ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

741–760 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Relationship Between Different Experimental Measures of Distorted Symptom Perception in Functional Syndrome Patients.

Van Den Houte, Maaike, Van Oudenhove, Lukas, Bogaerts, Katleen et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2019

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia show a consistent pattern of reporting symptoms that don't match what's actually happening in their bodies. Researchers used two different experiments—one involving controlled breathing challenges and another using emotional pictures—to see if the same people would show symptom distortion in both tests. They found that symptom distortion in one test did not predict symptom distortion in the other, suggesting that how symptoms are perceived depends heavily on the specific situation rather than being a stable trait.

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

'It's like being a slave to your own body in a way': a qualitative study of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Njølstad, Berit Widerøe, Mengshoel, Anne Marit, Sveen, Unni·Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy·2019

This study listened to seven teenagers with ME/CFS talk about how the illness changed their lives. Young people described feeling trapped in bodies that no longer worked the way they expected, missing out on activities with friends, and having to spend most of their time at home. However, the study also found that over time, many teens learned to accept their situation, adapted their daily activities, and rebuilt a sense of purpose and hope for the future.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem Illnesses, and Medical Uncertainty.

Bransfield, Robert C, Friedman, Kenneth J·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

Doctors often struggle to distinguish between illnesses caused by psychological factors, illnesses where physical symptoms cause psychological effects, true multisystem diseases (affecting many body systems), and situations where medical causes haven't been found yet. This article discusses how using outdated or inaccurate diagnostic labels—like 'all in your head'—can harm patients and delay proper diagnosis. The authors argue that many conditions previously thought to be purely psychological may actually involve the immune system and microbiome, and that doctors need better training to avoid misdiagnosing complex diseases like ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Astaxanthin: A Potential Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidant Treatment in Diseases and with Aging.

Sztretye, Mónika, Dienes, Beatrix, Gönczi, Mónika et al.·Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity·2019

This review examines astaxanthin, a powerful natural antioxidant found in marine organisms, and how it might help protect cells from damage caused by oxidative stress—an imbalance that occurs in ME/CFS and many other diseases. The authors explain how astaxanthin may work by targeting and protecting mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in our cells. They suggest this compound could potentially help prevent or slow disease progression and aging-related health problems.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Recent insights into innate and adaptive immune responses to Giardia.

Singer, Steven M, Fink, Marc Y, Angelova, Vanessa V·Advances in parasitology·2019

This review examines how the body's immune system responds to infection with Giardia, a parasite that causes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Researchers have discovered that Giardia infection can lead to long-term complications including chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome in some people. Understanding how the immune system fights Giardia may help explain why some infections lead to these persistent conditions and could guide development of better treatments or vaccines.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Impact of Polypharmacy on Candidate Biomarker miRNomes for the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Striking Back on Treatments.

Almenar-Pérez, Eloy, Sánchez-Fito, Teresa, Ovejero, Tamara et al.·Pharmaceutics·2019

This study looked at how medicines commonly taken by fibromyalgia and ME/CFS patients might interfere with blood tests that could help diagnose these conditions. The researchers found that many prescription drugs can affect small molecules in the body called microRNAs, which are being studied as potential diagnostic markers. This means that when researchers try to identify disease-specific biomarkers, they may be picking up drug effects instead of actual disease signatures.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The psychological impact of dependency in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: A qualitative exploration.

Williams, Ashley Mai, Christopher, Gary, Jenkinson, Elizabeth·Journal of health psychology·2019

This study interviewed adults with ME/CFS who rely on others for daily help and explored how this dependency affects their emotional health. Researchers found that people experience several psychological challenges, including feeling like they've lost their independence and identity, struggling with invisible symptoms others don't understand, and worrying about the future. The study suggests that better education for family and friends, improved communication strategies, and accepting the condition can help improve emotional well-being.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Neurasthenia: Modern Malady or Historical Relic?

