ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2782 studies

461–480 of 2,782 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Do diagnostic criteria for ME matter to patient experience with services and interventions? Key results from an online RDS survey targeting fatigue patients in Norway.

Kielland, Anne, Liu, Jing, Jason, Leonard A·Journal of health psychology·2023

This study surveyed 660 people with ME/CFS in Norway to understand how different diagnostic criteria and symptoms affect their experiences with treatments and healthcare services. Most patients reported that available interventions had little benefit or made them feel worse. The researchers found that post-exertional malaise (a hallmark symptom where activity makes fatigue and other symptoms worse) was strongly linked to how patients tolerated different treatments, suggesting this symptom should be a key consideration when recommending interventions.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Health system support among patients with ME/CFS in Switzerland.

Tschopp, Rea, König, Rahel S, Rejmer, Protazy et al.·Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences·2023

This Swiss study surveyed 169 ME/CFS patients to understand their experiences with the healthcare system. Patients faced long delays in getting diagnosed (averaging 6.7 years), saw many doctors before getting correct answers (11.1 appointments on average), and were frequently told their symptoms were psychological rather than physical. The study found that doctors in Switzerland lack knowledge about ME/CFS, leading to frustration, inappropriate treatments, and some patients traveling abroad for proper diagnosis.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Post-COVID sequelae effect in chronic fatigue syndrome: SARS-CoV-2 triggers latent adenovirus in the oral mucosa.

Hannestad, Ulf, Apostolou, Eirini, Sjögren, Per et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2023

This study found that people with ME/CFS who caught COVID-19 showed signs of a dormant virus (adenovirus) waking up in their mouth and throat. The researchers compared saliva samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people, and only the ME/CFS patients showed this reactivation after COVID-19 infection. This suggests that ME/CFS patients may have a weakened immune system that cannot keep these latent viruses under control when faced with a new infection like COVID-19.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

A multicenter virome analysis of blood, feces, and saliva in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Briese, Thomas, Tokarz, Rafal, Bateman, Lucinda et al.·Journal of medical virology·2023

Researchers looked for viruses in blood, saliva, and stool samples from ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. They used advanced testing methods to search for viral genetic material but found no consistent differences between the two groups, except that ME/CFS patients had fewer anelloviruses (a common, typically harmless virus). This suggests that if viruses play a role in ME/CFS, the problem may not be the presence of the virus itself, but rather how the body's immune system responds to it.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

A distinctive profile of family genetic risk scores in a Swedish national sample of cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome compared to rheumatoid arthritis and major depression.

Kendler, Kenneth S, Rosmalen, Judith G M, Ohlsson, Henrik et al.·Psychological medicine·2023

This study looked at the family histories of over 5 million Swedish people to understand whether ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome share common genetic roots. Researchers found that people with these conditions have a distinctive pattern of genetic risk that affects multiple body systems—including pain, mood, immune function, and sleep—rather than being limited to one specific area like depression or rheumatoid arthritis. This suggests these functional somatic disorders may arise from a complex genetic vulnerability affecting several interconnected systems rather than a single cause.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Social position and functional somatic disorders: The DanFunD study.

Schovsbo, Signe U, Dantoft, Thomas M, Thuesen, Betina H et al.·Scandinavian journal of public health·2023

This study looked at whether people with lower social position—such as having less education, being unemployed, or living alone—are more likely to develop functional somatic disorders like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and IBS. The researchers found that people with lower social position did have higher rates of these conditions, and the effect was strongest for more severe cases. However, the study does not explain why this connection exists.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Autoantibodies to selenoprotein P in chronic fatigue syndrome suggest selenium transport impairment and acquired resistance to thyroid hormone.

Sun, Qian, Oltra, Elisa, Dijck-Brouwer, D A Janneke et al.·Redox biology·2023

Some people with ME/CFS have antibodies that attack a protein called selenoprotein P, which normally helps transport selenium (a mineral needed for thyroid function) throughout the body. This study found that ME/CFS patients with these antibodies have lower selenium levels and struggle to convert thyroid hormone into its active form, which could explain why they feel tired and have other thyroid-like symptoms even when standard thyroid tests appear normal.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) in Pediatrics: Factors That Impact Symptom Severity and Referral to Treatment.

