ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2420 studies

961–980 of 2,420 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The experience of sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: A qualitative interview study with patients.

Gotts, Zoe M, Newton, Julia L, Ellis, Jason G et al.·British journal of health psychology·2016

This study asked 11 people with ME/CFS to describe their sleep problems in detail through interviews. The researchers found that sleep is extremely important to everyone with ME/CFS—all participants felt their sleep was somehow 'broken' and spent a lot of energy trying to manage it. Everyone agreed that poor sleep made their daytime symptoms worse, though each person experienced sleep problems in their own unique way.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse fatigue and its relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zhang, Zi-Teng, Du, Xiu-Ming, Ma, Xiu-Juan et al.·Journal of neuroinflammation·2016

Researchers created a mouse model of fatigue by exposing mice to immune stress (a bacterial compound) combined with physical stress. They found that a specific immune protein called NLRP3 becomes active in the brain during fatigue, and that blocking this protein reduced fatigue symptoms. This suggests that controlling this immune pathway might help treat fatigue in conditions like ME/CFS.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Assessing current functioning as a measure of significant reduction in activity level.

Thorpe, Taylor, McManimen, Stephanie, Gleason, Kristen et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2016

ME/CFS diagnosis requires patients to show a significant drop in their activity levels, but doctors haven't agreed on how to measure this drop consistently. This study tested whether a common health survey (the SF-36) could accurately measure when someone's activities have substantially decreased. The researchers found that certain parts of this survey do a good job of identifying major reductions in functioning and can distinguish ME/CFS patients from healthy people.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Investigating unexplained fatigue in general practice with a particular focus on CFS/ME.

Bansal, Amolak S·BMC family practice·2016

This paper looks at how doctors in general practice can identify ME/CFS in patients who come in complaining of unexplained tiredness. The authors explain that ME/CFS is a real condition with specific diagnostic criteria, and that normal blood tests (ruling out infections, thyroid problems, and other common causes) combined with careful clinical assessment can confidently diagnose it. They argue that early diagnosis in primary care can reduce patient worry and prevent unnecessary, costly tests.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCase-Control

Bottom-up proteomics suggests an association between differential expression of mitochondrial proteins and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ciregia, F, Kollipara, L, Giusti, L et al.·Translational psychiatry·2016

This study looked at proteins in the mitochondria—the energy-producing structures in cells—to see if they differ in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that two specific proteins (ATPB and ACON) were higher in people with ME/CFS, suggesting these could potentially be useful markers to help identify the condition. The findings also hint that different subgroups of ME/CFS patients may have different protein patterns, which could eventually lead to more personalized treatments.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The Deleterious Effects of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress on Palmitoylation, Membrane Lipid Rafts and Lipid-Based Cellular Signalling: New Drug Targets in Neuroimmune Disorders.

Morris, Gerwyn, Walder, Ken, Puri, Basant K et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2016

This review explains how harmful molecules called oxidative and nitrosative stress damage specific fatty structures in cells that are important for cell communication and brain function. These damaged structures may contribute to ME/CFS, along with other conditions affecting the brain and immune system. The authors suggest that omega-3 fatty acid supplements might help restore these damaged cellular structures.

NeuroinflammationEnergy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Development of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS): a self-report tool for assessing sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Dixon, Eric A, Benham, Grant, Sturgeon, John A et al.·Journal of behavioral medicine·2016

Researchers created a new questionnaire called the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS) to measure how sensitive people are to everyday sensations like touch, sound, taste, and temperature. The tool was tested on over 1,200 people and worked well at identifying those with heightened sensory sensitivity. People with fibromyalgia scored higher on the scale than those with other types of chronic pain, suggesting the tool could help identify central sensitization—a condition where the nervous system amplifies pain signals.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disorders: clinical associations and diagnostic difficulties.

Ferré, A·Neurologia·2016

This review looked at the connection between ME/CFS and sleep problems. Many people with ME/CFS experience non-restorative sleep (where sleep doesn't feel refreshing) and fatigue, but these same symptoms can happen with other sleep disorders. The key finding is that doctors need to carefully check whether patients have a separate sleep disorder before or alongside an ME/CFS diagnosis, because treating the sleep problem might help improve overall quality of life.

SleepDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) and the Safety of the Blood Supply.

Johnson, Andrew D, Cohn, Claudia S·Clinical microbiology reviews·2016

In 2009, a virus called XMRV was found in some ME/CFS patients and created significant concern about blood safety. However, scientists later discovered that the virus actually came from contaminated laboratory samples, not from patients' actual infections. This paper explains how the virus was traced back to a laboratory mouse and why it turned out not to be a real threat to ME/CFS patients or blood donors.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: A new disorder?].

de Korwin, J-D, Chiche, L, Banovic, I et al.·La Revue de medecine interne·2016

This article reviews what we know about ME/CFS more than 30 years after it was first recognized as a distinct condition. The authors explain that ME/CFS likely results from multiple causes working together—such as infections that trigger the illness and ongoing problems with the immune system, inflammation, and energy production in muscle cells. They discuss a newer framework called Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease that may help doctors diagnose and treat the condition more effectively.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Pre-Feedback Risk Expectancies and Reception of Low-Risk Health Feedback: Absolute and Comparative Lack of Reassurance.

Gamp, Martina, Renner, Britta·Applied psychology. Health and well-being·2016

This study looked at how people react when they receive good news about their health risk. Researchers found that if someone expected to be at high risk for a condition but then received test results showing they were actually at low risk, they often didn't feel reassured. Instead, these people continued to feel worried about their health, even though the test results were positive.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Integrating Cell Phone Imaging with Magnetic Levitation (i-LEV) for Label-Free Blood Analysis at the Point-of-Living.

