ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2422 studies

781–800 of 2,422 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Understanding neuromuscular disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jammes, Yves, Retornaz, Frédérique·F1000Research·2019

This study examined how muscles work differently in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that both the brain's ability to signal muscles and the muscles' ability to respond are impaired in ME/CFS patients. The muscles also appear to have trouble managing harmful molecules called free radicals, especially after exercise, and they may not be producing enough protective proteins that normally shield cells from damage.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Clinical neurophysiology of postural tachycardia syndrome.

Cutsforth-Gregory, Jeremy K, Sandroni, Paola·Handbook of clinical neurology·2019

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition where your heart rate jumps dramatically when you stand up, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, or other symptoms of not enough blood reaching your brain. It happens five times more often in women than men and can have several different causes, including problems with nerve signals, low blood volume, or deconditioning. Treatment focuses on helping patients stand longer and stay active, using approaches like drinking more fluids, wearing compression socks, and sometimes taking medications.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Loss of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 ion channel function in natural killer cells from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients.

Cabanas, Hélène, Muraki, Katsuhiko, Eaton, Natalie et al.·Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)·2018

This study examined a specific ion channel called TRPM3 in immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells, which help fight infections and cancer. Researchers found that this channel doesn't work properly in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people, which may affect how these immune cells function. This discovery could help explain why ME/CFS patients often have weakened immune responses.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryPEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Supplementation with Robuvit® in post-traumatic stress disorders associated to high oxidative stress.

Belcaro, Gianni, Luzzi, Roberta, Hosoi, Morio et al.·Minerva medica·2018

This study looked at whether a plant-based supplement called Robuvit® could help people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) recover faster alongside standard therapy. Over 4 weeks, people who took Robuvit® along with therapy showed greater improvements in symptoms like intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, sleep problems, and fatigue compared to those who received therapy alone.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Recent insights into 3 underrecognized conditions: Myalgic encephalomyelitis-chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and environmental sensitivities-multiple chemical sensitivity.

Hu, Howard, Baines, Cornelia·Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2018

This review article examines three conditions that doctors often overlook or misunderstand: ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivity. The authors discuss why these conditions are frequently underrecognized and how they affect patients' lives. They highlight that these conditions are real medical problems that deserve proper attention and care.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The biopolitics of CFS/ME.

Karfakis, Nikos·Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences·2018

This paper examines how ME/CFS is shaped by different groups—doctors, scientists, government officials, and patients themselves—who all try to define and understand the illness. The author shows that ME/CFS sits uncomfortably between medical and psychiatric explanations, which makes it hard for everyone to agree on what it is and how to treat it. Patients aren't just passive recipients of medical care; they actively educate themselves and push back against explanations they disagree with, which influences how the illness is understood.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Integration of DNA methylation & health scores identifies subtypes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

de Vega, Wilfred C, Erdman, Lauren, Vernon, Suzanne D et al.·Epigenomics·2018

Researchers studied 70 women with ME/CFS and found that their DNA showed different chemical patterns in immune cells. These chemical differences matched up with specific symptoms and health problems that patients reported. The study identified four distinct subtypes of ME/CFS, each with its own pattern of DNA changes and symptom profile, suggesting that ME/CFS may not be one uniform condition but rather several related conditions with different underlying biology.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or What? An Operational Definition.

Twisk, Frank·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2018

This paper proposes a clear, practical definition of ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) to help doctors reliably identify and study the condition. The authors argue that ME is a distinct multi-system illness characterized by severe muscle exhaustion after minimal activity, neurological symptoms (like brain fog and autonomic problems), and a pattern of symptom fluctuation and relapse over months or years. Having a precise definition is essential so researchers can study the right patients and develop effective treatments.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Dutch Health Council Advisory Report on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Taking the Wrong Turn.

Twisk, Frank·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2018

The Dutch Health Council released an official report recognizing ME/CFS as a serious, multi-system disease rather than primarily a psychological condition. The report recommends establishing specialized medical centers, training doctors better about ME/CFS, and improving how disability benefits are assessed for patients. However, the report's new definition of ME/CFS may create unintended problems for future research and patient care.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Neuroinflammation and Cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Critical Review of Research Methods.

VanElzakker, Michael B, Brumfield, Sydney A, Lara Mejia, Paula S·Frontiers in neurology·2018

This review examines different methods scientists use to look for signs of brain inflammation in ME/CFS, including specialized brain scans and blood tests. The authors found that while these techniques show promise, many studies have used inconsistent methods that make it hard to compare results across different research teams. They argue that scientists need better techniques and more careful standardization if we want to find reliable biological markers that could help diagnose ME/CFS.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkers

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Old muscle in young body: an aphorism describing the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Pietrangelo, Tiziana, Fulle, Stefania, Coscia, Francesco et al.·European journal of translational myology·2018

This study found that muscles in people with ME/CFS show patterns similar to muscles in elderly people, even though the patients are young. The researchers discovered problems with how muscles use energy, handle calcium, and produce new muscle protein. Importantly, the findings suggest that appropriate physical activity may actually help rather than harm, though the right type and intensity still need to be determined.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Severe eosinophilic colitis caused by neuropathic agents in a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome and functional abdominal pain: case report and review of the literature.

Fragkos, Konstantinos C, Barragry, John, Fernando, Charisma Shahi et al.·Zeitschrift fur Gastroenterologie·2018

This case report describes one young woman with ME/CFS and chronic pain who developed severe inflammation in her colon (eosinophilic colitis) after taking two common pain medications—gabapentin and pregabalin. Her symptoms improved when she stopped the medications and received steroid treatment. This is an extremely rare side effect, but doctors should be aware of it if ME/CFS patients taking these drugs develop abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood cell changes.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Circulating extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an exploratory pilot study.

