ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2423 studies

681–700 of 2,423 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Organic Disease or Psychosomatic Illness? A Re-Examination of the Royal Free Epidemic of 1955.

Underhill, Rosemary, Baillod, Rosemarie·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2020

This study examined a major ME/CFS outbreak that occurred at Royal Free Hospital in London in 1955, which forced the hospital to close for three months. Researchers interviewed 27 former staff members who experienced the outbreak and found their descriptions matched an infectious illness affecting the lymph nodes, muscles, and nervous system—not mass hysteria as some had claimed 15 years after the event. The study provides firsthand evidence that the 1955 epidemic was a real physical illness, not a psychological one.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Association of small-fiber polyneuropathy with three previously unassociated rare missense SCN9A variants.

Kelley, Mary A, Oaklander, Anne Louise·Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur·2020

This study describes two patients who developed small fiber nerve damage (affecting the smallest nerves in the body) and severe fatigue after infections. Both had immune system abnormalities and improved dramatically with immune-suppressing treatments. Genetic testing found rare changes in a gene called SCN9A that affects how nerve cells communicate. The findings suggest that genetic variations in this gene might play a role in some cases of small fiber nerve damage that respond to immune therapy.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Mapping the Alterations of Glutamate Using Glu-Weighted CEST MRI in a Rat Model of Fatigue.

Li, Ruili, Dai, Zhuozhi, Hu, Di et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2020

Researchers used a special brain imaging technique to measure glutamate (a chemical messenger in the brain) in rats that were made fatigued through a 10-day stressful procedure. They found that fatigued rats had higher levels of glutamate in their brains compared to rested rats, and the fatigued rats moved around less. This suggests that too much glutamate in the brain might be involved in causing fatigue.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Suicidal ideation in non-depressed individuals: The effects of a chronic, misunderstood illness.

Devendorf, Andrew R, McManimen, Stephanie L, Jason, Leonard A·Journal of health psychology·2020

This study looked at why some people with ME/CFS think about suicide, even when they don't have depression. Researchers interviewed 29 patients with these thoughts and found two main reasons: feeling trapped by their illness with no available treatments, and losing their sense of self, their relationships, and facing stigma from others. The severe disability and pain from ME/CFS—not depression—appeared to be driving these thoughts.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in an individual with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome during long-term treatment with intravenous saline: A case study.

Davenport, Todd E, Ward, Michael K, Stevens, Staci R et al.·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2020

This study followed one woman with ME/CFS who received regular intravenous saline (salt water) infusions over about 2 years. Researchers measured how her heart and lungs responded to exercise tests throughout the treatment. By the end, she recovered faster after exercise, could do more daily activities, and her heart responded better during physical exertion.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Can linguistic analysis be used to identify whether adolescents with a chronic illness are depressed?

Jones, Lauren Stephanie, Anderson, Emma, Loades, Maria et al.·Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2020

This study looked at whether doctors could use the words young people write in online therapy messages to figure out if they also have depression alongside ME/CFS. Researchers developed a system to analyze language patterns in 16 teenagers' messages, but found it didn't work very well at identifying depression compared to standard depression screening tests. A few language patterns showed promise—for example, teenagers with depression used more words about the past and fewer words showing mixed feelings—but the method overall wasn't reliable enough to be useful.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Eradication of persistent coxsackievirus B infection from a pancreatic cell line with clinically used antiviral drugs.

Honkimaa, Anni, Sioofy-Khojine, Amir-Babak, Oikarinen, Sami et al.·Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology·2020

This study tested whether common antiviral medications could eliminate persistent coxsackievirus B infections in laboratory pancreatic cells. Researchers found that four drugs—Enviroxime, Fluoxetine, Hizentra (an immune protein), and Pleconaril—successfully cleared the virus from infected cells. The results suggest these medications might be worth testing in patients with chronic enterovirus infections.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Exercise alters brain activation in Gulf War Illness and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Washington, Stuart D, Rayhan, Rakib U, Garner, Richard et al.·Brain communications·2020

This study used brain imaging to compare how the brains of people with ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness respond to exercise during a memory task. Researchers found that exercise affected brain activity differently in the two conditions—specifically in areas related to pain awareness, attention, and threat detection. These differences suggest that ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness may involve distinct biological mechanisms, which could help doctors distinguish between them.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Clinical History Segment Extraction from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Assessments to Model Disease Trajectories.

