ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

2281–2300 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Winters, E G, Quinet, R J·The Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society : official organ of the Louisiana State Medical Society·1992

ME/CFS is a complex illness characterized by severe, debilitating fatigue that often starts suddenly with flu-like symptoms. While researchers have investigated viruses and immune system changes in ME/CFS patients, no single cause has been definitively identified. Currently, there is no specific cure, though cognitive behavioral therapy and certain medications may help some patients manage their condition.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome: studies on skeletal muscle.

Grau, J M, Casademont, J, Pedrol, E et al.·Clinical neuropathology·1992

This study looked at muscle tissue samples from 20 ME/CFS patients to understand why muscles feel so tired and weak. The researchers found that most patients had either normal muscle tissue or only minor changes, and they did not find the patterns of inflammation typically seen in viral muscle diseases. The study also tested whether L-carnitine supplements could help patients improve over three months, but found no clinical benefit.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Use of the polymerase chain reaction to detect Toxoplasma gondii in human blood samples.

Ho-Yen, D O, Joss, A W, Balfour, A H et al.·Journal of clinical pathology·1992

This study tested a laboratory technique called PCR to detect a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii in blood samples. Researchers found that PCR was fast, accurate, and sensitive enough to detect even very small amounts of the parasite. The test helped doctors decide whether patients needed treatment, especially those with weakened immune systems.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary findings.

Demitrack, M A, Gold, P W, Dale, J K et al.·Biological psychiatry·1992

This study measured chemical messengers in the blood and spinal fluid of people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy individuals. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower levels of one chemical (MHPG, related to stress response) and higher levels of another (5-HIAA, related to mood regulation). These differences suggest ME/CFS may have biological markers that distinguish it from purely psychiatric conditions.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Culture and somatic experience: the social course of illness in neurasthenia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ware, N C, Kleinman, A·Psychosomatic medicine·1992

This study examines how culture and social life shape the experience of ME/CFS and related illnesses. The researchers found that symptoms don't just come from the body—they are also influenced by what happens in patients' relationships, work, and daily lives. When patients' life circumstances improve, their symptoms often improve too, showing that body and society are deeply connected.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Immunologically mediated fatigue: a murine model.

Chao, C C, DeLaHunt, M, Hu, S et al.·Clinical immunology and immunopathology·1992

Researchers infected mice with agents that trigger immune system activation and found that the mice became fatigued—they ran much less on their exercise wheels and took longer to groom themselves after swimming. The infected mice also showed elevated levels of a immune signaling molecule called TGF-beta, which is also found at high levels in ME/CFS patients. This study suggests that an overly active immune response may be directly responsible for the fatigue experienced in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Skeletal muscle metabolism in the chronic fatigue syndrome. In vivo assessment by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Wong, R, Lopaschuk, G, Zhu, G et al.·Chest·1992

This study used a special imaging technique (31P NMR spectroscopy) to examine how muscles use energy during exercise in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy volunteers. Patients with ME/CFS became exhausted much faster during exercise (about 8 minutes versus 11 minutes) and had lower levels of ATP, the main energy molecule muscles use. The patterns of energy use looked similar between groups, but happened much more quickly in the ME/CFS group.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

McCluskey, D R, Riley, M S·Comprehensive therapy·1992

ME/CFS likely involves multiple different problems happening in the body at the same time, rather than one single cause. Most patients get sick after a viral infection, but scientists haven't found clear evidence the virus stays in the body long-term. People with ME/CFS have real physical limitations in how much exercise they can do, and they may perceive their own effort and tiredness differently than healthy people do.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Human herpesvirus 7 is a T-lymphotropic virus and is related to, but significantly different from, human herpesvirus 6 and human cytomegalovirus.

Berneman, Z N, Ablashi, D V, Li, G et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·1992

Researchers isolated a virus called HHV-7 from a patient with ME/CFS and studied how it infects cells. They found that HHV-7 is related to another herpesvirus (HHV-6) but is genetically different enough to be classified as its own distinct virus. However, the study found no clear link between HHV-7 and ME/CFS in the general population.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

[Chronic fatigue syndrome--51 cases in the Jikei University School of Medicine].

Hashimoto, N, Kuraishi, Y, Yokose, T et al.·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·1992

This study identified 51 patients with ME/CFS diagnosed using official CDC criteria between 1991 and 1992. Most patients were women in their 20s–30s who had been seen by many doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis. Standard blood tests did not reveal abnormal findings, though some immune markers were mildly abnormal. About 57% of patients showed general improvement, and doctors used various medications to manage severe symptoms.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Neuro-psychiatric aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Shimizu, T·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·1992

This review examines the differences between ME/CFS and other conditions that can look similar, particularly fibromyalgia and depression. The authors explain that ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder and that sleep disturbances may play a central role in the condition. They suggest that brain imaging technology could help doctors more accurately identify ME/CFS in the future.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Bupropion treatment of fluoxetine-resistant chronic fatigue syndrome.