Soprano, Catherine M, Ngo, Ryan, Konys, Casey A et al.·Children (Basel, Switzerland)·2023

This study looked at how long COVID (called PASC) affects children and teenagers, comparing their experiences to adults. The researchers reviewed medical records to understand what symptoms young people had and whether they were referred to specialized treatment programs. The main finding was that young people with long COVID tend to have less severe symptoms than adults, though many young patients were not referred for treatment even when they needed it.

Long COVID Overlap

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in children and young people: a British Paediatric Surveillance Unit study.

Royston, Alexander Peter, Rai, Manmita, Brigden, Amberly et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2023

This British study looked at how many children and young people aged 5-16 have severe ME/CFS, a condition that causes extreme tiredness and makes it very difficult to do everyday activities. Researchers found that severe ME/CFS is uncommon in children, but when it does occur, it causes major disability—most affected young people missed almost all their schooling. The study also found that children got diagnosed relatively quickly, within about 5-6 months of when their symptoms started.

Diagnostics

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Robuvit® reduces fatigue after chemotherapy for colon cancer. A pilot registry study.

Belcaro, Gianni, Cox, David, Cesarone, Maria R et al.·Minerva surgery·2023

This study tested whether Robuvit®, an oak wood extract supplement, could help reduce fatigue in people recovering from chemotherapy for colon cancer. Over six weeks, patients taking Robuvit® showed greater improvements in tiredness, strength, fitness, and mood compared to those receiving standard care alone, with no reported side effects.

Interventions

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 requiredCross-Sectional

Study on Sports, Extracurricular Activities, Electronic Device Usage Factors Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Taiwanese Preschoolers.

Huang, Su-Fen, Duan, Hui-Ying·Children (Basel, Switzerland)·2023

This study looked at whether exercise, extracurricular activities, and screen time affect tiredness in young children in Taiwan. Researchers found that children who exercised regularly and varied their activities felt less tired, while children who used screens out of boredom or did too many after-school activities felt more tired. The findings suggest that balanced exercise and limited screen time may help reduce fatigue in preschoolers.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Multi-'omics of gut microbiome-host interactions in short- and long-term myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Xiong, Ruoyun, Gunter, Courtney, Fleming, Elizabeth et al.·Cell host & microbe·2023

Researchers studied the gut bacteria and blood chemicals of people with ME/CFS to understand how the disease affects the body. They compared three groups: people with ME/CFS for less than 4 years, people who've had it for over 10 years, and healthy people without the disease. They found that early ME/CFS patients have significant changes in their gut bacteria, while long-term patients' bacteria had mostly normalized, but their blood chemistry and symptoms remained abnormal.

Gut Microbiome

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Exploring the joint potential of inflammation, immunity, and receptor-based biomarkers for evaluating ME/CFS progression.

Berkis, Uldis, Svirskis, Simons, Krumina, Angelika et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2023

This study looked for blood markers that could help doctors understand how severe ME/CFS is and track disease progression. Researchers measured inflammation-related proteins, immune system components, and antibodies against nerve receptors in blood samples from healthy people and patients with mild, moderate, and severe ME/CFS. They found that certain markers—especially antibodies against beta2-adrenergic and M4 receptors, along with specific immune proteins—showed promise for distinguishing disease severity, with over 90% accuracy in identifying who has ME/CFS versus who is healthy.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not required

Health outcomes of sensory hypersensitivities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

Maeda, Kensei I, Islam, Mohammed F, Conroy, Karl E et al.·Psychology, health & medicine·2023

This study looked at how common sensitivity to light and sound are in people with ME/CFS compared to people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers surveyed over 2,200 people and found that people with ME/CFS experience these sensitivities much more often than people with MS. People who had both light and sound sensitivity reported feeling worse overall than those without these sensitivities.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Beyond Anxiety and Depression: Loneliness and Psychiatric Disorders in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis.

Zhang, Junfen, Loman, Laura, Oldhoff, Jantje M et al.·Acta dermato-venereologica·2023

This study found that adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (a chronic skin condition causing itching and inflammation) were more likely to experience loneliness and several psychiatric conditions, including panic disorder, anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The associations were strongest in people with more severe skin disease, while those with mild atopic dermatitis did not show these increased risks. The researchers suggest that doctors treating skin conditions should also consider screening for and addressing mental health concerns.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High Perceived Stress and Low Self-Efficacy are Associated with Functional Somatic Disorders: The DanFunD Study.

