ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2422 studies

541–560 of 2,422 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Postdengue chronic fatigue syndrome in an adolescent boy.

Thadchanamoorthy, Vijayakumary, Dayasiri, Kavinda·BMJ case reports·2021

This case report describes an 11-year-old boy who developed ME/CFS symptoms after recovering from dengue hemorrhagic fever. Three weeks after initially feeling better, he experienced severe joint pain, muscle aches, and headaches that persisted for at least a year despite physiotherapy and nutrition support. This case adds to growing evidence that ME/CFS can develop following viral infections, even in young people.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Case Report: Neutralization of Autoantibodies Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Improves Capillary Impairment and Fatigue Symptoms After COVID-19 Infection.

Hohberger, Bettina, Harrer, Thomas, Mardin, Christian et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2021

This case report describes one patient with long COVID who had ongoing fatigue, loss of taste, and poor blood flow in the eyes after a mild COVID-19 infection. The patient was found to have unusual antibodies that attack certain receptors in the body. When treated with a drug called BC 007 that neutralizes these antibodies, the patient's fatigue, taste, and eye blood flow all improved within days and stayed better for at least 4 weeks.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Central sensitivity and fibromyalgia.

Mezhov, Veronica, Guymer, Emma, Littlejohn, Geoffrey·Internal medicine journal·2021

Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are conditions where the nervous system becomes oversensitive, causing widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and brain fog. These conditions often occur together and share similar underlying problems with how the brain and spinal cord process pain and other signals. This review explains what causes these conditions and how doctors can recognize and treat them using a combination of education, exercise, stress management, and medications.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Post-COVID-19 syndrome: epidemiology, diagnostic criteria and pathogenic mechanisms involved.

Carod-Artal, F J·Revista de neurologia·2021

Many people who have had COVID-19, even mild cases, don't fully recover and experience long-lasting symptoms for months afterward. This article reviews what we know about post-COVID-19 syndrome, including who gets it, what symptoms they have, and what might be causing it. Common symptoms include fatigue, breathing problems, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and depression. The exact biological reasons why this happens are still unknown, though experts think abnormal immune and inflammatory responses may play a role.

DiagnosticsCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia and Associated Disorders: From Pain to Chronic Suffering, From Subjective Hypersensitivity to Hypersensitivity Syndrome.

Maugars, Yves, Berthelot, Jean-Marie, Le Goff, Benoit et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2021

This article reviews what scientists know about fibromyalgia as of 2020, including how it's diagnosed and why it happens. The authors explain that fibromyalgia involves the brain processing pain signals too intensely, and that people with fibromyalgia often experience many other symptoms like fatigue, sleep problems, and sensitivity to sounds, lights, and touch. They also discuss how fibromyalgia shares common features with other conditions like ME/CFS, all involving a heightened sensitivity to stimuli controlled by the central nervous system.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Recovery from refractory chronic fatigue syndrome with CBT and modafinil.

Garg, Himanshu, Douglas, Maggie, Turkington, Gordon Douglas et al.·BMJ case reports·2021

This small study looked at three patients with severe, long-lasting ME/CFS who had not improved with standard treatments. When doctors added a medication called modafinil to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), two of the three patients reported meaningful improvements in fatigue, pain, and concentration, and all three were able to return to work or study. This suggests that combining modafinil with CBT might help some treatment-resistant patients, though more research is needed.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

An Audit of UK Hospital Doctors' Knowledge and Experience of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Hng, Keng Ngee, Geraghty, Keith, Pheby, Derek F H·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2021

This study surveyed 44 UK hospital doctors about their knowledge of ME/CFS. Most doctors had little formal training on ME and lacked confidence in diagnosing or treating it, even though many had seen patients with the condition. The doctors showed significant gaps in understanding what ME actually is, how to properly diagnose it, and how to manage it effectively.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

The development of an instrument to assess post-exertional malaise in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Holtzman, Carly S, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Journal of health psychology·2021

This study created a new questionnaire called the DePaul Post-Exertional Malaise Questionnaire to measure post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS patients. Researchers worked with hundreds of patients to develop questions that accurately capture what PEM feels like. Early testing showed the questionnaire works well and connects meaningfully with how much physical activity patients can do.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclear

Insights from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may help unravel the pathogenesis of postacute COVID-19 syndrome.

