ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

941–960 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The Many Neuroprogressive Actions of Tryptophan Catabolites (TRYCATs) that may be Associated with the Pathophysiology of Neuro-Immune Disorders.

Morris, Gerwyn, Carvalho, André F, Anderson, George et al.·Current pharmaceutical design·2016

When the body has chronic inflammation and immune activation, it breaks down an amino acid called tryptophan differently than usual, creating byproducts called TRYCATs. Some of these byproducts can damage nerve cells and mitochondria (the energy factories in cells), while others may protect the brain but at the cost of causing brain fog and emotional problems. This review examines how this abnormal tryptophan breakdown might contribute to ME/CFS and other neurological conditions.

NeuroinflammationEnergy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

The role of the hippocampus in the pathogenesis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Saury, Jean-Michel·Medical hypotheses·2016

This study proposes that a brain structure called the hippocampus—which helps control memory, stress responses, and pain perception—may play a key role in ME/CFS. The researcher suggests that whatever triggers ME/CFS damages the hippocampus, leading to problems with thinking, sleep, and pain regulation, which then causes people to become less active. This reduced activity further damages the hippocampus, creating a harmful cycle that keeps the illness going.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Metagenomic Investigation of Plasma in Individuals with ME/CFS Highlights the Importance of Technical Controls to Elucidate Contamination and Batch Effects.

Miller, Ruth R, Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel, McCabe, Mark N et al.·PloS one·2016

Researchers used advanced genetic sequencing to search for viruses and bacteria in the blood of people with ME/CFS, comparing them to people with other conditions and healthy individuals. They found very little microbial material in anyone's blood, and the small differences they observed were likely caused by contamination during sample handling rather than actual differences between groups. This study teaches an important lesson: when looking for germs in blood samples, scientists must be extremely careful about how they handle samples and must use proper controls to avoid false conclusions.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Reversal of Refractory Ulcerative Colitis and Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms Arising from Immune Disturbance in an HLA-DR/DQ Genetically Susceptible Individual with Multiple Biotoxin Exposures.

Gunn, Shelly R, Gunn, G Gibson, Mueller, Francis W·The American journal of case reports·2016

This case report describes one 25-year-old man who had both severe inflammatory bowel disease and chronic fatigue syndrome that improved dramatically after identifying and removing mold exposure from his home, receiving a hormone replacement therapy (VIP), and doing stress-reduction exercises. The patient's genetic makeup made him more susceptible to problems when exposed to toxic mold, and treating the underlying immune disturbance resolved his symptoms without medication.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A concept mapping study evaluating the UK's first NHS generic fatigue clinic.

Hackett, Katie L, Lambson, Rebecca L, Strassheim, Victoria et al.·Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy·2016

This study looked at a new NHS clinic in Newcastle that treats people with fatigue from various causes, not just ME/CFS. Researchers asked 30 patients and 10 healthcare referrers what they needed from the clinic, then had 46 patients rate how important those needs were and how well the clinic was meeting them. The study identified eight key areas patients cared about—including how the clinic made them feel, communication, self-management support, and peer support—and found some areas working well and others needing improvement.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Working with uncertainty: A grounded theory study of health-care professionals' experiences of working with children and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Marks, Megan R, Huws, Jaci C, Whitehead, Liz·Journal of health psychology·2016

This study interviewed 10 healthcare professionals who treat children and teenagers with ME/CFS to understand how they approach the condition. Because ME/CFS is not yet fully understood scientifically, doctors often rely on their past experiences to decide how to treat young patients. What doctors believe about ME/CFS can affect the labels they give patients and what treatments they recommend.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Current Applications, Effectiveness, and Future Perspectives.

