ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

81–100 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Corticosteroids with low glucocorticoid activity as a potential therapeutic strategy for post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in patients with bipolar affective disorder: A case report.

Nakajima, Kan, Ayani, Nobutaka, Matsuoka, Teruyuki et al.·PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences·2025

This case report describes one patient with bipolar disorder who developed ME/CFS after COVID-19 and was treated with different types of steroid medications. Strong steroids (betamethasone and prednisolone) triggered a severe manic episode requiring hospitalization, but a weaker steroid (hydrocortisone) improved her fatigue without worsening her mood. The findings suggest that choosing the right type of steroid may be important for ME/CFS patients who also have mood disorders.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryPEM required

Managing Energy, and Shaping Care: Insights from Adults with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Through Co-Production Workshops.

Thornton, Eleanor J, Hayes, Lawrence D, Goodwin, Dawn S et al.·The American journal of medicine·2025

This study asked people with ME/CFS and healthcare providers what they think about managing energy and daily activities. The researchers held online workshops where patients shared their experiences and suggestions for better care. Participants stressed that doctors need better training about ME/CFS, patients should be involved in their own care planning, and new tools like apps and sleep management could help improve how people manage their energy.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Myopraktikk (NO): A Narrative Review and Conceptual Hypothesis on Intrafasciomembranal Fluid Pressure, Biotensegrity, and Immediate Remote Myofascial Responses.

Hopen, Stig Runar, Mjøen, Tor Arne·Cureus·2025

This article proposes a new theory about muscle pain and stiffness called Myopraktikk, which focuses on fluid pressure building up in the spaces around muscles. The authors suggest that when fluid pressure increases in these areas, it can cause muscles to feel tight, knotted, and painful—similar to what happens in conditions like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. According to their hypothesis, releasing this pressure through manual treatment may help reduce symptoms in both the treated area and elsewhere in the body.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM requiredObservational

Two-day cardiopulmonary exercise testing in long COVID post-exertional malaise diagnosis.

Gattoni, Chiara, Abbasi, Asghar, Ferguson, Carrie et al.·Respiratory physiology & neurobiology·2025

This study tested whether Long COVID patients experience a measurable drop in exercise capacity after 24 hours, which would suggest their bodies aren't recovering properly from exercise. Researchers had 15 Long COVID patients do exercise tests on two consecutive days and found no significant difference in performance between day 1 and day 2. Surprisingly, this was true even though 80% of patients reported post-exertional malaise (PEM) symptoms over the previous six months.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.

Serrat, Mayte, Royuela-Colomer, Estíbaliz, Alonso-Marsol, Sandra et al.·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

This study looked at whether spending time walking quietly in a forest could help people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia feel better. Forty-four participants took a 3-hour guided walk through a Mediterranean forest, and researchers measured their pain, fatigue, anxiety, and mood before and after. Most symptoms improved after the walk, especially anxiety and negative feelings, though pain levels didn't change significantly.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Histone phosphorylation analysis of two main TCM syndromes of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Xu, Tingting, Gao, Shuo, Cheng, Xinxin et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2025

Researchers studied blood cells from 20 ME/CFS patients (divided into two Traditional Chinese Medicine symptom patterns) and 10 healthy controls. They found differences in how proteins were modified in the blood cells of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. These differences involved processes that affect how cells communicate with each other and organize their internal structures.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Post infectious fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in long-COVID and other infections: a need for further research.

Livieratos, Achilleas, Lockley, Steven W, Tsiodras, Sotirios·EClinicalMedicine·2025

This article discusses how infections like COVID-19 can disrupt the body's internal 24-hour clock, leading to persistent fatigue and sleep problems. The authors explain that viral infections may damage the genes and cellular machinery that control our daily rhythms, trigger inflammation in the brain, and harm energy-producing structures in our cells. Understanding these mechanisms could help doctors develop better treatments for Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Plasma cell targeting with the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-a clinical pilot study.