Komaroff, Anthony L, Lipkin, W Ian·Trends in molecular medicine·2021

This article compares myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with long COVID to see if they might share similar causes. The authors suggest that some people who develop long COVID symptoms—like persistent fatigue, cognitive problems, and pain—may experience similar biological problems to those seen in ME/CFS. Understanding these shared mechanisms could help doctors better treat both conditions.

Energy MetabolismLong COVID Overlap

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Characterization of IL-2 Stimulation and TRPM7 Pharmacomodulation in NK Cell Cytotoxicity and Channel Co-Localization with PIP2 in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Du Preez, Stanley, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Cabanas, Helene et al.·International journal of environmental research and public health·2021

This study looked at immune cells called NK cells in ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. The researchers focused on a specific channel (TRPM7) in these cells that helps control calcium levels, which is important for the immune system to work properly. They found that when these channels were stimulated, there appeared to be a connection between a signaling molecule (IL-2) and TRPM7 activity in ME/CFS patients' NK cells.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Idiopathic combined adrenocorticotropin and growth hormone deficiency mimicking chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tokumasu, Kazuki, Ochi, Kanako, Otsuka, Fumio·BMJ case reports·2021

This case describes a 42-year-old man who was told he had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia, but was actually missing two important hormones: cortisol and growth hormone. When doctors tested his pituitary gland (which makes these hormones), they found deficiencies that weren't caught before. After starting treatment with these hormones, his severe tiredness, muscle pain, and depression all improved significantly.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

Epistemic in/justice in patient participation. A discourse analysis of the Dutch ME/CFS Health Council advisory process.

de Boer, Marjolein Lotte·Sociology of health & illness·2021

This study looked at how ME/CFS patients were involved in advising the Dutch Health Council between 2013-2018. The researchers found that patient representatives mainly shared medical/scientific knowledge about ME/CFS as a physical illness, avoiding discussion of psychological factors. While this approach helped patients be taken more seriously, it may have actually limited what kinds of knowledge and experiences patients could contribute, and it might reinforce incomplete understandings of the disease.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Submaximal Exercise Provokes Increased Activation of the Anterior Default Mode Network During the Resting State as a Biomarker of Postexertional Malaise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rayhan, Rakib U, Baraniuk, James N·Frontiers in neuroscience·2021

Researchers used brain imaging to look at what happens in ME/CFS patients' brains after exercise. They found that after submaximal exercise, a specific brain region (the anterior Default Mode Network) showed increased activity in ME/CFS patients but decreased activity in healthy controls. This brain pattern may help explain why ME/CFS patients experience symptom flare-ups after physical activity.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Potential Therapeutic Benefit of Low Dose Naltrexone in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 Ion Channels in Pathophysiology and Treatment.

Cabanas, Helene, Muraki, Katsuhiko, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2021

This study investigated whether a low-dose medication called naltrexone (LDN) might help treat ME/CFS by examining how it affects immune cells called NK cells. Researchers found that NK cells from ME/CFS patients taking LDN showed restored activity in a specific ion channel (TRPM3) that had previously been impaired. This suggests LDN may help restore normal immune function in ME/CFS patients, though larger clinical trials are needed to confirm whether it actually improves symptoms.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Split-Second Unlearning: Developing a Theory of Psychophysiological Dis-ease.

Hudson, Matt, Johnson, Mark I·Frontiers in psychology·2021

This study proposes that early emotional experiences—both traumatic and everyday—can create lasting patterns in how our bodies respond to stress. When we encounter triggers related to those memories, our body automatically activates a stress response even if the threat is no longer present. The researchers describe a new therapy approach where patients learn to observe their own automatic responses in the moment and gradually 'unlearn' the connection between the memory and the physical stress reaction.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Inflammation plays a causal role in fatigue-like behavior induced by pelvic irradiation in mice.