Choi, Hyun Ho, Cho, Young-Seok·Clinical endoscopy·2016

This article reviews fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a treatment where healthy gut bacteria from a donor are transferred into a patient's digestive system to treat disease. The procedure can be done several different ways and has shown promise for treating many conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. However, many important questions remain unanswered about who should donate, how to do it safely long-term, and how to regulate it properly.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Metabolic profiling indicates impaired pyruvate dehydrogenase function in myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fluge, Øystein, Mella, Olav, Bruland, Ove et al.·JCI insight·2016

This study found that people with ME/CFS have abnormal patterns of amino acids (building blocks of protein) in their blood, suggesting their bodies struggle to produce energy efficiently through normal metabolic pathways. The research identified a specific problem with an enzyme called pyruvate dehydrogenase that helps convert fuel into cellular energy, and showed that cells from ME/CFS patients produce excess lactate (a byproduct of incomplete energy metabolism) when stressed. These findings help explain why ME/CFS patients experience exhaustion after exertion and poor recovery.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Mortality in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

McManimen, Stephanie L, Devendorf, Andrew R, Brown, Abigail A et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2016

This study examined whether people with ME/CFS die earlier than the general population. Researchers gathered information about 56 people with ME/CFS who had passed away by asking their family members and caregivers. The findings suggest that people with ME/CFS in this group died several years earlier on average than people in the broader U.S. population, particularly from heart-related causes.

E3 PreliminaryTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Neuromuscular Strain Increases Symptom Intensity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rowe, Peter C, Fontaine, Kevin R, Lauver, Megan et al.·PloS one·2016

Researchers tested whether stretching nerves and soft tissues in the legs—by doing a simple straight leg raise test—could trigger or worsen ME/CFS symptoms. Patients with ME/CFS who received the real stretch experienced more pain, concentration problems, and lightheadedness during and 24 hours after the test, compared to those who received a fake stretch and compared to healthy people. This suggests that physical strain on nerves and tissues may be one reason why ME/CFS symptoms get worse with activity.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Assessment of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome): A Case Study for Health Care Providers.

Brimmer, Dana J, Jones, James F, Boneva, Roumiana et al.·MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources·2016

This study created an educational course to help medical students, physician assistants, and nursing students better understand ME/CFS and how to care for patients with this condition. The course used videos and slide presentations to teach about ME/CFS symptoms, diagnosis, and management. Students who completed the course showed improved knowledge about ME/CFS and developed more empathy for patients living with this illness.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Its Usage in Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Evrensel, Alper, Ceylan, Mehmet Emin·Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology·2016

This review examines fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)—a treatment where healthy gut bacteria from a donor are transferred to a patient—and its potential use in treating brain and mental health conditions. While FMT is already proven effective for certain gut infections and inflammatory bowel diseases, researchers are exploring whether it might help with conditions like ME/CFS, autism, and Parkinson's disease. Early results are promising, but much more research is needed to understand if it's safe and effective long-term.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune System

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

Caring for people with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of parents' experiences.

Mihelicova, Martina, Siegel, Zachary, Evans, Meredyth et al.·Journal of health psychology·2016

This study listened to parents who care for severely ill ME/CFS patients and asked about their experiences. Researchers found that parents often feel their identity has changed, experience guilt, feel isolated from others, deal with uncertainty about the future, and develop ways to cope with the demands of caregiving. The study provides important insights that could help healthcare providers better support and understand these caregivers.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

A Pair of Identical Twins Discordant for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differ in Physiological Parameters and Gut Microbiome Composition.

Giloteaux, Ludovic, Hanson, Maureen R, Keller, Betsy A·The American journal of case reports·2016

This study compared two identical twins—one with ME/CFS and one without—to understand what causes the illness. The affected twin showed reduced exercise capacity, abnormal responses to physical exertion, and differences in immune markers and gut bacteria compared to the healthy twin. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves problems with how the body responds to exercise and changes in the gut bacteria that may trigger inflammation.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Novel identification and characterisation of Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels on Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes: effects on cell signalling in Chronic fatigue syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

Nguyen, T, Staines, D, Nilius, B et al.·Biological research·2016

This study looked at special channels called TRPM3 on immune cells (natural killer cells and B cells) that help control calcium flow inside cells. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have fewer of these channels on certain immune cells and problems with calcium movement compared to healthy people. This suggests that broken calcium control in immune cells might play a role in ME/CFS, though much more research is needed to understand what this means for the illness.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Severity Scales for Use in Primary Health Care to Assess Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Hardcastle, Sharni Lee, Brenu, Ekua Weba, Johnston, Samantha et al.·Health care for women international·2016

ME/CFS affects people very differently—some have mild symptoms while others are severely disabled. This study reviewed different tools doctors can use to measure how severe a patient's ME/CFS is based on their symptoms and ability to function physically and mentally. Using these measurement tools helps doctors and researchers identify different groups of ME/CFS patients, which could lead to better diagnosis and treatment.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Herpesviruses dUTPases: A New Family of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP) Proteins with Implications for Human Disease.