Fluge, Øystein, Rekeland, Ingrid Gurvin, Sørland, Kari et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2025

Researchers tested a drug called daratumumab that targets specific immune cells (plasma cells) in 10 ME/CFS patients to see if removing these cells could improve symptoms. Six patients experienced significant improvement in fatigue, physical function, and daily activity levels after treatment, while four showed no major changes. The drug was well-tolerated with no serious side effects, and improvements were sustained over 8-24 months of follow-up.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Upregulation of olfactory receptors and neuronal-associated genes highlights complex immune and neuronal dysregulation in Long COVID patients.

Shahbaz, Shima, Rezaeifar, Maryam, Syed, Hussein et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2025

Researchers studied blood samples from Long COVID patients with ME/CFS-like symptoms and compared them to healthy controls. They found that certain genes related to immune function and brain health were turned on in the patients, while others were turned off. The study also discovered unusual activation of smell-related genes and changes in immune cell types, suggesting the body remains in a state of ongoing inflammation and stress.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Jingfang Granule promotes the tricarboxylic acid cycle to improve chronic fatigue syndrome by increasing the expression of Idh1 and Idh2.

Wang, Kun, Shen, Mengmeng, Tang, Hongguang et al.·Journal of ethnopharmacology·2025

Researchers tested a traditional Chinese medicine called Jingfang Granule (JFG) in mice with chronic fatigue syndrome. The treatment improved fatigue symptoms, helped mice recover weight and exercise capacity, and reduced harmful inflammation and oxidative stress in their bodies. The medicine appeared to work by boosting how efficiently cells produce energy through a key metabolic pathway.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Pyridostigmine improves hand grip strength in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schlömer, Ella, Stein, Elisa, Kedor, Claudia et al.·Frontiers in neuroscience·2025

This small study tested whether a medication called pyridostigmine could help ME/CFS patients recover hand grip strength after exertion. Twenty patients with ME/CFS showed significant muscle weakness and fatigue. When given pyridostigmine, their hand strength improved by about 2.6 kg after one hour, compared to a loss of 4.65 kg without the medication. The medication also appeared to help with blood pressure responses when standing up.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Cerebral Blood Flow in Orthostatic Intolerance.

Khan, Muhammad Shahzeb, Miller, Amanda J, Ejaz, Arooba et al.·Journal of the American Heart Association·2025

When you stand up, your body normally adjusts blood flow to keep your brain supplied with oxygen. Some people have problems with this adjustment, causing dizziness, fatigue, or fainting—a condition called orthostatic intolerance. This review explains that many ME/CFS and long COVID patients have reduced blood flow to the brain when standing, even though their heart rate and blood pressure look normal on standard tests. The authors review different tools doctors can use to actually measure brain blood flow, rather than just relying on heart rate and blood pressure readings.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Review of Neuroimaging Methods in ME/CFS.

Thapaliya, Kiran, Inderyas, Maira, Barnden, Leighton·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This review examines different brain imaging techniques that have been used to study ME/CFS and detect changes in the brain. Researchers have used three main types of imaging: MRI (which takes detailed pictures of brain structure), PET and SPECT (which show how brain activity and chemicals function). These studies have found subtle but measurable differences in the brains of people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Repeated Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing of ME/CFS Patients.

Hodges, Lynette·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This study explains how doctors use a special exercise test done twice (24 hours apart) to measure how ME/CFS affects the body's ability to exercise. The test shows that people with ME/CFS often cannot exercise as hard the second time, and their bodies don't use oxygen or produce power the way healthy people do. This helps prove that ME/CFS causes real, measurable changes in how the body functions.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

A new anchor point for gut microbiome to regulate complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: oxidative stress.

Bai, Wenxuan, Jiang, Tiebin, Tang, Lanlan et al.·Experimental hematology·2025

This review examines how bone marrow stem cell transplants can cause complications through a process called oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules). The authors explain how gut bacteria and their chemical byproducts may help protect the body by reducing this oxidative stress, potentially preventing or lessening serious complications like infections, fatigue, and organ damage that can occur after transplantation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Proposed Mechanistic Axis of Infections and mTOR Hyperactivation: A Multidisciplinary Review of Immune, Rheumatologic, and Psychiatric Links.

