ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2423 studies

201–220 of 2,423 studies

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM requiredEditorial

Attenuating post-exertional malaise in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and long-COVID: Is blood lactate monitoring the answer?

Faghy, Professor Mark A, Ashton, Dr Ruth Em, McNelis, Mr Robin et al.·Current problems in cardiology·2024

This editorial discusses whether measuring blood lactate levels could help manage post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the debilitating fatigue that occurs after physical activity in ME/CFS and long-COVID patients. The authors suggest that blood lactate monitoring might help identify safe exercise limits and prevent PEM crashes. However, this is an opinion piece rather than a research study with new data.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

Virtual reality education on myalgic encephalomyelitis for medical students and healthcare professionals: a pilot study.

Anderson, Tara, Duffy, Grace, Corry, Dagmar·BMC medical education·2024

Researchers tested whether a virtual reality (VR) experience could help medical students and healthcare professionals better understand ME/CFS. The VR program showed real stories from people living with ME/CFS and their families. After using the VR experience, both groups showed significantly better understanding of the condition and greater empathy for patients—suggesting that immersive storytelling could be a useful training tool to address the widespread lack of knowledge about ME/CFS in healthcare.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Dysregulation of tetrahydrobiopterin metabolism in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome by pentose phosphate pathway.

Bulbule, Sarojini, Gottschalk, Carl Gunnar, Drosen, Molly E et al.·Journal of central nervous system disease·2024

Researchers found that patients with ME/CFS who experience dizziness upon standing have abnormally high levels of certain molecules called biopterins in their blood. The study discovered that these molecules are produced through an unusual metabolic pathway involving the breakdown of glucose, and this pathway appears to trigger inflammation in immune cells. This finding suggests a potential biochemical explanation for some ME/CFS symptoms.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Developing a clinical-pathological framework of long COVID-related fatigue applied to public safety workers.

Lofrano-Porto, Adriana, D'Isabel, Susanne, Smith, Denise L·Frontiers in medicine·2024

This article reviews what we know about long COVID fatigue, especially in firefighters and other public safety workers. The authors explain why fatigue after COVID is so hard to diagnose and treat, since patients often look healthy on the outside even though they feel extremely tired. They describe possible biological reasons for this fatigue and discuss why it matters for workers whose jobs require them to be physically and mentally alert.

DiagnosticsLong COVID Overlap

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

From Viral Infection to Autoimmune Reaction: Exploring the Link between Human Herpesvirus 6 and Autoimmune Diseases.

Sokolovska, Liba, Cistjakovs, Maksims, Matroze, Asnate et al.·Microorganisms·2024

This review examines how Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a virus that most people carry, might trigger autoimmune diseases where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells. The virus can hide in the body for years and reactivate later, and it appears to interfere with immune system function. Researchers found evidence linking HHV-6 to several autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis and thyroid disease.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Cardiac Geometry and Function in Patients with Reflex Syncope.

Coseriu, Giorgia, Schiop-Tentea, Patricia, Apetrei, Csilla-Andrea et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2024

This review examines how the size and function of the heart relate to fainting episodes in people with reflex syncope. Researchers found that people with smaller hearts and very forceful heartbeats are more prone to fainting, and this pattern is also seen in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Understanding these heart differences may help doctors predict who will faint again and choose better treatments.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Hypocortisolemic ASIA: a vaccine- and chronic infection-induced syndrome behind the origin of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Ruiz-Pablos, Manuel, Paiva, Bruno, Zabaleta, Aintzane·Frontiers in immunology·2024

This review proposes that ME/CFS, long COVID, and post-vaccine syndrome may share a common cause: an immune system problem that damages the pituitary gland (a small gland that controls many hormones). The researchers suggest that in genetically susceptible people, a weak initial response to viruses can lead to an overactive immune response that mistakenly attacks the body's own pituitary gland, lowering levels of crucial hormones like cortisol. They propose that treatments like antivirals, steroids, and antioxidants might help by reducing inflammation and restoring hormone balance.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Creatine Supplementation Beyond Athletics: Benefits of Different Types of Creatine for Women, Vegans, and Clinical Populations-A Narrative Review.

