ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

2061–2080 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Gender differences in host defense mechanisms.

Cannon, J G, St Pierre, B A·Journal of psychiatric research·1997

This review looks at why the immune system works differently in women compared to men. Women generally have stronger immune responses, which helps them fight infections better, but also makes them more likely to develop autoimmune diseases where the immune system attacks the body. Because ME/CFS affects mostly women, researchers wondered if these gender differences in immune function might help explain why the illness is so much more common in women.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The 'worn-out athlete': a clinical approach to chronic fatigue in athletes.

Derman, W, Schwellnus, M P, Lambert, M I et al.·Journal of sports sciences·1997

Doctors who treat athletes need to be able to tell the difference between normal tiredness from hard training and severe, long-lasting fatigue that signals a real medical problem. This article presents a framework to help doctors figure out what's causing persistent fatigue in athletes, including checking for treatable diseases, overtraining, and possible muscle disorders that might not show up on standard tests.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Increased brain serotonin function in men with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sharpe, M, Hawton, K, Clements, A et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1997

This 1997 study examined whether people with ME/CFS have differences in serotonin activity in their brains. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that affects mood, sleep, and energy. The researchers found that men with ME/CFS showed increased brain serotonin function compared to healthy controls, which was unexpected since low serotonin is often associated with fatigue and depression.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a 20th century illness?

Wessely, S·Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health·1997

This article examines how ME/CFS became recognized as a medical illness in modern times. The condition was largely unknown and unnamed until the 1980s, when it emerged under various labels including 'chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome' and later 'chronic fatigue syndrome.' The author discusses how different countries use different names for the condition and explores connections between ME/CFS and the concept of somatization—when stress or psychological factors manifest as physical symptoms.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Evidence for enteroviral persistence in humans.

Galbraith, D N, Nairn, C, Clements, G B·The Journal of general virology·1997

Researchers tested blood samples from 8 people with ME/CFS and found traces of enterovirus (a type of virus) in samples taken at least 5 months apart. In 4 of these individuals, the virus appeared to be the same virus persisting in their body over time, rather than a new infection. This suggests that some people with ME/CFS may have viruses that linger in their system rather than being cleared completely.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Definition of "chronic fatigue syndrome" (CFS)].

Heyll, U, Wachauf, P, Senger, V et al.·Medizinische Klinik (Munich, Germany : 1983)·1997

In 1988, doctors created an official definition for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to help researchers study it consistently. However, this study found that the original definition didn't work as well as hoped—it didn't capture the condition accurately, and patients with CFS turned out to be quite different from each other. The authors suggest that CFS should be understood as a descriptive condition rather than a single disease with one cause.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative investigation of patients' beliefs about the illness.

Clements, A, Sharpe, M, Simkin, S et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1997

This study interviewed 66 people with ME/CFS to understand what they believe causes their illness and how they think they can manage it. Most patients believed their illness was primarily physical, though over half also thought stress played a role. Patients felt they could control symptoms by reducing activity, but believed they could not influence the underlying disease itself.

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM not requiredGuideline

Chronic fatigue syndrome. A practical guide to assessment and management.

Sharpe, M, Chalder, T, Palmer, I et al.·General hospital psychiatry·1997

This guide explains how doctors should assess and manage ME/CFS by building trust with patients, taking a detailed history, and ruling out other conditions. Treatment focuses on helping patients understand their illness, establish consistent activity and sleep patterns, and gradually return to normal activities, with cognitive behavioral therapy being the only proven effective approach. The authors emphasize that ME/CFS is a real, treatable condition and provide practical strategies to help patients avoid misinterpreting their symptoms or fearing activity.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Enterovirus infections in new disguise].

Fohlman, J, Friman, G, Tuvemo, T·Lakartidningen·1997

Enteroviruses are common viruses that usually cause mild illnesses like colds, but researchers have discovered that in some cases, these viruses may persist in the body long after the initial infection. This review suggests that chronic or recurring enteroviral infections might contribute to several unexplained diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome, by either persisting in the body or triggering abnormal immune responses.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Increased concentrations of homocysteine in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Regland, B, Andersson, M, Abrahamsson, L et al.·Scandinavian journal of rheumatology·1997

Researchers tested the spinal fluid of 12 women who had both fibromyalgia and ME/CFS and found unusually high levels of a molecule called homocysteine in their brains and spinal cords. They also noticed that patients with lower vitamin B12 levels in their spinal fluid reported more severe fatigue. This suggests that a vitamin B12 deficiency might prevent the body from properly breaking down homocysteine, which could contribute to symptoms like exhaustion.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

A body with chronic fatigue syndrome as a battleground for the fight to separate from the mother.

Simpson, M·The Journal of analytical psychology·1997

This study describes the therapy of one 20-year-old woman who experienced concentration and memory difficulties she attributed to ME/CFS. Through dream analysis and psychological exploration, a therapist found that her symptoms may have been connected to unresolved emotional conflicts with her mother. After working through these psychological issues in therapy, her symptoms improved.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an update for clinicians in primary care.

