ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2768 studies

381–400 of 2,768 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredLongitudinal

Long-term health outcomes of Q-fever fatigue syndrome patients.

Spronk, Inge, Brus, Iris M, de Groot, Annemieke et al.·Epidemiology and infection·2023

This study followed 368 people who developed fatigue and other health problems after Q-fever infection and checked in with them over 10+ years later. Patients reported numerous ongoing complaints, significantly reduced quality of life, severe fatigue, and worsening symptoms after physical activity. Younger and middle-aged patients experienced worse health outcomes than older patients, suggesting that age may affect how Q-fever fatigue syndrome impacts long-term health.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

What lies beneath: White matter microstructure in pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using diffusion MRI.

Josev, Elisha K, Chen, Jian, Seal, Marc et al.·Journal of neuroscience research·2023

Researchers used advanced brain imaging to look for structural changes in the brains of teenagers recently diagnosed with ME/CFS compared to healthy peers. While teens with ME/CFS showed worse fatigue, pain, sleep quality, and cognitive problems like slower thinking speed, the brain scans did not reveal significant differences in white matter (the brain tissue that carries signals between brain regions). This suggests that early-stage ME/CFS in teenagers may not involve obvious structural brain changes, unlike what has been found in adult ME/CFS patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Typing myalgic encephalomyelitis by infection at onset: A DecodeME study.

Bretherick, Andrew D, McGrath, Simon J, Devereux-Cooke, Andy et al.·NIHR open research·2023

This large study asked over 17,000 people with ME/CFS about their symptoms, when their illness started, and what health conditions they experience. The researchers found that ME/CFS is not one-size-fits-all: people whose ME/CFS began after an infection (like COVID-19 or glandular fever) reported different patterns of symptoms and other health problems compared to those whose illness started without a clear infection. The study also confirmed that women are more affected by ME/CFS than men, and discovered that women tend to have more additional health conditions alongside ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Natural killer cytotoxicity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): a multi-site clinical assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study.

Querec, Troy D, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Chen, Yang et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2023

Researchers tested whether a specific immune cell function called natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity could be a reliable blood test to help diagnose ME/CFS. They compared 174 people with ME/CFS to 86 healthy people and found no meaningful difference between the two groups. This means the test is not accurate enough to use in clinics right now, and scientists need to keep searching for better biological markers of ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not required

Hypothalamus volumes in adolescent Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): impact of self-reported fatigue and illness duration.

Byrne, Hollie, Josev, Elisha K, Knight, Sarah J et al.·Brain structure & function·2023

This study looked at the size of the hypothalamus (a small part of the brain that controls many body functions) in teenagers with ME/CFS compared to healthy teenagers. While the overall brain structure sizes were similar between the two groups, researchers found that in ME/CFS patients, certain areas of the hypothalamus were slightly larger when fatigue was more severe, and other areas grew larger with longer illness duration. This suggests the hypothalamus may play a role in ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand what this means.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Symptom-based clusters in people with ME/CFS: an illustration of clinical variety in a cross-sectional cohort.

Vaes, Anouk W, Van Herck, Maarten, Deng, Qichen et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2023

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS can be grouped into different subtypes based on their specific combination of symptoms. Researchers asked 337 people with ME/CFS to report their symptoms and found 13 major groups, where people in each group shared similar patterns of symptom severity and frequency. While fatigue and post-exertional malaise (PEM) appeared in all groups, other symptoms varied—meaning people with ME/CFS experience the illness quite differently from one another.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cytokine network analysis in a community-based pediatric sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Gaglio, Caroline L, Furst, Jacob et al.·Chronic illness·2023

Researchers studied immune system chemicals called cytokines in children and teens with ME/CFS by comparing blood samples from sick patients and healthy controls. They found that children with ME/CFS had different patterns of these immune chemicals compared to healthy kids, with certain inflammatory markers being more active. This suggests ME/CFS involves real biological changes in how the immune system works, particularly in severe cases.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

End-Tidal CO2 in Patients with Panic Disorder, Stress-Related or Functional Syndromes, Versus Healthy Controls.

Ramakers, Indra, Van Den Houte, Maaike, Van Oudenhove, Lukas et al.·Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback·2023

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, burnout, and panic disorder breathe differently compared to healthy people. Researchers measured carbon dioxide levels in participants' breath while they rested and during a breathing challenge. They found that people with chronic conditions like ME/CFS showed less active stress responses in their breathing, while those with acute stress conditions showed overactive breathing patterns.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in caregivers of children with cerebral palsy and affecting factors.