Petersen, Marie Weinreich, Carstensen, Tina Birgitte Wisbech, Frostholm, Lisbeth et al.·Clinical epidemiology·2023

This study of over 9,600 Danish people examined whether stress and confidence in one's abilities are connected to functional somatic disorders—conditions like chronic fatigue, widespread pain, and irritable bowel syndrome where symptoms are real but don't have a clear physical cause. The researchers found that people with these conditions tend to feel more stressed and have lower confidence in their abilities compared to healthy people, though their stress levels were not necessarily higher than people with serious physical diseases.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Influence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Codiagnosis on the Relationship between Perceived and Objective Psychoneuro-Immunoendocrine Disorders in Women with Fibromyalgia.

Otero, Eduardo, Gálvez, Isabel, Ortega, Eduardo et al.·Biomedicines·2023

This study compared women with fibromyalgia (FM), some of whom also had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), to healthy women. Researchers measured both what patients reported feeling (like stress and pain levels) and actual biological markers in their blood (like stress hormones and immune chemicals). They found that FM patients generally felt worse than healthy women, and their blood work matched this—showing higher stress hormones and lower mood-boosting chemicals. Interestingly, FM patients who also had a CFS diagnosis showed different blood markers than those with FM alone, suggesting these two conditions may overlap in ways that current diagnosis methods don't catch.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and COVID-19: is there a connection?

AlMuhaissen, Suha, Abu Libdeh, Amal, ElKhatib, Yara et al.·Current medical research and opinion·2023

This study looked at whether people who had COVID-19 might develop ME/CFS afterward. Researchers asked 437 people who had COVID-19 questions based on the official diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. They found that about 8% of COVID-19 patients met the criteria for ME/CFS, suggesting there may be a connection between the two illnesses.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Free-water-corrected diffusion and adrenergic/muscarinic antibodies in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kimura, Yukio, Sato, Wakiro, Maikusa, Norihide et al.·Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging·2023

Researchers used a specialized brain imaging technique to look for signs of inflammation in the brains of ME/CFS patients and compared these findings to levels of harmful antibodies (immune proteins) in their blood. They found that certain antibodies were linked to visible changes in a specific brain region called the right frontal operculum, and that longer disease duration was associated with more brain changes. These findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve both immune system dysfunction and measurable changes in brain structure.

Neuroinflammation

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Evidence browser

Do diagnostic criteria for ME matter to patient experience with services and interventions? Key results from an online RDS survey targeting fatigue patients in Norway.

Health system support among patients with ME/CFS in Switzerland.

Post-COVID sequelae effect in chronic fatigue syndrome: SARS-CoV-2 triggers latent adenovirus in the oral mucosa.

A multicenter virome analysis of blood, feces, and saliva in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

A distinctive profile of family genetic risk scores in a Swedish national sample of cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome compared to rheumatoid arthritis and major depression.

Social position and functional somatic disorders: The DanFunD study.

Autoantibodies to selenoprotein P in chronic fatigue syndrome suggest selenium transport impairment and acquired resistance to thyroid hormone.

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) in Pediatrics: Factors That Impact Symptom Severity and Referral to Treatment.

Severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in children and young people: a British Paediatric Surveillance Unit study.

Robuvit® reduces fatigue after chemotherapy for colon cancer. A pilot registry study.

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

Study on Sports, Extracurricular Activities, Electronic Device Usage Factors Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Taiwanese Preschoolers.

Multi-'omics of gut microbiome-host interactions in short- and long-term myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Exploring the joint potential of inflammation, immunity, and receptor-based biomarkers for evaluating ME/CFS progression.

Health outcomes of sensory hypersensitivities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

Beyond Anxiety and Depression: Loneliness and Psychiatric Disorders in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis.

High Perceived Stress and Low Self-Efficacy are Associated with Functional Somatic Disorders: The DanFunD Study.

Influence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Codiagnosis on the Relationship between Perceived and Objective Psychoneuro-Immunoendocrine Disorders in Women with Fibromyalgia.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and COVID-19: is there a connection?

Free-water-corrected diffusion and adrenergic/muscarinic antibodies in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

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