Houde, S C, Kampfe-Leacher, R·The Nurse practitioner·1997

This article explains what ME/CFS is and how doctors can recognize it. The main challenge is that ME/CFS doesn't show up on standard tests, so doctors need to rule out other conditions first. Treatment works best when it's tailored to each person's specific symptoms and needs.

InterventionsDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis as a twentieth-century disease: analytic challenges.

Simpson, M, Bennett, A, Holland, P·The Journal of analytical psychology·1997

This study explores why ME/CFS is so difficult for doctors to understand and treat. The authors look at how psychological factors—such as denial and unconscious defense mechanisms—might play a role in the condition alongside physical symptoms. They examined five patient cases and found that talking therapy helped some patients improve their symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Demitrack, M A, Engleberg, N C·Current therapy in endocrinology and metabolism·1997

This is a review article that summarizes what was known about ME/CFS in 1997, focusing on endocrine and metabolic aspects of the illness. The authors examined how ME/CFS affects hormones and the body's energy systems. This paper provides an overview of medical understanding from that time period rather than presenting new research findings.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.

Goldenberg, D L·Current opinion in rheumatology·1997

This review examines three related conditions—fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and myofascial pain syndrome—and discusses ongoing challenges in diagnosing and treating them. The study found that psychiatric conditions are not a core feature of these diseases, but rather reflect that people with these conditions are more likely to seek medical help. The researchers identified that a blood pressure problem called neurally mediated hypotension may play a role in ME/CFS, and that treating patients in multidisciplinary groups (rather than in isolation) showed more promise than traditional individual treatments.

Autonomic Nervous SystemDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Confronting AIDS in older adults.

Berlin, B·New Jersey medicine : the journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey·1997

This case report describes a 57-year-old man who experienced severe flu-like symptoms and weight loss, and was initially tested for chronic fatigue syndrome and mononucleosis before eventually being diagnosed with HIV. The story illustrates how HIV infection can present with symptoms similar to other conditions and how important it is for doctors to consider HIV testing when patients have unexplained fatigue and illness. This highlights that conditions causing severe fatigue can have different underlying causes that require proper diagnosis.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Chronic fatigue syndrome: chronic ciguatera poisoning as a differential diagnosis.

Pearn, J H·The Medical journal of Australia·1997

This study examines whether some people diagnosed with ME/CFS might actually have chronic ciguatera poisoning, a illness caused by eating contaminated seafood. The researchers suggest that certain ME/CFS cases could be misdiagnosed cases of ciguatera, which can cause similar long-lasting fatigue and other symptoms. The study calls for doctors to consider this possibility when evaluating patients with ME/CFS symptoms.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Antimuscle and anti-CNS circulating antibodies in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Plioplys, A V·Neurology·1997

Researchers investigated whether people with ME/CFS have antibodies (immune proteins) in their blood that attack muscles or the brain, which could explain fatigue and brain fog symptoms. They compared 10 ME/CFS patients with 10 healthy controls but did not find evidence of these harmful antibodies in either group.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Detection of RNA sequences in cultures of a stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a health care worker with chronic fatigue syndrome. Case report.

Martin, W J·Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology·1997

Researchers found a virus in the spinal fluid of a nurse with chronic fatigue syndrome. Using a genetic detection method called RT-PCR, they identified RNA sequences matching a virus previously found in monkey cells. This suggests that certain viruses associated with ME/CFS may exist in a replicating form that could be targeted by treatments.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Endocrinopathy in the differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Sterzl, I, Zamrazil, V·Vnitrni lekarstvi·1996

This review discusses how disorders of the endocrine system (hormone-producing glands) can cause fatigue and other symptoms that overlap with ME/CFS, making them difficult to distinguish. The authors highlight that some patients initially thought to have ME/CFS actually have treatable hormone conditions, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease or other glandular disorders. They also explore how problems with the stress-hormone system (the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis) might play a role in both endocrine disease and ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

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Evidence browser

Gender differences in host defense mechanisms.

The 'worn-out athlete': a clinical approach to chronic fatigue in athletes.

Increased brain serotonin function in men with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a 20th century illness?

Evidence for enteroviral persistence in humans.

[Definition of "chronic fatigue syndrome" (CFS)].

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative investigation of patients' beliefs about the illness.

Chronic fatigue syndrome. A practical guide to assessment and management.

[Enterovirus infections in new disguise].

Increased concentrations of homocysteine in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A body with chronic fatigue syndrome as a battleground for the fight to separate from the mother.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an update for clinicians in primary care.

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis as a twentieth-century disease: analytic challenges.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.

Confronting AIDS in older adults.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: chronic ciguatera poisoning as a differential diagnosis.

Antimuscle and anti-CNS circulating antibodies in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of RNA sequences in cultures of a stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a health care worker with chronic fatigue syndrome. Case report.

[Endocrinopathy in the differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome].

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