Castro-Marrero, Jesús, Serrano-Pertierra, Esther, Oliveira-Rodríguez, Myriam et al.·Journal of extracellular vesicles·2018

This small pilot study looked at tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients had higher amounts of these particles, and the particles were smaller than in healthy controls. This suggests that blood tests measuring these particles might one day help doctors identify ME/CFS.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Anti-stress effects of human placenta extract: possible involvement of the oxidative stress system in rats.

Park, Hyun-Jung, Shim, Hyun Soo, Lee, Sunyoung et al.·BMC complementary and alternative medicine·2018

Researchers tested whether a supplement made from human placenta could help reduce stress-related depression and fatigue in rats. They found that rats treated with this supplement showed improvements in depression-like behaviors and had better antioxidant protection in their brains compared to untreated rats.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Changes in fatigue, autonomic functions, and blood biomarkers due to sitting isometric yoga in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Oka, Takakazu, Tanahashi, Tokusei, Sudo, Nobuyuki et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2018

This study tested whether a gentle form of yoga practiced while sitting could help reduce fatigue in ME/CFS patients. Fifteen patients who had not improved with standard treatments did sitting isometric yoga twice a week with an instructor plus daily practice at home for eight weeks. After a single session, patients reported feeling less tired and more energetic, with their bodies showing signs of reduced stress and inflammation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Clinical Criteria of Central Sensitization in Chronic Pelvic and Perineal Pain (Convergences PP Criteria): Elaboration of a Clinical Evaluation Tool Based on Formal Expert Consensus.

Levesque, Amélie, Riant, Thibault, Ploteau, Stéphane et al.·Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)·2018

This study created a simple checklist to help doctors identify when chronic pelvic pain is caused by the nervous system becoming overly sensitive, rather than from a structural injury or disease they can see on tests. Experts agreed on 10 key signs to look for, including pain that changes in intensity, pain triggered by normal activities, and having other conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome alongside pelvic pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Narcolepsy and Other 'Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence'].

Mathis, Johannes·Praxis·2018

This article discusses how doctors can tell the difference between several sleep-related conditions that cause excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue. The authors explain that complaints like tiredness and fatigue are common, but they can have many different causes. Careful diagnosis using sleep studies and other tests is needed to distinguish narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and chronic fatigue syndrome from one another, since each condition requires different treatments.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Task Related Cerebral Blood Flow Changes of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Arterial Spin Labeling Study.

Staud, Roland, Boissoneault, Jeff, Craggs, Jason G et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

Researchers used advanced brain imaging to track blood flow while patients with ME/CFS and healthy people performed a challenging mental task. They found that while the overall amount of blood flowing to the brain was similar in both groups, specific brain regions showed different patterns when people were recovering from fatigue. In ME/CFS patients, fatigue improved when blood flow decreased in certain memory and attention areas, whereas in healthy people, fatigue improved when blood flow increased in those same areas.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test Methodology for Assessing Exertion Intolerance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Stevens, Staci, Snell, Chris, Stevens, Jared et al.·Frontiers in pediatrics·2018

This study explains how doctors can properly test ME/CFS patients using a special exercise test called CPET (cardiopulmonary exercise test) done on two consecutive days. The first test measures how much exercise a patient can do, while the second test 24 hours later shows how much the patient's performance has dropped due to post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the symptom flare that happens after exertion. This two-day approach objectively demonstrates one of the key features of ME/CFS: the inability to recover normal function after exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Using the internet to cope with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescence: a qualitative study.

Brigden, Amberly, Barnett, Julie, Parslow, Roxanne Morin et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2018

This study looked at how teenagers with ME/CFS use the internet to understand and cope with their condition. Researchers interviewed 9 young people (ages 12-17) about which websites and online spaces they visited. The teenagers found that official health websites were helpful when first diagnosed, but over time they preferred online communities where they could read other patients' stories, get emotional support, and connect with peers who understood what they were going through.

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Understanding neuromuscular disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical neurophysiology of postural tachycardia syndrome.

Loss of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 ion channel function in natural killer cells from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients.

Supplementation with Robuvit® in post-traumatic stress disorders associated to high oxidative stress.

Recent insights into 3 underrecognized conditions: Myalgic encephalomyelitis-chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and environmental sensitivities-multiple chemical sensitivity.

The biopolitics of CFS/ME.

Integration of DNA methylation & health scores identifies subtypes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or What? An Operational Definition.

Dutch Health Council Advisory Report on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Taking the Wrong Turn.

Neuroinflammation and Cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Critical Review of Research Methods.

Old muscle in young body: an aphorism describing the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Severe eosinophilic colitis caused by neuropathic agents in a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome and functional abdominal pain: case report and review of the literature.

Circulating extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an exploratory pilot study.

Anti-stress effects of human placenta extract: possible involvement of the oxidative stress system in rats.

Changes in fatigue, autonomic functions, and blood biomarkers due to sitting isometric yoga in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical Criteria of Central Sensitization in Chronic Pelvic and Perineal Pain (Convergences PP Criteria): Elaboration of a Clinical Evaluation Tool Based on Formal Expert Consensus.

[Narcolepsy and Other 'Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence'].

Task Related Cerebral Blood Flow Changes of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Arterial Spin Labeling Study.

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test Methodology for Assessing Exertion Intolerance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Using the internet to cope with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescence: a qualitative study.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research