ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2423 studies

781–800 of 2,423 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review.

Cortes Rivera, Mateo, Mastronardi, Claudio, Silva-Aldana, Claudia T et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

ME/CFS is a serious, long-lasting illness that affects the brain and causes extreme fatigue and other symptoms, but doctors don't yet know what causes it. The condition is three times more common in women than men, usually starts between ages 20 and 45, and currently has no specific cure. This review summarizes what scientists know about ME/CFS by looking at how it affects the nervous system, immune system, and hormones.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Treatment for Gulf War Illness (GWI) with KPAX002 (methylphenidate hydrochloride + GWI nutrient formula) in subjects meeting the Kansas case definition: A prospective, open-label trial.

Holodniy, Mark, Kaiser, Jon D·Journal of psychiatric research·2019

Researchers tested a combination treatment called KPAX002—containing a stimulant medication (methylphenidate) plus vitamins and nutrients meant to support energy production in cells—in 17 people with Gulf War Illness. After 12 weeks, patients reported about 25% improvement in their overall symptoms, including better fatigue, brain fog, sleep, and pain. The treatment was generally safe and well-tolerated, though a larger, more rigorous study is needed to confirm these results.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation and therapeutic inhibitors.

Kerr, Jonathan R·Journal of clinical pathology·2019

This review examines how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus that most people catch at some point in their lives, can become active again in the body—especially during stress—and may contribute to ME/CFS and other illnesses. The authors discuss ways to test for active EBV and review existing medications and supplements that might help prevent the virus from reactivating.

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 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 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 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

The expression signature of very long non-coding RNA in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yang, Chin-An, Bauer, Sandra, Ho, Yu-Chen et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

Researchers looked at special molecules called very long non-coding RNAs in the blood of ME/CFS patients to see if they might be disease markers. They found that three of these RNA molecules (NTT, MIAT, and EmX2OS) were present at higher levels in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people, and two of them (NTT and EmX2OS) increased with disease severity. When they tested these findings in lab cells exposed to oxidative stress and viral signals, the RNA levels increased, suggesting these molecules respond to the kinds of biological stresses that may occur in ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

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 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 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 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 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 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Tetramethoxyluteolin for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Theoharides, Theoharis C, Tsilioni, Irene·Current topics in medicinal chemistry·2018

This review examines how certain molecules in the brain called cytokines and neuropeptides may trigger inflammation in specific brain areas (the hypothalamus and amygdala) in people with ME/CFS. The authors propose that a natural compound called tetramethoxyluteolin (a modified form of a plant-derived substance called luteolin) might help reduce this inflammation and improve symptoms. The study suggests this compound could be delivered directly into the nasal passages to reach the brain more effectively.

Neuroinflammation

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 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 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Fatigue Is Associated With Altered Monitoring and Preparation of Physical Effort in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

van der Schaaf, Marieke E, Roelofs, Karin, de Lange, Floris P et al.·Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging·2018

This study used brain imaging to understand why people with ME/CFS feel so fatigued and struggle with physical effort. Researchers asked patients and healthy people to squeeze a hand device at different force levels and give them feedback on their performance. People with ME/CFS were more likely to use less effort after feedback, especially at higher effort levels, and this related to lower activity in a brain region involved in decision-making and planning.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Unraveling the Molecular Determinants of Manual Therapy: An Approach to Integrative Therapeutics for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Espejo, José Andrés, García-Escudero, María, Oltra, Elisa·International journal of molecular sciences·2018

This review examines how manual therapy—such as massage and physical manipulation—might help people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS by studying what happens at the cellular and molecular level. The authors argue that manual therapy could work by triggering the body's natural healing responses, and they suggest it might be particularly helpful for ME/CFS patients because it can gently condition muscles without requiring strenuous exercise that typically worsens symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review.

Treatment for Gulf War Illness (GWI) with KPAX002 (methylphenidate hydrochloride + GWI nutrient formula) in subjects meeting the Kansas case definition: A prospective, open-label trial.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation and therapeutic inhibitors.

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.

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

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 expression signature of very long non-coding RNA in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

The biopolitics of CFS/ME.

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

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

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

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

Tetramethoxyluteolin for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

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

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

Fatigue Is Associated With Altered Monitoring and Preparation of Physical Effort in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Unraveling the Molecular Determinants of Manual Therapy: An Approach to Integrative Therapeutics for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

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Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

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