Baday, Murat, Calamak, Semih, Durmus, Naside Gozde et al.·Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2016

Researchers developed a new technology that uses smartphones and magnetic fields to analyze blood cells without needing special dyes or labels. The system can identify and count white and red blood cells quickly and affordably, and it works in clinics, hospitals, and homes. This portable device could help doctors monitor patients with rare diseases, including ME/CFS, more easily and at lower cost.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The Role of Microbiota and Intestinal Permeability in the Pathophysiology of Autoimmune and Neuroimmune Processes with an Emphasis on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Type 1 Diabetes and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Morris, Gerwyn, Berk, Michael, Carvalho, André F et al.·Current pharmaceutical design·2016

This review explores how problems with the gut barrier and changes in gut bacteria may trigger widespread immune activation and brain inflammation in ME/CFS and other autoimmune diseases. When the intestinal lining becomes more permeable (leaky), bacteria and their products can enter the bloodstream, potentially causing the fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms characteristic of ME/CFS.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Exercise-induced mitochondrial dysfunction: a myth or reality?

Ostojic, Sergej M·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·2016

Exercise is usually good for your cells' energy factories (mitochondria), but this review asks whether extremely intense or exhausting exercise might actually damage them instead. The authors explore how very hard exercise could harm mitochondrial function and suggest this might explain some cases of chronic fatigue syndrome and muscle problems.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Efficacy of rintatolimod in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Mitchell, William M·Expert review of clinical pharmacology·2016

This review examines rintatolimod, a potential ME/CFS treatment that works by activating the immune system's antiviral defenses. The drug has shown promising results in clinical trials, with patients experiencing meaningful improvements in their symptoms and few serious side effects. This is important because ME/CFS currently has no approved medications, and rintatolimod represents one of the most advanced treatment options in development.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms.

Cottrell, David John·Archives of disease in childhood. Education and practice edition·2016

This article discusses how doctors can better understand and manage symptoms that don't have an obvious medical cause, which is common in children. It explains that anxiety about missing a serious illness can sometimes get in the way of good care, and provides a practical model for how doctors should assess and treat these patients based on the best available evidence.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

High-frequency rTMS for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Series.

Kakuda, Wataru, Momosaki, Ryo, Yamada, Naoki et al.·Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)·2016

Researchers tested a brain stimulation technique called high-frequency rTMS on seven patients with ME/CFS. This non-invasive procedure uses magnetic pulses to stimulate a specific area of the brain involved in fatigue. Most patients experienced improvements in their fatigue symptoms, with only two experiencing mild side effects that required reducing the stimulation intensity.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The Putative Role of Viruses, Bacteria, and Chronic Fungal Biotoxin Exposure in the Genesis of Intractable Fatigue Accompanied by Cognitive and Physical Disability.

Morris, Gerwyn, Berk, Michael, Walder, Ken et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2016

This paper reviews how viruses (like EBV and cytomegalovirus), bacteria (like those causing Lyme disease), and mold exposure might cause ME/CFS in some patients. The authors explain that standard treatments like counseling and exercise have limited success, and suggest that doctors should look more carefully for hidden infections or past mold exposure when standard blood tests don't find an obvious cause.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Exhaustion and the Pathologization of Modernity.

Schaffner, Anna Katharina·The Journal of medical humanities·2016

This article examines how doctors and thinkers over the past 300 years have understood and written about exhaustion-related illnesses. The author looks at six historical examples to show how medical ideas about exhaustion have been connected to broader changes in society and technology, rather than being purely biological problems.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Medical constructions of long-term exhaustion, past and present.

Lian, Olaug S, Bondevik, Hilde·Sociology of health & illness·2015

This study looked at how doctors have understood exhaustion illnesses over time, comparing medical writings from 1860-1930 with those from 1970-2013. Researchers found that how these conditions were described and who had them changed dramatically: what was once seen as a physical disease affecting high-status men became viewed as a mental health problem affecting mostly women. The authors suggest these changes reflect cultural beliefs and values of each era, not just scientific discovery.

Diagnostics

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

The experience of sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: A qualitative interview study with patients.

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse fatigue and its relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Assessing current functioning as a measure of significant reduction in activity level.

Investigating unexplained fatigue in general practice with a particular focus on CFS/ME.

Bottom-up proteomics suggests an association between differential expression of mitochondrial proteins and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Deleterious Effects of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress on Palmitoylation, Membrane Lipid Rafts and Lipid-Based Cellular Signalling: New Drug Targets in Neuroimmune Disorders.

Development of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS): a self-report tool for assessing sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disorders: clinical associations and diagnostic difficulties.

Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) and the Safety of the Blood Supply.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: A new disorder?].

Pre-Feedback Risk Expectancies and Reception of Low-Risk Health Feedback: Absolute and Comparative Lack of Reassurance.

Integrating Cell Phone Imaging with Magnetic Levitation (i-LEV) for Label-Free Blood Analysis at the Point-of-Living.

The Role of Microbiota and Intestinal Permeability in the Pathophysiology of Autoimmune and Neuroimmune Processes with an Emphasis on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Type 1 Diabetes and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Exercise-induced mitochondrial dysfunction: a myth or reality?

Efficacy of rintatolimod in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms.

High-frequency rTMS for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Series.

The Putative Role of Viruses, Bacteria, and Chronic Fungal Biotoxin Exposure in the Genesis of Intractable Fatigue Accompanied by Cognitive and Physical Disability.

Exhaustion and the Pathologization of Modernity.

Medical constructions of long-term exhaustion, past and present.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research