ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2784 studies

901–920 of 2,784 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Multidimensional Comparison of Cancer-Related Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Role of Psychophysiological Markers.

Park, Hye Youn, Jeon, Hong Jun, Bang, Young Rong et al.·Psychiatry investigation·2019

This study compared fatigue in people with cancer (CRF) and people with ME/CFS to see if these conditions are similar or different. Researchers measured fatigue levels, mood, stress, sleep quality, and specific biological markers like inflammation and brain activity. While both groups reported similar amounts of fatigue, they showed different underlying biological patterns, suggesting the two conditions may have different causes.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Circulating levels of GDF15 in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Melvin, A, Lacerda, E, Dockrell, H M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2019

This study measured a protein called GDF15 in the blood of ME/CFS patients and compared it to healthy people. GDF15 is released by cells when they are stressed or damaged. The researchers found that patients with severe ME/CFS had higher levels of GDF15 than healthy controls, and the levels of this protein were linked to how tired patients felt. The GDF15 levels stayed relatively stable over several months, suggesting it could be a useful marker for measuring cellular stress in ME/CFS.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evidence for similarity in symptoms and mechanism: The extra-pulmonary symptoms of severe asthma and the polysymptomatic presentation of fibromyalgia.

Hyland, Michael E, Lanario, Joseph W, Wei, Yinghui et al.·Immunity, inflammation and disease·2019

This study found that people with severe asthma report many symptoms beyond breathing problems—such as fatigue, pain, and digestive issues—that are very similar to symptoms seen in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers compared symptom patterns between asthma patients and people with various functional disorders, finding that asthma and fibromyalgia symptoms were 75% similar in type and pattern. This suggests these conditions may share common underlying mechanisms related to how the body's systems interact.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Immunosignature Analysis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Günther, Oliver P, Gardy, Jennifer L, Stafford, Phillip et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2019

Researchers used a specialized test to examine antibodies (immune proteins) in the blood of people with ME/CFS and healthy controls. They found a pattern of 256 specific protein signatures in ME/CFS patients' blood that was different from healthy people. This suggests the immune system may be reacting to past infections in a way that could help doctors diagnose ME/CFS in the future.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Evidence of Clinical Pathology Abnormalities in People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) from an Analytic Cross-Sectional Study.

Nacul, Luis, de Barros, Barbara, Kingdon, Caroline C et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

Researchers tested blood samples from 272 people with ME/CFS and 136 healthy people to look for measurable differences that might help diagnose the condition. They found that people with severe ME/CFS had notably lower levels of an enzyme called creatine kinase (CK) in their blood compared to healthy people and those with milder ME/CFS. This is the first study to report this pattern, suggesting that CK levels might be useful for identifying who has the most severe form of the disease.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Differentiating Post-Polio Syndrome from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Klebek, Lauren, Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2019

This study compared three similar long-term illnesses that cause fatigue and muscle problems: Post-polio syndrome (PPS), ME, and CFS. Researchers used questionnaires and computer analysis to identify which symptoms best distinguish these conditions from each other. They found that people with ME/CFS tend to have more severe overall functional impairment than those with PPS, and that three specific areas—brain fog, post-exertional malaise (getting worse after activity), and hormone-related symptoms—are most helpful in telling these illnesses apart.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: A case-control study nested within a cohort.

Loades, Maria Elizabeth, Rimes, Katharine, Lievesley, Kate et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2019

This study looked at how adolescents with ME/CFS think about and respond to their symptoms, compared to teenagers with asthma. Researchers found that young people with ME/CFS tend to have unhelpful thought patterns—like believing symptoms cause permanent damage—and unhelpful behaviors like pushing through activity or avoiding it completely. These unhelpful patterns were linked to more fatigue and disability over a 3-month follow-up period.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearLongitudinal

Psychological and demographic factors associated with fatigue and social adjustment in young people with severe chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a preliminary mixed-methods study.

Ali, Sheila, Adamczyk, Lucy, Burgess, Mary et al.·Journal of behavioral medicine·2019

This study followed 51 young people (aged 12-25) with severe ME/CFS over about 5 months to understand what affects their fatigue and ability to attend school or work. Researchers found that young people who were more afraid of activity and worried about making their symptoms worse tended to have higher fatigue levels and struggled more with social life. Interestingly, girls were less likely to attend school or work, but this wasn't connected to having worse fatigue or social problems.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Unemployment and work disability in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a community-based cross-sectional study from Spain.