Fronticelli Baldelli, Giovanni, Buonsenso, Danilo·Children (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

This review proposes that a protein called mTOR may be the key link between infections and the long-lasting symptoms seen in ME/CFS and similar post-infection illnesses. The authors suggest that when mTOR stays overactive after an infection, it can damage the barrier that protects the brain, allow immune cells to enter brain tissue, and cause ongoing inflammation that affects how the brain works. They outline a step-by-step pathway explaining how this might happen and suggest that targeting mTOR could be a new treatment approach.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Rasch analysis of the hospital anxiety and depression scale in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bartholomew, Emerson J, Medvedev, Oleg N, Petrie, Keith J et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2025

This study tested whether a common questionnaire called the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) accurately measures anxiety and depression in people with ME/CFS. Researchers analyzed responses from 286 ME/CFS patients and found that the questionnaire works reasonably well, but they discovered that converting the scores into a different format makes the results more precise and reliable for clinical use.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Identifying potential biomarkers in the hippocampus of chronic fatigue syndrome rats treated with moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36): a proteomics study.

Chuwen, Feng, Chaoran, L I, Yan, Yang et al.·Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan·2025

This study tested whether moxibustion—a traditional Chinese medicine technique involving gentle heat applied to a specific acupuncture point on the leg—could help rats with chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers found that moxibustion improved the rats' activity levels, memory, and reduced damage to a brain region involved in learning and emotion. The treatment appeared to work by restoring balance to specific proteins in the brain that were abnormal in the fatigued rats.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Anti-central fatigue effects of myelophil in 5-HTergic hyperactivity mice model.

Kang, Ji-Yun, Baek, Dong-Cheol, Lee, Jin-Seok et al.·BMC complementary medicine and therapies·2025

This study tested a herbal supplement called Myelophil (made from two traditional Korean medicinal plants) in mice that had high serotonin levels—a condition researchers believe may contribute to ME/CFS fatigue. Mice given Myelophil showed improvements in fatigue-related behaviors and pain sensitivity compared to untreated mice. The results suggest this supplement may help by adjusting how the brain handles serotonin.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Stress-Induced Changes in Immune Signatures in ME/CFS Patients Determined by Transcriptome Analysis.

Gamer, Jackson, Van Booven, Derek, Zarnowski, Oskar et al.·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

Researchers studied how the immune system of ME/CFS patients responds to exercise by examining blood cells before, during, and after a physical challenge. They compared these responses in ME/CFS patients to healthy people using advanced genetic testing. This study is part of ongoing efforts to understand what makes ME/CFS different at a biological level and why exercise can make symptoms worse.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

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Corticosteroids with low glucocorticoid activity as a potential therapeutic strategy for post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in patients with bipolar affective disorder: A case report.

Managing Energy, and Shaping Care: Insights from Adults with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Through Co-Production Workshops.

Myopraktikk (NO): A Narrative Review and Conceptual Hypothesis on Intrafasciomembranal Fluid Pressure, Biotensegrity, and Immediate Remote Myofascial Responses.

Two-day cardiopulmonary exercise testing in long COVID post-exertional malaise diagnosis.

The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.

Histone phosphorylation analysis of two main TCM syndromes of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Post infectious fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in long-COVID and other infections: a need for further research.

Plasma cell targeting with the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-a clinical pilot study.

Upregulation of olfactory receptors and neuronal-associated genes highlights complex immune and neuronal dysregulation in Long COVID patients.

Jingfang Granule promotes the tricarboxylic acid cycle to improve chronic fatigue syndrome by increasing the expression of Idh1 and Idh2.

Pyridostigmine improves hand grip strength in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cerebral Blood Flow in Orthostatic Intolerance.

Review of Neuroimaging Methods in ME/CFS.

Repeated Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing of ME/CFS Patients.

A new anchor point for gut microbiome to regulate complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: oxidative stress.

Proposed Mechanistic Axis of Infections and mTOR Hyperactivation: A Multidisciplinary Review of Immune, Rheumatologic, and Psychiatric Links.

Rasch analysis of the hospital anxiety and depression scale in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Identifying potential biomarkers in the hippocampus of chronic fatigue syndrome rats treated with moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36): a proteomics study.

Anti-central fatigue effects of myelophil in 5-HTergic hyperactivity mice model.

Stress-Induced Changes in Immune Signatures in ME/CFS Patients Determined by Transcriptome Analysis.

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