Priou, Sonia, Viani, Natalia, Vernugopan, Veshalee et al.·Studies in health technology and informatics·2020

Researchers developed a computer method to automatically read and extract important information from patient medical records about ME/CFS. Since doctors write many patient notes in free text rather than structured data, this tool helps pull out symptom descriptions and track how the illness changes over time for individual patients. This approach could help researchers understand common patterns in how ME/CFS affects different people.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Documenting disability in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Podell, Richard, Dimmock, Mary E, Comerford, Barbara B·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2020

This article helps doctors and lawyers understand how to properly document ME/CFS for disability benefits. The authors reviewed successful disability cases and identified the best ways to prove that ME/CFS prevents someone from working, including showing how post-exertional malaise (getting much worse after activity) impacts daily life. The goal is to help more ME/CFS patients access the disability benefits they need and deserve.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Substrate utilisation of cultured skeletal muscle cells in patients with CFS.

Tomas, Cara, Elson, Joanna L, Newton, Julia L et al.·Scientific reports·2020

This study examined how muscle cells from ME/CFS patients use different fuels for energy compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS muscle cells have trouble using glucose (a key fuel source) for energy, but can still use other fuels normally. This suggests the energy-producing problem in ME/CFS starts very early in the energy-making process, and may be caused by something genetic or chemical that persists even when cells are grown in a laboratory.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM not requiredGuideline

International expert consensus on the management of allergic rhinitis (AR) aggravated by air pollutants: Impact of air pollution on patients with AR: Current knowledge and future strategies.

Naclerio, Robert, Ansotegui, Ignacio J, Bousquet, Jean et al.·The World Allergy Organization journal·2020

Allergic rhinitis (hay fever and similar nasal allergies) affects millions of people and becomes worse when air pollution is present. This expert consensus report reviews how air pollution—both indoors and outdoors—makes allergic rhinitis symptoms worse, and discusses the best ways to manage it. The main treatment involves following standard allergy guidelines and reducing exposure to pollutants, though more research is needed on which medicines work best for people dealing with both allergies and air pollution.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

How Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Progresses: The Natural History of ME/CFS.

Nacul, Luis, O'Boyle, Shennae, Palla, Luigi et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2020

This study proposes a framework for understanding how ME/CFS develops and changes over time, similar to other long-term illnesses. The authors suggest that ME/CFS progresses through stages—starting with genetic and environmental risk factors, moving through an early phase with high energy use and immune system problems, and potentially progressing to a later phase with low energy production and multiple system involvement. They emphasize that ME/CFS is not the same in every person or at every stage of illness, and that some people may improve if their body can restore better balance.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

IgG stimulated β2 adrenergic receptor activation is attenuated in patients with ME/CFS.

Hartwig, Jelka, Sotzny, Franziska, Bauer, Sandra et al.·Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2020

This study examined a specific immune problem in some ME/CFS patients: abnormal antibodies that interfere with a receptor protein called β2 adrenergic receptor, which helps regulate immune response and stress recovery. Researchers found that immune cells (antibodies) from healthy people could activate this receptor and boost immune regulation, but antibodies from ME/CFS patients with elevated levels of these specific autoantibodies could not. This dysfunction in the immune system may help explain why ME/CFS patients experience persistent fatigue and immune dysregulation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Impact of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis on treatment of comorbidities: A lived experience.

Lopez-Majano, Denise·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2020

This study shares the real-life story of two siblings who both have ME and other health conditions. It explains how ME makes it very difficult to treat other illnesses they have, because ME symptoms can get worse with standard medical treatments. The study highlights why doctors need to understand how ME affects daily life so they can help treat other conditions without making ME worse.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Successful Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Chronic Febricula Using the Traditional Japanese Medicine Shosaikoto.