Castro-Marrero, Jesús, Faro, Mónica, Zaragozá, María Cleofé et al.·BMC public health·2019

This Spanish study looked at 1,086 people with ME/CFS to understand why some are unable to work. Researchers found that more than half (58.6%) were unemployed due to illness. Several factors made work disability more likely, including severe fatigue and pain, autonomic problems (like dizziness or heart issues), neurological symptoms, depression, sleep problems, and having pain start at an older age.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Deconstructing post-exertional malaise: An exploratory factor analysis.

McManimen, Stephanie L, Sunnquist, Madison L, Jason, Leonard A·Journal of health psychology·2019

This study looked at post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical activity in ME/CFS—to understand whether it is one unified experience or two different types. The researchers found that PEM actually consists of two separate experiences: a whole-body fatigue and a muscle-specific fatigue. This suggests that PEM is more complex than previously thought and may need to be understood as having distinct components.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Associations between clinical symptoms, plasma norepinephrine and deregulated immune gene networks in subgroups of adolescent with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Nguyen, Chinh Bkrong, Kumar, Surendra, Zucknick, Manuela et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study looked at blood samples from teenagers with ME/CFS to understand how their immune systems and stress-response chemicals differ from healthy teenagers. Researchers found two distinct subgroups of ME/CFS patients based on immune activity and a stress hormone called norepinephrine. Patients with lower norepinephrine levels had more severe fatigue, while those with higher levels showed different patterns of immune dysfunction.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cytokine profiles in patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome.

Raijmakers, Ruud P H, Koeken, Valerie A C M, Jansen, Anne F M et al.·The Journal of infection·2019

This study looked at inflammatory markers in people who developed prolonged fatigue after Q fever infection. Researchers compared blood samples from patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome patients, people who had Q fever but recovered, and healthy controls. They found that Q fever fatigue syndrome patients had higher levels of specific inflammation proteins, suggesting chronic inflammation may be driving their ongoing fatigue.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Perfectionism and beliefs about emotions in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome and their parents: a preliminary investigation in a case control study nested within a cohort.

Loades, Maria E, Rimes, Katharine A, Lievesley, Kate et al.·Psychology & health·2019

This study looked at whether perfectionism and unhelpful ways of thinking about emotions might be connected to ME/CFS in teenagers and their parents. Researchers compared 121 adolescents with ME/CFS to teenagers with asthma and healthy teenagers, measuring their perfectionism and attitudes toward emotions. Interestingly, teenagers with ME/CFS did not show significantly more perfectionism than the other groups, but the study did find that when mothers had unhelpful beliefs about emotions, their teenagers were more likely to have similar beliefs.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Associations Between Autonomic and Orthostatic Self-report and Physician Ratings of Orthostatic Intolerance in Youth.

Schultz, Katlin R, Katz, Ben Z, Bockian, Neil R et al.·Clinical therapeutics·2019

This study looked at whether what young people with ME/CFS report feeling about dizziness and heart symptoms matches what doctors measure during physical exams. Researchers compared answers from questionnaires with actual measurements of blood pressure and heart rate changes. They found that while patients reported these symptoms, the physical measurements didn't always show the same problems, suggesting current testing methods may miss real autonomic problems in young ME/CFS patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

The Impact of a Structured Exercise Programme upon Cognitive Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Zalewski, Paweł, Kujawski, Sławomir, Tudorowska, Malwina et al.·Brain sciences·2019

This study tested whether a 16-week structured exercise program could help improve 'brain fog' and thinking problems that many people with ME/CFS experience. Of 53 patients who started the program, 34 completed it. Tests showed that those who finished the program had modest improvements in attention and processing speed, particularly in how quickly and accurately they could respond to visual tasks.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Systemic exertion intolerance disease/chronic fatigue syndrome is common in sleep centre patients with hypersomnolence: A retrospective pilot study.

