ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2795 studies

421–440 of 2,795 studies

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 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 unclearCross-Sectional

Adults with ME/CFS report surprisingly high rates of youth symptoms: A qualitative analysis of patient blog commentary.

Johnson, Madeline, Torres, Chelsea, Watts-Rich, Halli et al.·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2023

This study asked adults with ME/CFS about whether they experienced symptoms during childhood. Researchers analyzed comments from patients on a popular blog forum and found that about 43% of adults reported having ME/CFS before age 18. The study identified common themes in patients' stories, including mental health struggles, family history of illness, feeling misunderstood by others, and difficulties at school.

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 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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Recovery and symptom trajectories up to two years after SARS-CoV-2 infection: population based, longitudinal cohort study.

Ballouz, Tala, Menges, Dominik, Anagnostopoulos, Alexia et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2023

This Swiss study followed over 1,100 people who had COVID-19 and compared them to people who never had the infection, tracking their recovery for two years. About 23% of infected people had not fully recovered by six months, and this number decreased only slightly to 17% by two years. Symptoms like loss of taste/smell, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and post-exertional malaise (feeling worse after physical activity) were significantly more common in people who had COVID-19 compared to those who didn't.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Unsupervised Cluster Analysis Reveals Distinct Subtypes of ME/CFS Patients Based on Peak Oxygen Consumption and SF-36 Scores.

Lacasa, Marcos, Launois, Patricia, Prados, Ferran et al.·Clinical therapeutics·2023

This study examined whether oxygen consumption during an exercise test could help identify different types of ME/CFS patients. Researchers used questionnaire responses from 2,347 ME/CFS patients and then tested their findings in 92 patients who completed an exercise test. They found that patient responses on a quality-of-life survey directly matched up with how much oxygen their bodies could use during exercise, suggesting that low oxygen consumption may be a useful marker for identifying ME/CFS severity.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Single and repeated high-level blast, low-level blast, and new-onset self-reported health conditions in the U.S. Millennium Cohort Study: An exploratory investigation.

Belding, Jennifer N, Kolaja, Claire A, Rull, Rudolph P et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2023

This study followed a large group of U.S. military personnel and veterans to investigate whether exposure to blast pressure—both from single or repeated high-level blasts and occupational low-level blast exposure—was associated with new health diagnoses. Researchers found that blast exposure was linked to several conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, PTSD, hearing loss, depression, and nerve damage. The study suggests that repeated blast exposure may carry greater health risks than single exposure, and that combinations of different blast exposures may increase risks further.

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 unclearCross-Sectional

Dysautonomia and small fiber neuropathy in post-COVID condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Azcue, N, Del Pino, R, Acera, M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2023

This study compared how the nervous system works differently in people with ME/CFS, people with long COVID, and healthy people. Researchers tested heart rate responses, sweating patterns, and how nerves respond to temperature. They found that people with ME/CFS had more severe problems with heart rate regulation and nerve fiber damage than those with long COVID, and both groups had more problems than healthy controls.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Uplifts and hassles are related to worsening in chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study.

Friedberg, Fred, Adamowicz, Jenna L, Bruckenthal, Patricia et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2023

This study tracked 128 ME/CFS patients over six months to see how daily pleasant and unpleasant events related to whether their illness got better, stayed the same, or got worse. Patients who worsened experienced more intense unpleasant events and had fewer pleasant events over time, while those who improved showed the opposite pattern. The findings suggest that the balance between daily hassles and uplifts may play a role in how ME/CFS progresses.

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 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 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 not requiredCross-Sectional

Poor health-related quality of life in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in comparison with a sex- and age-matched normative population.

Seeley, Marie-Claire, Gallagher, Celine, Ong, Eric et al.·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·2023

This study compared quality of life in people with POTS (a condition causing rapid heartbeat when standing) to people without POTS. Researchers found that people with POTS reported significantly worse quality of life across all areas tested, including mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain, and mood. The impact was consistent across all age groups, and was worse in people with severe symptoms, women, those with fatigue, and those who also had ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

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 requiredCross-Sectional

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia: PR3-versus MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis, an exploratory cross-sectional study.

van Eeden, Charmaine, Mohazab, Naima, Redmond, Desiree et al.·Lancet regional health. Americas·2023

This study looked at fatigue in people with ANCA-vasculitis (a type of blood vessel inflammation) and found that over half met the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. The researchers discovered that the type of vasculitis matters: people with MPO-ANCA had fatigue patterns more similar to fibromyalgia, while those with PR3-ANCA had fatigue linked to inflammation markers. This suggests different types of vasculitis may cause fatigue through different biological mechanisms.

Immune System

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

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Evidence browser

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

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

Adults with ME/CFS report surprisingly high rates of youth symptoms: A qualitative analysis of patient blog commentary.

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

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

Recovery and symptom trajectories up to two years after SARS-CoV-2 infection: population based, longitudinal cohort study.

Unsupervised Cluster Analysis Reveals Distinct Subtypes of ME/CFS Patients Based on Peak Oxygen Consumption and SF-36 Scores.

Single and repeated high-level blast, low-level blast, and new-onset self-reported health conditions in the U.S. Millennium Cohort Study: An exploratory investigation.

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

Dysautonomia and small fiber neuropathy in post-COVID condition and 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.

Uplifts and hassles are related to worsening in chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study.

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.

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

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

Poor health-related quality of life in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in comparison with a sex- and age-matched normative population.

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

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia: PR3-versus MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis, an exploratory cross-sectional study.

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

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