Evidence browser

Possible relationship between chronic fatigue and postural tachycardia syndromes.

De Lorenzo, F, Hargreaves, J, Kakkar, V V·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·1996

This study looked at five people with ME/CFS who experienced symptoms like dizziness, blurred vision, and heart palpitations when standing up. When these patients were tested while lying on a tilting table that slowly moved them upright, researchers found that their blood pressure dropped and heart rate increased significantly. This suggests that some ME/CFS patients may have a condition called postural tachycardia syndrome, which affects how the body manages blood pressure during position changes.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Fibromyalgia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. Similarities and differences].

Hoffmann, A, Linder, R, Kröger, B et al.·Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)·1996

This study compared fibromyalgia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) to understand how they are similar and how they differ. Researchers examined patients with both conditions to identify shared symptoms and unique characteristics that could help doctors better recognize and distinguish between them.

Increased prolactin response to buspirone in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sharpe, M, Clements, A, Hawton, K et al.·Journal of affective disorders·1996

Researchers gave a medication called buspirone to people with ME/CFS and healthy volunteers to see how their bodies would respond. People with ME/CFS had higher levels of a hormone called prolactin and experienced more nausea than the healthy group. This suggests that the brains of people with ME/CFS may process certain chemicals differently, particularly those involved in mood and nerve signaling.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Short-term night-shift working mimics the pituitary-adrenocortical dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Leese, G, Chattington, P, Fraser, W et al.·The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·1996

This study found that nurses who worked night shifts for just 5 days showed abnormal stress hormone patterns similar to those seen in ME/CFS patients. Specifically, their bodies produced high levels of one stress hormone (ACTH) but low levels of another (cortisol) during night shifts. This suggests that disrupted sleep and routine alone may be enough to trigger the hormone imbalances characteristic of ME/CFS.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Influence of immediate hypersensitivity skin reactions on delayed reactions in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steinberg, P, Pheley, A, Peterson, P K·The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology·1996

This study looked at how immediate allergic skin reactions (like those that happen within minutes of allergen exposure) might affect delayed allergic reactions (which develop over hours or days) in people with ME/CFS. Researchers were investigating whether the immune system's early response to allergens could influence its later response in this patient population. Understanding these connections may help explain why some ME/CFS patients experience unusual or prolonged allergic reactions.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia syndrome: a review.

Reiffenberger, D H, Amundson, L H·American family physician·1996

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, stiffness, and tender points in muscles and soft tissues, often accompanied by fatigue and sleep problems. It affects women more than men, typically starting around age 49. Treatment combines medication (like certain antidepressants), education, reassurance, and exercise to help manage symptoms.

Pain and SensitizationSleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Decreased postexercise facilitation of motor evoked potentials in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or depression.

Samii, A, Wassermann, E M, Ikoma, K et al.·Neurology·1996

This study measured how the brain's motor cortex responds to exercise using magnetic stimulation in people with ME/CFS, depressed patients, and healthy controls. After exercise, healthy people showed a much stronger increase in brain activity (218%), while ME/CFS patients showed a weaker increase (126%), suggesting their brains may not respond as vigorously to physical exertion as they should.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Riedel's thyroiditis: treatment with tamoxifen.

Few, J, Thompson, N W, Angelos, P et al.·Surgery·1996

Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare disease where fibrous tissue hardens in the thyroid gland, causing breathing problems, difficulty swallowing, and chronic fatigue. This small study found that four patients with this condition improved significantly when treated with a drug called tamoxifen, even though surgery and steroid medications had not worked well before.

Neurobiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gonzalez, M B, Cousins, J C, Doraiswamy, P M·Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry·1996

This review article examines what happens in the brain and nervous system of people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that ME/CFS involves real biological changes in the brain—not just fatigue—including problems with mood, thinking, and hormone regulation. The study suggests that ME/CFS is a neurological condition with measurable differences in brain function, rather than purely psychological.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Investigation by polymerase chain reaction of enteroviral infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

McArdle, A, McArdle, F, Jackson, M J et al.·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·1996

Researchers wanted to test whether a virus called enterovirus might be hiding in the muscles of people with ME/CFS and causing the fatigue and pain. They took muscle samples from 34 patients and looked carefully for signs of enteroviral infection, but found none. However, they did find that muscle tissue showed signs of reduced activity, including lower levels of the building blocks that muscle cells need to function properly.

Energy Metabolism

Simian cytomegalovirus-related stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with bipolar psychosis and acute encephalopathy.

Martin, W J·Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology·1996

Researchers found an unusual virus in the spinal fluid of a patient with severe brain inflammation and psychiatric symptoms. This virus was similar to one previously found in a chronic fatigue syndrome patient. The study suggests that certain viruses might be responsible for various brain-related illnesses.

Viral arthritis.

Schnitzer, T J, Penmetcha, M·Current opinion in rheumatology·1996

This review examines how viral infections can cause joint pain and arthritis. Researchers found that several viruses—including hepatitis C, parvovirus B19, and those in certain vaccines—may trigger arthritis in some people. Interestingly, the study noted a negative association between parvovirus B19 and chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting these conditions may not be closely linked.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Development and application of HHV-6 antigen capture assay for the detection of HHV-6 infections.

Marsh, S, Kaplan, M, Asano, Y et al.·Journal of virological methods·1996

Researchers developed a new laboratory test to detect HHV-6, a common virus, in blood and body fluids. This test is faster, cheaper, and easier to use than older methods, and works reliably in clinical settings. They tested it on samples from healthy people, children with fever rashes, and patients with various conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome.

N of 1 trials. Managing patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: two case reports.

Wiebe, E·Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·1996

This study looked at two individual ME/CFS patients to see which treatments might help them personally. One patient tried high-dose vitamin B12 injections but they didn't help. Another patient tried a medication called nimodipine and found it worked very well for them. The doctors used a special testing method called N of 1 trials, where treatments are tested in one person at a time to see what actually helps that specific individual.

Interventions

Infectious agents and immunological disturbances in relation to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tripathy, B K, Agarwal, A K, Sangla, K S et al.·The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India·1996

This review article examines the connection between infections and immune system problems in ME/CFS. The authors looked at existing research to understand whether certain germs or viruses might trigger the condition, and how the immune system behaves differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy individuals.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Evidence that abnormalities of central neurohormonal systems are key to understanding fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Crofford, L J, Demitrack, M A·Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America·1996

This study explores how stress-response systems in the brain and body may be broken in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Both conditions often start after stressful events and get worse during stressful times. The researchers found that the brain's main stress-management system—called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—does not work normally in these patients, which could explain why their symptoms worsen with stress.

Endocrine Disruption

EEG biofeedback as a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome: a controlled case report.

James, L C, Folen, R A·Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)·1996

This study tested whether a brain training technique called EEG neurofeedback could help a person with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The patient received this treatment and was tested before and after using standard cognitive (thinking) tests. The results showed improvements in memory, thinking skills, daily functioning, and overall quality of life.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

[A case from practice (343). Chronic fatigue syndrome following Lyme borreliosis].

Diamantis, I·Praxis·1996

This case study describes a patient who developed chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) following a Lyme borreliosis infection (transmitted by tick bite). The report documents one person's experience, showing how a tick-borne infection may have triggered or contributed to the development of ME/CFS symptoms.

Diagnostics