Goodnick, P J, Sandoval, R, Brickman, A et al.·Biological psychiatry·1992

This study tested whether bupropion, an antidepressant medication, could help ME/CFS patients who didn't benefit from or couldn't tolerate fluoxetine (another antidepressant). Nine patients took 300 mg of bupropion daily for 8 weeks and showed significant improvement in depression symptoms. The researchers also found that bupropion appeared to affect certain brain chemicals and immune markers in ways that correlated with symptom improvement.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Pain syndromes, disability, and chronic disease in childhood.

Malleson, P N·Current opinion in rheumatology·1991

This editorial discusses how chronic pain and long-term illnesses affect children, and suggests that conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may be related to each other. The author notes that doctors need better training to understand these complex conditions and that psychological factors may play a role in how these illnesses develop and affect children's lives.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Electrophoretic analysis of human herpesvirus 6 polypeptides immunoprecipitated from infected cells with human sera.

Balachandran, N, Tirawatnapong, S, Pfeiffer, B et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·1991

This study examined how the immune system responds to human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a virus that researchers have investigated in ME/CFS patients. Scientists took blood samples from healthy people and patients with various conditions including ME/CFS, and looked at which HHV-6 proteins the immune system recognized. They found that people with detectable antibodies (immune proteins) against HHV-6 recognized multiple viral proteins, with stronger responses corresponding to higher antibody levels.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Nervous system-immune system communication.

Arnason, B G·Reviews of infectious diseases·1991

Some people's bodies may be genetically or biologically wired to respond to infections in a way that leads to ME/CFS. This review examines how the immune system and nervous system communicate with each other through chemical messengers like interleukin-1 and hormones. The author suggests that measuring these chemicals in patients with ME/CFS compared to healthy people could help us understand why some people develop this disease after an infection.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Seasonal affective disorder presenting as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lam, R W·Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie·1991

This study describes two patients who were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) but actually had seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—a type of depression that occurs during certain seasons. Both patients improved significantly when treated with light therapy rather than typical CFS treatments. The study highlights that depression, including seasonal depression, can look very similar to CFS and needs to be carefully ruled out before diagnosing CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Testing of vestibular function: an adjunct in the assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Furman, J M·Reviews of infectious diseases·1991

Many people with ME/CFS experience dizziness and balance problems, but doctors don't fully understand why. This study looked at whether problems with the inner ear (the system that helps control balance) might explain these symptoms. The researchers tested the vestibular system—which controls balance and eye movement—using specialized equipment to see if people with ME/CFS had measurable abnormalities in how this system works.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, and chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective case series.

Fark, A R·The Journal of family practice·1991

This study looked at whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis (mono), might be the cause of ME/CFS. Researchers found that some people with chronic fatigue had high levels of antibodies (immune markers) against EBV, and some of them had never fully recovered from a previous mono infection. The study suggests a possible link between EBV infection and the development of chronic fatigue, though it doesn't prove the virus directly causes ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome: issues in the diagnosis and estimation of incidence.

Armon, C, Kurland, L T·Reviews of infectious diseases·1991

This article examines how ME/CFS is diagnosed and points out problems with the current definition used by doctors. The authors identified several issues: the definition doesn't clearly address what happens when patients do too much activity, it doesn't specify how much rest is needed, and it may miss cases in poorer communities. They suggest a new flowchart that could help identify different types of ME/CFS and potentially help some patients avoid developing the condition.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome: is it real?

Kroenke, K·Postgraduate medicine·1991

This 1991 editorial discusses what doctors understood about ME/CFS at that time. The author suggests that ME/CFS is likely connected to depression, mild immune system problems, or a combination of both, rather than being caused by Epstein-Barr virus alone. The article recommends that doctors use careful patient interviews, physical exams, and basic blood tests to diagnose the condition, and that supportive, hopeful care is important for treatment.

Diagnostics

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Evidence browser

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: studies on skeletal muscle.

Use of the polymerase chain reaction to detect Toxoplasma gondii in human blood samples.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary findings.

Culture and somatic experience: the social course of illness in neurasthenia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immunologically mediated fatigue: a murine model.

Skeletal muscle metabolism in the chronic fatigue syndrome. In vivo assessment by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Human herpesvirus 7 is a T-lymphotropic virus and is related to, but significantly different from, human herpesvirus 6 and human cytomegalovirus.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome--51 cases in the Jikei University School of Medicine].

[Neuro-psychiatric aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Bupropion treatment of fluoxetine-resistant chronic fatigue syndrome.

Pain syndromes, disability, and chronic disease in childhood.

Electrophoretic analysis of human herpesvirus 6 polypeptides immunoprecipitated from infected cells with human sera.

Nervous system-immune system communication.

Seasonal affective disorder presenting as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Testing of vestibular function: an adjunct in the assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, and chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective case series.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: issues in the diagnosis and estimation of incidence.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: is it real?

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