Overholser, James C, Beale, Eleanor E·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·2019

This article looks back at a condition called neurasthenia that doctors diagnosed frequently between 1869 and 1930, then largely abandoned. The authors found that many symptoms people with neurasthenia experienced—like exhaustion, mental fog, and physical weakness—are still seen today in conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. By understanding neurasthenia's history, modern doctors may better recognize and treat these conditions and improve how they listen to their patients.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Intra brainstem connectivity is impaired in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Barnden, Leighton R, Shan, Zack Y, Staines, Donald R et al.·NeuroImage. Clinical·2019

This study used brain imaging (fMRI) to compare how different parts of the brainstem communicate in people with ME/CFS versus healthy people. The brainstem is a critical control center that regulates automatic body functions like heart rate, breathing, and sleep. Researchers found that in ME/CFS patients, certain communication pathways between brainstem regions were weaker or missing, which could explain many ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue, cognitive problems, and autonomic dysfunction.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Epstein-Barr Virus Induced Gene-2 Upregulation Identifies a Particular Subtype of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Kerr, Jonathan R·Frontiers in pediatrics·2019

This study found that about 38-55% of ME/CFS patients have higher levels of a specific gene called EBI2 turned on in their immune cells. Patients with this EBI2 pattern appear to have more severe symptoms and different antibody levels compared to other ME/CFS patients. Because EBI2 is known to affect both immune function and brain function, finding this subtype could help explain why ME/CFS patients experience such different symptoms and may lead to new treatments.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredMechanistic

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Watanabe, Kyosuke, Sasaki, Akihiro T, Tajima, Kanako et al.·Scientific reports·2019

When healthy people become mentally tired from doing difficult thinking tasks, their brains start paying more attention to sad and negative images. This study used computer tasks to measure how people's attention shifts before and after mental exhaustion. The findings suggest that fatigue changes how our brains process sad information, which may help explain why ME/CFS patients often struggle with mood-related challenges.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Varied Presentation of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Needs for Classification and Clinician Education: A Case Series.

Martín-Martínez, Eva, Martín-Martínez, Mercedes·Clinical therapeutics·2019

This study looked at three individual ME/CFS patient cases to understand why this disease presents so differently from person to person. The researchers found that patients often wait years for a correct diagnosis because many doctors don't understand ME/CFS well, leading to misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. The study suggests that organizing patient information carefully could help doctors and researchers identify different subtypes of ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Induced by Repeated Forced Swimming in Mice.

Ohba, Takuya, Domoto, Shinichi, Tanaka, Miyu et al.·Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin·2019

Researchers created a mouse model of ME/CFS by repeatedly forcing mice to swim, which produced fatigue-like behaviors similar to the human condition. They found that this stress reduced the activity of an important energy-producing enzyme called PDH in muscle cells. When they treated the mice with a drug that reactivates PDH, the fatigue-like symptoms improved, suggesting this enzyme may be a target for future ME/CFS treatments.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a Hyper-Regulated Immune System Driven by an Interplay Between Regulatory T Cells and Chronic Human Herpesvirus Infections.

Sepúlveda, Nuno, Carneiro, Jorge, Lacerda, Eliana et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2019

This study suggests that ME/CFS may develop when the body's immune system becomes overprotective in response to common viruses like EBV, HSV-1, or HHV-6. Normally, the immune system fights off infections and then settles down, but in ME/CFS patients, special immune cells called Tregs may keep the immune system in a constant state of alert. Using computer models, researchers showed how this could lead to ongoing inflammation and fatigue.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryPEM not required

[Clinical efficacy of neurometabolic therapy of dissomical disorders in asthenic syndrome].