Pasin, Tugce, Karatekin, Bilinc Dogruoz, Pasin, Ozge·Northern clinics of Istanbul·2023

This study looked at mothers caring for children with cerebral palsy to see how many developed ME/CFS and what factors affected them. The researchers found that about 80% of the mothers met the clinical criteria for ME/CFS, with mothers who stayed home having more severe fatigue than those who worked full-time. The child's hand and arm function appeared to be an important factor in how severe the mother's fatigue became.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Tryptophan catabolites, inflammation, and insulin resistance as determinants of chronic fatigue syndrome and affective symptoms in long COVID.

Al-Hakeim, Hussein Kadhem, Khairi Abed, Anwar, Rouf Moustafa, Shatha et al.·Frontiers in molecular neuroscience·2023

This study looked at 90 Long COVID patients and measured specific molecules in their blood related to how their body processes an amino acid called tryptophan. The researchers found that patients with the most severe Long COVID symptoms had low tryptophan levels and high levels of a related compound called kynurenine, along with markers of inflammation. These three measurements together explained about 40% of why patients had fatigue, pain, depression, and anxiety symptoms.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Risk factors for suicidal ideation in a chronic illness.

Elliott, Meghan K, Jason, Leonard A·Death studies·2023

This study looked at why some people with ME/CFS experience suicidal thoughts. Researchers surveyed 559 people with ME/CFS and found that certain factors—including sleep problems, feeling stigmatized by others, loss of physical abilities, severe disability, and being unmarried—were associated with increased suicide risk. The findings suggest that better education about ME/CFS, reducing stigma, and developing effective treatments could help protect people with this illness.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between symptoms of anxiety/depression and P50 sensory gating in adult patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Liu, Xinyi, Liu, Sitong, Ren, Runtao et al.·Frontiers in neuroscience·2023

This study looked at 249 people with ME/CFS to understand how anxiety and depression relate to a specific brain activity pattern called P50 sensory gating. Researchers used questionnaires to measure anxiety and depression, and brain scans (EEG) to measure how well the brain filters out repetitive sounds. They found that abnormal filtering of sounds was linked to anxiety, depression, and fatigue severity.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

The multi-generational familial aggregation of interstitial cystitis, other chronic nociplastic pain disorders, depression, and panic disorder.

Allen-Brady, Kristina, Fyer, Abby J, Weissman, Myrna·Psychological medicine·2023

This study found that interstitial cystitis (a chronic bladder pain condition) and several other conditions—including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and panic disorder—tend to run in families. Researchers looked at medical records and family trees of over a century of people in Utah to see if relatives of patients with these conditions had higher rates of the same or related conditions. They discovered that these six conditions share something in common genetically, meaning a family history of any one of them may increase the risk of developing others.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Evidence of a Novel Mitochondrial Signature in Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

van Eeden, Charmaine, Redmond, Desiree, Mohazab, Naima et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

This study looked at people with a connective tissue disease called systemic sclerosis who also experience severe fatigue (ME/CFS symptoms). Researchers found that fatigued patients had different patterns in how their cells' energy-producing structures (mitochondria) work compared to non-fatigued patients. These differences involved specific genes related to energy production, suggesting that measuring these genes might help doctors identify which systemic sclerosis patients have ME/CFS.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Serum GDF-15 Levels Accurately Differentiate Patients with Primary Mitochondrial Myopathy, Manifesting with Exercise Intolerance and Fatigue, from Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Bermejo-Guerrero, Laura, de Fuenmayor-Fernández de la Hoz, Carlos Pablo, Guerrero-Molina, María Paz et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2023

This study tested whether a blood marker called GDF-15 could help doctors tell the difference between ME/CFS and a rare condition called primary mitochondrial myopathy (PMM), which affects how cells produce energy. Both conditions cause fatigue and exercise intolerance that can look very similar, but PMM requires different treatment. The researchers found that GDF-15 levels were very good at distinguishing between these two conditions, which could help patients get the right diagnosis faster without needing extensive genetic testing or muscle biopsies.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The association between the number of symptoms and the severity of Post-COVID-Fatigue after SARS-CoV-2 infection treated in an outpatient setting.