Maness, Caroline, Saini, Prabhjyot, Bliwise, Donald L et al.·Journal of sleep research·2019

This study looked at people visiting sleep clinics who reported excessive daytime sleepiness and found that 21% of them also met criteria for ME/CFS (systemic exertion intolerance disease). People with both conditions reported more severe fatigue and were less likely to benefit from standard wake-promoting medications compared to those with only sleep disorders. The findings suggest that ME/CFS frequently occurs alongside sleep disorders and may make treatment more difficult.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Abnormal blood lactate accumulation during repeated exercise testing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lien, Katarina, Johansen, Bjørn, Veierød, Marit B et al.·Physiological reports·2019

This study looked at how the bodies of ME/CFS patients handle repeated exercise tests done 24 hours apart. Researchers measured how much oxygen patients used and tracked a substance called lactate in their blood during exercise. They found that ME/CFS patients performed worse on the second test and had higher lactate levels, opposite to what happened in healthy people, whose bodies actually recovered better the second time.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

EBV-requisitioning physicians' guess on fatigue state 6 months after acute EBV infection.

Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Pedersen, Maria, Skovlund, Eva et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2019

This study looked at whether doctors could predict which teenagers with mono (infectious mononucleosis caused by EBV) would develop long-lasting fatigue 6 months later. The researchers found that when doctors initially thought a patient would be 'likely fatigued' or 'unsurely fatigued,' those patients were more likely to actually develop fatigue compared to those predicted as 'not fatigued.' However, the doctors' predictions were only correct about two-thirds of the time.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Fatigue in Epstein-Barr virus infected adolescents and healthy controls: A prospective multifactorial association study.

Pedersen, Maria, Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Godang, Kristin et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2019

This study followed teenagers with acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and compared them to healthy teenagers to understand what causes fatigue. Researchers measured 148 different factors including symptoms, quality of life, sleep, emotions, immune markers, and heart rate control at the start of infection and again six months later. They found that fatigue was consistently linked to sleep problems, negative emotions, and poor quality of life, but surprisingly, markers of active infection were not associated with how tired people felt.

SleepAutonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Post-Exertional Malaise Is Associated with Hypermetabolism, Hypoacetylation and Purine Metabolism Deregulation in ME/CFS Cases.

McGregor, Neil R, Armstrong, Christopher W, Lewis, Donald P et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

This study looked at what happens in the body during post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the exhaustion and worsening of symptoms that ME/CFS patients experience after physical or mental activity. Researchers measured chemical changes in blood and urine over 7 days in 35 ME/CFS patients who reported PEM and compared them to healthy controls. They found that during PEM, the body shows signs of increased metabolism (burning energy faster), low levels of a molecule called hypoxanthine, and problems with how cells use and process energy, along with evidence that the body is breaking down muscle protein.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Multidimensional Comparison of Cancer-Related Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Role of Psychophysiological Markers.

Circulating levels of GDF15 in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence for similarity in symptoms and mechanism: The extra-pulmonary symptoms of severe asthma and the polysymptomatic presentation of fibromyalgia.

Immunosignature Analysis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Evidence of Clinical Pathology Abnormalities in People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) from an Analytic Cross-Sectional Study.

Differentiating Post-Polio Syndrome from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: A case-control study nested within a cohort.

Psychological and demographic factors associated with fatigue and social adjustment in young people with severe chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a preliminary mixed-methods study.

Unemployment and work disability in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a community-based cross-sectional study from Spain.

Deconstructing post-exertional malaise: An exploratory factor analysis.

Associations between clinical symptoms, plasma norepinephrine and deregulated immune gene networks in subgroups of adolescent with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Cytokine profiles in patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome.

Perfectionism and beliefs about emotions in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome and their parents: a preliminary investigation in a case control study nested within a cohort.

Associations Between Autonomic and Orthostatic Self-report and Physician Ratings of Orthostatic Intolerance in Youth.

The Impact of a Structured Exercise Programme upon Cognitive Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Systemic exertion intolerance disease/chronic fatigue syndrome is common in sleep centre patients with hypersomnolence: A retrospective pilot study.

Abnormal blood lactate accumulation during repeated exercise testing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

EBV-requisitioning physicians' guess on fatigue state 6 months after acute EBV infection.

Fatigue in Epstein-Barr virus infected adolescents and healthy controls: A prospective multifactorial association study.

Post-Exertional Malaise Is Associated with Hypermetabolism, Hypoacetylation and Purine Metabolism Deregulation in ME/CFS Cases.

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