Williams, Marshall V, Cox, Brandon, Ariza, Maria Eugenia·Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)·2016

This review examines how herpesvirus proteins called dUTPases may trigger harmful immune responses in ME/CFS and other diseases. Most adults carry dormant herpesviruses (like Epstein-Barr virus) that can reactivate throughout life. The researchers suggest that proteins released during reactivation may overstimulate the immune system, potentially worsening ME/CFS symptoms and inflammation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Diagnosis and management of undifferentiated fever in children.

Long, Sarah S·The Journal of infection·2016

This medical guideline helps doctors figure out what causes unexplained fevers in children and how to treat them. The article explains that many children who come to doctors with persistent tiredness after a fever may not have a serious infection—instead, they might just be deconditioned (out of shape) and need to gradually return to normal activities like school and exercise.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Maximizing potential impact of experimental research into cognitive processes in health psychology: A systematic approach to material development.

Hughes, Alicia M, Gordon, Rola, Chalder, Trudie et al.·British journal of health psychology·2016

This paper is a guide for researchers on how to properly design experiments that test whether people with conditions like ME/CFS have unconscious biases in how they pay attention to and interpret information about their illness. The authors explain that many past studies used different, untested materials, making it hard to compare results. They provide a step-by-step process and practical tools to help researchers create better, standardized materials for these types of studies.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Intrinsic Functional Hypoconnectivity in Core Neurocognitive Networks Suggests Central Nervous System Pathology in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.

Zinn, Marcie L, Zinn, Mark A, Jason, Leonard A·Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback·2016

Researchers used EEG brain scans to measure electrical activity and communication between brain regions in 9 ME/CFS patients and 9 healthy controls. They found that people with ME/CFS had weaker electrical activity in the back of the brain and reduced communication between three important brain networks that help with thinking, attention, and rest. These differences suggest that ME/CFS involves measurable changes in how the brain works.

Cognitive Impairment

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

The Many Neuroprogressive Actions of Tryptophan Catabolites (TRYCATs) that may be Associated with the Pathophysiology of Neuro-Immune Disorders.

The role of the hippocampus in the pathogenesis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Metagenomic Investigation of Plasma in Individuals with ME/CFS Highlights the Importance of Technical Controls to Elucidate Contamination and Batch Effects.

Reversal of Refractory Ulcerative Colitis and Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms Arising from Immune Disturbance in an HLA-DR/DQ Genetically Susceptible Individual with Multiple Biotoxin Exposures.

A concept mapping study evaluating the UK's first NHS generic fatigue clinic.

Working with uncertainty: A grounded theory study of health-care professionals' experiences of working with children and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Current Applications, Effectiveness, and Future Perspectives.

Metabolic profiling indicates impaired pyruvate dehydrogenase function in myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mortality in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Neuromuscular Strain Increases Symptom Intensity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Assessment of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome): A Case Study for Health Care Providers.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Its Usage in Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Caring for people with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of parents' experiences.

A Pair of Identical Twins Discordant for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differ in Physiological Parameters and Gut Microbiome Composition.

Novel identification and characterisation of Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels on Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes: effects on cell signalling in Chronic fatigue syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

Severity Scales for Use in Primary Health Care to Assess Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Herpesviruses dUTPases: A New Family of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP) Proteins with Implications for Human Disease.

Diagnosis and management of undifferentiated fever in children.

Maximizing potential impact of experimental research into cognitive processes in health psychology: A systematic approach to material development.

Intrinsic Functional Hypoconnectivity in Core Neurocognitive Networks Suggests Central Nervous System Pathology in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research