they had been infected with certain viruses called retroviruses, which some researchers thought might cause the illness. Using multiple testing methods, the researchers found that none of the patients had these viral infections. This suggests that these particular known viruses are not responsible for causing ME/CFS in this Japanese patient population.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Serum folate and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jacobson, W, Saich, T, Borysiewicz, L K et al.·Neurology·1993

Researchers measured folic acid levels in the blood of 60 ME/CFS patients and found that about half had lower-than-normal amounts. This suggests that some people with ME/CFS may not have enough folic acid in their body, which is a B vitamin important for many body functions.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Fatigue, depression, and social adjustment in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Walford, G A, Nelson, W M, McCluskey, D R·Archives of disease in childhood·1993

This study looked at 12 children with ME/CFS and compared them to children with cystic fibrosis and healthy children. Children with ME/CFS reported much higher levels of tiredness affecting both body and mind, and many showed signs of depression. Their schooling and social lives were seriously disrupted by the illness.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Quality of attention in chronic fatigue syndrome: subjective reports of everyday attention and cognitive difficulty, and performance on tasks of focused attention.

Ray, C, Phillips, L, Weir, W R·The British journal of clinical psychology·1993

Many people with ME/CFS report problems with attention and concentration in daily life. This study compared ME/CFS patients with healthy people using questionnaires about attention problems and computer-based attention tests. Patients reported significantly more attention difficulties than controls, though standard attention tests didn't show clear differences. Interestingly, patients were slower at processing tasks like reading words and naming colors, suggesting their thinking speed may be affected rather than their ability to focus.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome: the Centers for Disease Control Study.

Gunn, W J, Connell, D B, Randall, B·Ciba Foundation symposium·1993

Between 1989 and 1991, the CDC tracked patients with chronic fatigue syndrome across four U.S. cities to understand how common the illness is and who gets it. Researchers found that only about 1 in 4 patients referred to them actually met the strict diagnostic criteria for CFS, while others had different medical conditions or psychiatric histories that might explain their fatigue. The study estimated that CFS affects roughly 2–11 people per 100,000 in the general population, and it most commonly affected women in their 30s.

Diagnostics

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High titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase are found in patients with severe fatiguing illness.

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Italian patients with persistent fatigue.

Use of dynamic tests of muscle function and histomorphometry of quadriceps muscle biopsies in the investigation of patients with chronic alcohol misuse and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Seasonal symptom variation in patients with chronic fatigue: comparison with major mood disorders.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: immune dysfunction, role of pathogens and toxic agents and neurological and cardial changes].

A comparison of case definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Population based study of fatigue and psychological distress.

A brief mental fatigue questionnaire.

A controlled study of brain magnetic resonance imaging in patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Human herpesvirus 6 and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue in primary care attenders.

General practitioners acceptance of the validity of chronic fatigue syndrome as a diagnosis.

The overdiagnosis of Lyme disease.

Prevalence of fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in a primary care practice.

Chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: clinical epidemiology and aetiological classification.

Japanese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are negative for known retrovirus infections.

Serum folate and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fatigue, depression, and social adjustment in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Quality of attention in chronic fatigue syndrome: subjective reports of everyday attention and cognitive difficulty, and performance on tasks of focused attention.

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome: the Centers for Disease Control Study.

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