Wolff, Brian S, Alshawi, Sarah A, Feng, Li Rebekah et al.·Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2021

Researchers gave mice targeted radiation to the pelvis (similar to cancer treatment) and found that the mice became less active afterward—a fatigue-like behavior. They discovered that inflammation, particularly a protein called IL-6, plays a key role in causing this fatigue. When they reduced inflammation using a drug called minocycline or using mice genetically unable to trigger certain inflammatory pathways, the fatigue was reduced but not completely eliminated.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclear

ME/CFS: Past, Present and Future.

Weir, William, Speight, Nigel·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

This article reviews the history and current understanding of ME/CFS, arguing that the condition has a biological basis rather than being primarily psychological. The authors emphasize that scientific research, not psychological theories, is the path forward for properly understanding and treating ME/CFS. They highlight how patients have suffered from misunderstandings about their condition's cause.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Benefits of micronutrient supplementation on nutritional status, energy metabolism, and subjective wellbeing.

Maggini, Silvia, Óvári, Veronika, Ferreres Giménez, Inmaculada et al.·Nutricion hospitalaria·2021

Your body needs several vitamins and minerals—like vitamins A, D, E, folate, iron, zinc, and selenium—to make energy in your cells. Many people, even in wealthy countries, don't get enough of these nutrients. Studies show that taking a combination of these micronutrients, sometimes with coenzyme Q10, may help reduce fatigue, improve thinking, and make people feel better overall.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue.

Teitelbaum, Jacob, Goudie, Sarah·Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

This study tested a special form of red ginseng called HRG80 in people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and post-COVID fatigue. Over one month, 188 patients took daily ginseng supplements and reported their symptoms. About 60% of participants felt better, with improvements in energy, mental clarity, sleep, and stamina.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Wirth, Klaus J, Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Paul, Friedemann·Journal of translational medicine·2021

This paper proposes an explanation for why ME/CFS patients experience brain fog, cognitive problems, headaches, and other neurological symptoms. The authors suggest that blood vessels in the brain may not be working properly, reducing blood flow to the brain and increasing pressure inside the skull. They argue this could also cause an overactive stress response in the nervous system, leading to the wide range of symptoms patients experience.

Cognitive Impairment

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Postdengue chronic fatigue syndrome in an adolescent boy.

Case Report: Neutralization of Autoantibodies Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Improves Capillary Impairment and Fatigue Symptoms After COVID-19 Infection.

Central sensitivity and fibromyalgia.

Post-COVID-19 syndrome: epidemiology, diagnostic criteria and pathogenic mechanisms involved.

Fibromyalgia and Associated Disorders: From Pain to Chronic Suffering, From Subjective Hypersensitivity to Hypersensitivity Syndrome.

Recovery from refractory chronic fatigue syndrome with CBT and modafinil.

An Audit of UK Hospital Doctors' Knowledge and Experience of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

The development of an instrument to assess post-exertional malaise in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Insights from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may help unravel the pathogenesis of postacute COVID-19 syndrome.

Characterization of IL-2 Stimulation and TRPM7 Pharmacomodulation in NK Cell Cytotoxicity and Channel Co-Localization with PIP2 in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Idiopathic combined adrenocorticotropin and growth hormone deficiency mimicking chronic fatigue syndrome.

Epistemic in/justice in patient participation. A discourse analysis of the Dutch ME/CFS Health Council advisory process.

Submaximal Exercise Provokes Increased Activation of the Anterior Default Mode Network During the Resting State as a Biomarker of Postexertional Malaise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Potential Therapeutic Benefit of Low Dose Naltrexone in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 Ion Channels in Pathophysiology and Treatment.

Split-Second Unlearning: Developing a Theory of Psychophysiological Dis-ease.

Inflammation plays a causal role in fatigue-like behavior induced by pelvic irradiation in mice.

ME/CFS: Past, Present and Future.

Benefits of micronutrient supplementation on nutritional status, energy metabolism, and subjective wellbeing.

An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue.

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research