Gutiérrez-Hellín, Jorge, Del Coso, Juan, Franco-Andrés, Arturo et al.·Nutrients·2024

This review article examines how creatine, a natural substance that helps muscles produce energy, might help people beyond just athletes. The authors suggest creatine supplementation could reduce fatigue in women during certain phases of their menstrual cycle, help vegans and vegetarians compensate for lower creatine from their diet, and potentially support people with chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle loss, and other health conditions by improving how their cells produce energy.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclear

False Alarm: XMRV, Cancer, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Coffin, John M, Kearney, Mary F·Annual review of virology·2024

In 2009, scientists found a virus called XMRV in some people with ME/CFS, which created excitement that they might have discovered a cause of the illness. However, when researchers around the world tried to confirm this finding, they repeatedly could not—and eventually realized the virus had contaminated the laboratory samples with mouse virus rather than coming from patients. This article tells the story of how this discovery was made, why it turned out to be false, and what we learned from this experience.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The role of clinical neurophysiology in the definition and assessment of fatigue and fatigability.

Tankisi, Hatice, Versace, Viviana, Kuppuswamy, Annapoorna et al.·Clinical neurophysiology practice·2024

This review article explains how doctors and researchers can better understand fatigue and 'fatigability'—the reduced ability to sustain physical or mental effort. The authors describe different types of tests that can measure these problems objectively by looking at how the brain, nerves, and muscles work, rather than relying only on what patients report. These specialized tests may help identify the actual cause of fatigue in different conditions, including long COVID and ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Circulating microaggregates as biomarkers for the Post-COVID syndrome.

Hermann, M, Lisch, C, Gerth, R et al.·IDCases·2024

This study describes one patient with long COVID who experienced severe fatigue, worsening after exertion, pain, and neurological symptoms. Researchers used a special microscopy technique to examine the patient's blood and found tiny clumps of blood cells and proteins (microaggregates) that shouldn't normally be there. After the patient received blood-thinning medications and antiviral treatment, these clumps dissolved and their symptoms significantly improved.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Successful treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using hydrogen gas: four case reports.

Hirano, Shin-Ichi, Ichikawa, Yusuke, Sato, Bunpei et al.·Medical gas research·2024

This study looked at four patients with ME/CFS who were treated with hydrogen gas and reported improvements in their symptoms. The researchers described how each patient used hydrogen gas therapy and what changes they noticed over time. While the results are encouraging for these individual cases, this is a very small study that needs much larger research to confirm whether hydrogen gas could help ME/CFS patients more broadly.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Investigation into the restoration of TRPM3 ion channel activity in post-COVID-19 condition: a potential pharmacotherapeutic target.

Sasso, Etianne Martini, Muraki, Katsuhiko, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2024

This study looked at a tiny channel (called TRPM3) that sits on immune cells called NK cells, which help fight infections. Researchers found that both ME/CFS and post-COVID patients have a broken version of this channel. Importantly, they discovered that a drug called naltrexone (NTX) could fix this broken channel in lab-grown cells from post-COVID patients, suggesting it might help real patients feel better.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Mast cells in the autonomic nervous system and potential role in disorders with dysautonomia and neuroinflammation.

Theoharides, Theoharis C, Twahir, Assma, Kempuraj, Duraisamy·Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology·2024

This study examines mast cells, which are immune cells found throughout the body, and how they may be involved in conditions like ME/CFS that affect the nervous system and cause abnormal heart rate and blood pressure responses. Mast cells sit near nerve endings and important organs, where they can release chemicals that affect how the body regulates basic functions like temperature and blood pressure. The researchers suggest that controlling mast cell activation might help treat these conditions, though currently there are no proven treatments.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

[Interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy in postviral syndromes and ME/CFS : Features, pitfalls and model concept].

Luchting, Benjamin, Behrends, Uta, Eigner, Bianca et al.·Schmerz (Berlin, Germany)·2024

Standard pain therapy programs often push patients to gradually increase their activity levels, but this approach can be harmful for people with ME/CFS because of postexertional malaise (PEM)—a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental effort. This paper reviews how pain therapy should be redesigned specifically for ME/CFS patients and presents a new model clinic program that carefully adjusts treatment to each person's individual tolerance levels to avoid triggering symptom flares.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Designing and optimizing clinical trials for long COVID.

Vogel, Julia Moore, Pollack, Beth, Spier, Ezra et al.·Life sciences·2024

This study looked at all the clinical trials being tested for Long COVID on a public database and found that most trials are not well-designed or testing treatments that have enough evidence to justify testing. The researchers recommend that future trials should test actual medications that might cure Long COVID, be able to run remotely so sick patients don't have to travel, compare Long COVID to similar illnesses like ME/CFS, include diverse patients of all backgrounds and illness levels, and involve patients as research partners.