Numata, Takehiro, Miura, Kazuki, Akaishi, Tetsuya et al.·Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)·2020

A 14-year-old girl with ME/CFS who had experienced severe tiredness, low-grade fevers, and school absence for 20 months was treated with shosaikoto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine. Within several weeks, her symptoms improved dramatically and she was able to return to school. This case suggests that shosaikoto may help some ME/CFS patients, particularly those with persistent low fevers.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Altered muscle membrane potential and redox status differentiates two subgroups of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jammes, Yves, Adjriou, Nabil, Kipson, Nathalie et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2020

This study examined muscle function and stress markers in 72 ME/CFS patients during rest, exercise, and recovery. Researchers found that about half the patients showed significant changes in how their muscles respond to electrical signals, combined with higher levels of oxidative stress (cellular damage from chemical imbalance). The other half showed normal muscle responses and lower stress markers. This suggests ME/CFS may include at least two different biological subtypes.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Profile of circulating microRNAs in myalgic encephalomyelitis and their relation to symptom severity, and disease pathophysiology.

Nepotchatykh, Evguenia, Elremaly, Wesam, Caraus, Iurie et al.·Scientific reports·2020

This study looked at tiny molecules called microRNAs in the blood of severely ill ME/CFS patients before and after a stress challenge designed to trigger post-exertional malaise (the worsening of symptoms after activity). The researchers found that eleven different microRNAs changed in response to this challenge, with patterns that varied depending on symptom severity. These microRNA signatures could potentially be used one day as blood tests to help diagnose ME/CFS.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Informatics Inference of Exercise-Induced Modulation of Brain Pathways Based on Cerebrospinal Fluid Micro-RNAs in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Narayan, Vaishnavi, Shivapurkar, Narayan, Baraniuk, James N·Network and systems medicine·2020

This study looked at tiny molecules called microRNAs in spinal fluid to understand why ME/CFS patients feel worse after exercise (post-exertional malaise). Researchers compared spinal fluid from patients who rested overnight with fluid from patients who had exercised, finding that certain microRNAs were lower after exercise. The study suggests this change might affect how cells stick together and communicate in the brain and nervous system.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Development of a conceptual framework to underpin a health-related quality of life outcome measure in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME): prioritisation through card ranking.

Parslow, Roxanne M, Anderson, Nina, Byrne, Danielle et al.·Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2020

Researchers asked young people with ME/CFS and their parents what aspects of their health and daily life matter most to them. Using a card-ranking game, 21 young people (ages 12-17) and their parents identified and discussed the outcomes that would be most important to improve. The study found that symptoms, tiredness, 'payback' (crashing after activity), and hobbies were ranked as most important by both groups, though young people prioritized school more and parents worried more about mood.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Organic Disease or Psychosomatic Illness? A Re-Examination of the Royal Free Epidemic of 1955.

Association of small-fiber polyneuropathy with three previously unassociated rare missense SCN9A variants.

Mapping the Alterations of Glutamate Using Glu-Weighted CEST MRI in a Rat Model of Fatigue.

Suicidal ideation in non-depressed individuals: The effects of a chronic, misunderstood illness.

Cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in an individual with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome during long-term treatment with intravenous saline: A case study.

Can linguistic analysis be used to identify whether adolescents with a chronic illness are depressed?

Eradication of persistent coxsackievirus B infection from a pancreatic cell line with clinically used antiviral drugs.

Exercise alters brain activation in Gulf War Illness and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Clinical History Segment Extraction from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Assessments to Model Disease Trajectories.

Documenting disability in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Substrate utilisation of cultured skeletal muscle cells in patients with CFS.

International expert consensus on the management of allergic rhinitis (AR) aggravated by air pollutants: Impact of air pollution on patients with AR: Current knowledge and future strategies.

How Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Progresses: The Natural History of ME/CFS.

IgG stimulated β2 adrenergic receptor activation is attenuated in patients with ME/CFS.

Impact of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis on treatment of comorbidities: A lived experience.

Successful Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Chronic Febricula Using the Traditional Japanese Medicine Shosaikoto.

Altered muscle membrane potential and redox status differentiates two subgroups of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Profile of circulating microRNAs in myalgic encephalomyelitis and their relation to symptom severity, and disease pathophysiology.

Informatics Inference of Exercise-Induced Modulation of Brain Pathways Based on Cerebrospinal Fluid Micro-RNAs in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Development of a conceptual framework to underpin a health-related quality of life outcome measure in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME): prioritisation through card ranking.

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