Esipov, A V, Ivolgin, A F, Khritinin, D F et al.·Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova·2019

This study tested whether a medication called cytoflavin, which helps cells produce energy, could help 100 patients with fatigue and sleep problems. Patients received cytoflavin as an infusion, either alone or combined with melatonin or another sleep medication. By day 14, 97% of patients reported significant improvement in fatigue and sleep quality.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Persistent fatigue induced by interferon-alpha: a novel, inflammation-based, proxy model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Russell, Alice, Hepgul, Nilay, Nikkheslat, Naghmeh et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2019

This study suggests that some people treated with interferon-alpha (a drug used for hepatitis C) develop persistent fatigue that continues even after treatment ends—similar to ME/CFS. Researchers found that people who later developed long-lasting fatigue had a stronger immune response early in treatment, with higher levels of certain immune molecules. Importantly, the fatigue persisted even after the immune trigger was gone, suggesting that something in the body's initial overreaction may set off a lasting problem.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Differential diagnosis between "chronic fatigue" and "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Son, Chang-Gue·Integrative medicine research·2019

This article discusses the important difference between regular chronic fatigue (long-lasting tiredness) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a serious medical condition. The author explains why it's crucial to distinguish between these two conditions, since ME/CFS involves specific symptoms and has different causes than simple persistent tiredness.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Hyperactivation of proprioceptors induces microglia-mediated long-lasting pain in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yasui, Masaya, Menjyo, Yuki, Tokizane, Kyohei et al.·Journal of neuroinflammation·2019

This study used rats exposed to chronic stress to understand why ME/CFS patients experience widespread pain without obvious tissue damage. Researchers found that stress caused sensory nerve fibers (proprioceptors) that detect body position to become overactive, which then triggered immune cells in the spinal cord called microglia to activate and cause pain. When they immobilized the ankle to reduce proprioceptor signaling, both the immune activation and pain behavior decreased.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

The DePaul Symptom Questionnaire-2: A Validation Study.

Bedree, Helen, Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2019

Researchers improved a questionnaire called the DSQ-2 that helps doctors identify and understand ME/CFS by asking patients about their specific symptoms. They tested this updated questionnaire with 399 people who have ME or CFS and found that it works well at measuring the main symptoms of these illnesses, including post-exertional malaise (feeling worse after activity), brain fog, pain, and sleep problems. The questionnaire is now a more reliable tool for both diagnosing ME/CFS and understanding how the illness affects different people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Acute oxalate nephropathy due to high vitamin C doses and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Fijen, Lauré, Weijmer, Marcel·BMJ case reports·2019

This case report describes an elderly man with ME/CFS who developed serious kidney damage after taking high doses of vitamin C supplements. He also had a pancreatic condition that affected his ability to digest fats properly. The combination of these two factors caused harmful crystal buildup in his kidneys, leading to acute kidney failure that required dialysis treatment.

Energy Metabolism

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Relationship Between Different Experimental Measures of Distorted Symptom Perception in Functional Syndrome Patients.

'It's like being a slave to your own body in a way': a qualitative study of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem Illnesses, and Medical Uncertainty.

Astaxanthin: A Potential Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidant Treatment in Diseases and with Aging.

Recent insights into innate and adaptive immune responses to Giardia.

Impact of Polypharmacy on Candidate Biomarker miRNomes for the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Striking Back on Treatments.

The psychological impact of dependency in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: A qualitative exploration.

Neurasthenia: Modern Malady or Historical Relic?

Intra brainstem connectivity is impaired in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Epstein-Barr Virus Induced Gene-2 Upregulation Identifies a Particular Subtype of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Varied Presentation of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Needs for Classification and Clinician Education: A Case Series.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Induced by Repeated Forced Swimming in Mice.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a Hyper-Regulated Immune System Driven by an Interplay Between Regulatory T Cells and Chronic Human Herpesvirus Infections.

[Clinical efficacy of neurometabolic therapy of dissomical disorders in asthenic syndrome].

Persistent fatigue induced by interferon-alpha: a novel, inflammation-based, proxy model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Differential diagnosis between "chronic fatigue" and "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Hyperactivation of proprioceptors induces microglia-mediated long-lasting pain in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The DePaul Symptom Questionnaire-2: A Validation Study.

Acute oxalate nephropathy due to high vitamin C doses and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

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