Long COVID Overlap

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Immunometabolic changes and potential biomarkers in CFS peripheral immune cells revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Sun, Yujing, Zhang, Zhenhua, Qiao, Qincheng et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2024

Researchers used advanced cell analysis to examine immune cells from the blood of 4 ME/CFS patients and 4 healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients have an unusual mix of immune cells, with too many T cells but too few natural killer cells and other immune cells that normally fight infections. Some of their immune cells also show signs of overactivity while others seem weakened, and the researchers identified a potential blood test marker that could help diagnose ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

Case-Control Study of Individuals With Small Fiber Neuropathy After COVID-19.

McAlpine, Lindsay, Zubair, Adeel S, Joseph, Phillip et al.·Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation·2024

This study looked at 16 patients who developed nerve damage in their small nerves after COVID-19. The researchers found that 92% of these patients also had symptoms of ME/CFS, including post-exertional malaise (feeling much worse after activity). When 9 patients were treated with IVIG (an immune therapy), all of them improved significantly, while only 3 out of 7 untreated patients improved.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The molecular fingerprint of neuroinflammation in COVID-19: A comprehensive discussion on molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation due to SARS-COV2 antigens.

Zayeri, Zeinab Deris, Torabizadeh, Mehdi, Kargar, Masoud et al.·Behavioural brain research·2024

This study explains how COVID-19 can damage the brain and nervous system, causing inflammation and injury. The researchers found that about half of people recovering from COVID-19 develop ME/CFS symptoms, and brain scans show reduced activity in key areas that control memory, movement, and mood. The study focuses on the biological mechanisms—essentially how viruses trigger harmful immune responses in the brain that can lead to long-term neurological problems.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not required

Stress-Related Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Report with a Positive Response to Alpha-Methyl-P-Tyrosine (AMPT) Treatment.

Ljungström, Maria, Oltra, Elisa, Pardo, Marta·International journal of molecular sciences·2024

This case report describes one patient with ME/CFS who had high levels of stress and an overactive stress-response system in his body. He was treated with a medication called alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT), which lowers stress chemicals in the body, and his symptoms improved. The report suggests that some people with ME/CFS may have problems with how their body produces and manages stress chemicals, and this medication might help them.

Autonomic Nervous System

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Attenuating post-exertional malaise in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and long-COVID: Is blood lactate monitoring the answer?

Virtual reality education on myalgic encephalomyelitis for medical students and healthcare professionals: a pilot study.

Dysregulation of tetrahydrobiopterin metabolism in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome by pentose phosphate pathway.

Developing a clinical-pathological framework of long COVID-related fatigue applied to public safety workers.

From Viral Infection to Autoimmune Reaction: Exploring the Link between Human Herpesvirus 6 and Autoimmune Diseases.

Cardiac Geometry and Function in Patients with Reflex Syncope.

Hypocortisolemic ASIA: a vaccine- and chronic infection-induced syndrome behind the origin of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Creatine Supplementation Beyond Athletics: Benefits of Different Types of Creatine for Women, Vegans, and Clinical Populations-A Narrative Review.

False Alarm: XMRV, Cancer, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The role of clinical neurophysiology in the definition and assessment of fatigue and fatigability.

Circulating microaggregates as biomarkers for the Post-COVID syndrome.

Successful treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using hydrogen gas: four case reports.

Investigation into the restoration of TRPM3 ion channel activity in post-COVID-19 condition: a potential pharmacotherapeutic target.

Mast cells in the autonomic nervous system and potential role in disorders with dysautonomia and neuroinflammation.

[Interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy in postviral syndromes and ME/CFS : Features, pitfalls and model concept].

Designing and optimizing clinical trials for long COVID.

Immunometabolic changes and potential biomarkers in CFS peripheral immune cells revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Case-Control Study of Individuals With Small Fiber Neuropathy After COVID-19.

The molecular fingerprint of neuroinflammation in COVID-19: A comprehensive discussion on molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation due to SARS-COV2 antigens.

Stress-Related Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Report with a Positive Response to Alpha-Methyl-P-Tyrosine (AMPT) Treatment.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research