Schmidbauer, Lena, Kirchberger, Inge, Goßlau, Yvonne et al.·Journal of neurology·2023

This study looked at 425 people who had mild-to-moderate COVID-19 treated as outpatients and followed them for about 8 months afterward. Researchers found that 37% of these people developed long-lasting fatigue (Post-COVID-Fatigue), and those who had more symptoms during their initial infection and ongoing symptoms were more likely to experience severe fatigue. The more symptoms someone had, the worse their fatigue tended to be.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Show Characteristic Heart Rate Variability Profiles Reflecting Autonomic Dysregulations: Differentiation by Linear Discriminant Analysis.

Shinba, Toshikazu, Kuratsune, Daisuke, Shinba, Shuntaro et al.·Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2023

This study looked at heart rhythm patterns in people with ME/CFS and depression to see if these patterns could help doctors tell the two conditions apart. Researchers measured how heart rate changes during rest, mental tasks, and recovery in both groups. They found that while both conditions affect the heart's nervous system control, the patterns are different enough that a computer analysis could correctly identify which condition a person had about 92% of the time.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A comparison of pain, fatigue, and function between post-COVID-19 condition, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome: a survey study.

Haider, Saman, Janowski, Adam J, Lesnak, Joseph B et al.·Pain·2023

This study surveyed 707 people with post-COVID-19, fibromyalgia, and/or ME/CFS to compare their symptoms. Researchers found that all three conditions share similar patterns of pain, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and depression that impact daily life. People with post-COVID-19 reported somewhat less severe pain and fatigue than those with fibromyalgia or ME/CFS, but those with multiple diagnoses had worse symptoms overall.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic Fatigue, Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Long COVID Are Strongly Predicted by Neuroimmune and Neuro-Oxidative Pathways Which Are Caused by the Inflammation during Acute Infection.

Al-Hakeim, Hussein Kadhem, Al-Rubaye, Haneen Tahseen, Almulla, Abbas F et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2023

This study examined whether severe COVID-19 infection—particularly high fever and low oxygen levels—can trigger lasting fatigue, depression, and anxiety through inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Researchers compared 86 long COVID patients with 39 healthy controls and found that about one-third of long COVID patients had very high signs of immune activation and cellular damage. The study suggests that the severity of initial COVID infection may predict who develops long-term symptoms through measurable changes in inflammatory markers.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Xu, Jiabao, Lodge, Tiffany, Kingdon, Caroline et al.·Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2023

Researchers used a new technology called Raman spectroscopy combined with artificial intelligence to analyze blood cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. The test was able to correctly identify ME/CFS patients about 91% of the time and could even distinguish between mild, moderate, and severe cases with 84% accuracy. This could eventually help doctors diagnose ME/CFS with a simple blood test instead of relying only on patient symptoms.

Diagnostics

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Long-term health outcomes of Q-fever fatigue syndrome patients.

What lies beneath: White matter microstructure in pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using diffusion MRI.

Typing myalgic encephalomyelitis by infection at onset: A DecodeME study.

Natural killer cytotoxicity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): a multi-site clinical assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study.

Hypothalamus volumes in adolescent Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): impact of self-reported fatigue and illness duration.

Symptom-based clusters in people with ME/CFS: an illustration of clinical variety in a cross-sectional cohort.

Cytokine network analysis in a community-based pediatric sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

End-Tidal CO2 in Patients with Panic Disorder, Stress-Related or Functional Syndromes, Versus Healthy Controls.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in caregivers of children with cerebral palsy and affecting factors.

Tryptophan catabolites, inflammation, and insulin resistance as determinants of chronic fatigue syndrome and affective symptoms in long COVID.

Risk factors for suicidal ideation in a chronic illness.

A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between symptoms of anxiety/depression and P50 sensory gating in adult patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

The multi-generational familial aggregation of interstitial cystitis, other chronic nociplastic pain disorders, depression, and panic disorder.

Evidence of a Novel Mitochondrial Signature in Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Serum GDF-15 Levels Accurately Differentiate Patients with Primary Mitochondrial Myopathy, Manifesting with Exercise Intolerance and Fatigue, from Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The association between the number of symptoms and the severity of Post-COVID-Fatigue after SARS-CoV-2 infection treated in an outpatient setting.

Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Show Characteristic Heart Rate Variability Profiles Reflecting Autonomic Dysregulations: Differentiation by Linear Discriminant Analysis.

A comparison of pain, fatigue, and function between post-COVID-19 condition, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome: a survey study.

Chronic Fatigue, Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Long COVID Are Strongly Predicted by Neuroimmune and Neuro-Oxidative Pathways Which Are Caused by the Inflammation during Acute Infection.

Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research