ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

101–120 of 6,156 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Epigenetic changes in patients with post-acute COVID-19 symptoms (PACS) and long-COVID: A systematic review.

Shekhar Patil, Madhura, Richter, Emma, Fanning, Lara et al.·Expert reviews in molecular medicine·2024

This review examined research on how long-COVID changes the way genes are turned on and off in the body—a process called epigenetics. Researchers found that these changes may affect the immune system, nervous system, and how cells use energy. While the findings are interesting and promise better treatments in the future, current research is still limited in size and quality.

Immune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearMeta-Analysis

Meta-analysis of natural killer cell cytotoxicity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Baraniuk, James N, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya·Frontiers in immunology·2024

Researchers combined results from 28 previous studies to confirm that people with ME/CFS have natural killer (NK) cells—a type of immune cell that fights infections and abnormal cells—that work at about half the strength of healthy people's NK cells. This is one of the most reliable biological differences found in ME/CFS. The analysis confirms this is a real, consistent problem in the condition.

Immune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the biology of a neglected disease.

Arron, Hayley E, Marsh, Benjamin D, Kell, Douglas B et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2024

This review examines what we know about ME/CFS by looking at how the disease develops from a combination of genetic factors, infections, and immune problems. The researchers found that ME/CFS appears to result from multiple body systems going wrong at the same time—including the immune system, inflammation, digestive health, and energy production. The study argues that doctors and scientists need to stop looking at ME/CFS as a single problem and instead understand it as a complex condition involving many interconnected issues.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Recent Research Trends in Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Cohen, Jessica, Mathew, Annette, Dourvetakis, Kirk D et al.·Cells·2024

This review examines how inflammation in the brain and nervous system contributes to several chronic diseases, including ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness. The authors discuss how immune cells and inflammatory molecules can damage the brain and cause persistent symptoms. They highlight promising new laboratory techniques using human stem cells to create brain cells for testing potential treatments.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Functional Somatic Syndromes Are Associated With Varied Postoperative Outcomes and Increased Opioid Use After Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Masood, Raisa, LeRoy, Taryn E, Moverman, Michael A et al.·Global spine journal·2024

This review looked at seven studies involving over 40,000 patients to understand how people with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions fare after spine surgery. The main finding was that patients with fibromyalgia were more likely to use opioid painkillers for longer periods after surgery and reported less improvement in their symptoms compared to those without fibromyalgia. Very little research exists on how other conditions like ME/CFS affect spine surgery outcomes.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Understanding the kynurenine pathway: A narrative review on its impact across chronic pain conditions.

Hazrati, Ebrahim, Eftekhar, Seyed Parsa, Mosaed, Reza et al.·Molecular pain·2024

This review examined how a specific pathway in the body that breaks down the amino acid tryptophan might contribute to chronic pain, including in ME/CFS patients. The review looked at research across various pain conditions and depression, finding that certain chemicals produced along this pathway can either protect or damage nerve cells. The authors suggest that targeting this pathway could lead to new, non-opioid treatments for chronic pain.

NeuroinflammationEnergy Metabolism

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Efficacy and Acceptance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Meta-analysis.

Maas Genannt Bermpohl, Frederic, Kucharczyk-Bodenburg, Ann-Cathrin, Martin, Alexandra·International journal of behavioral medicine·2024

This review analyzed 15 studies involving over 2,000 people with ME/CFS who received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—a talk therapy that helps change thinking patterns and behavior. The results show that CBT helped reduce fatigue, depression, and anxiety compared to control groups, with benefits lasting at least several months after treatment ended. Most people who started CBT stayed in the program and completed their sessions, suggesting the treatment is acceptable to patients.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredSystematic-Review

The persistence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) after SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dehlia, Ankush, Guthridge, Mark A·The Journal of infection·2024

Researchers looked at studies of people with Long COVID to see how many also meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. They found that about half of Long COVID patients have symptoms that match ME/CFS, including severe fatigue, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, and post-exertional malaise (feeling much worse after physical activity). This suggests that Long COVID and ME/CFS may be very similar conditions, at least in some patients.

Severe MESleepPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Direction.

Graves, B Sue, Patel, Mitsu, Newgent, Hailey et al.·Cureus·2024

ME/CFS is a serious illness that causes extreme tiredness that doesn't improve with rest and often gets worse with activity. People with ME/CFS also struggle with brain fog, pain, sleep problems, and immune system issues. Right now, doctors don't have a simple blood test or scan to diagnose ME/CFS, which makes it hard to identify and treat the condition properly.

BiomarkersImmune SystemCognitive ImpairmentPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Long COVID in pediatrics-epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.

Toepfner, Nicole, Brinkmann, Folke, Augustin, Silvia et al.·European journal of pediatrics·2024

This review looked at what we know about Long COVID in children and teenagers after COVID-19 infection. Most young people recover within a few months, but some experience long-lasting symptoms like fatigue, difficulty with exercise, and anxiety that can last over a year and affect daily life. The review found that a small number of these children meet the criteria for ME/CFS, but currently there are no blood tests or scans to confirm Long COVID, making it difficult to diagnose.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Research progress in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome through interventions targeting the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Zhang, Yi-Dan, Wang, Li-Na·Frontiers in endocrinology·2024

This review examines how ME/CFS affects the body's stress-response system, called the HPA axis, which controls cortisol (a stress hormone). Research shows that people with ME/CFS tend to have lower cortisol levels, less natural variation in cortisol throughout the day, and a weaker response to stress compared to healthy people. Understanding these hormone changes may help explain why ME/CFS patients experience extreme fatigue and other symptoms, and could guide new treatments.

Endocrine Disruption

E0 ConsensusGuidelinePEM requiredGuideline

[Interdisciplinary, collaborative D-A-CH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) consensus statement concerning the diagnostic and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome].

Hoffmann, Kathryn, Hainzl, Astrid, Stingl, Michael et al.·Wiener klinische Wochenschrift·2024

This is a clinical guidance document created by doctors and experts from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to help diagnose and treat ME/CFS. The document emphasizes that ME/CFS is a serious, long-term illness affecting multiple body systems, and highlights post-exertional malaise (PEM)—where symptoms worsen after physical or mental effort—as the key symptom to recognize. The guide provides doctors with practical tools like questionnaires and examination methods to accurately diagnose ME/CFS, and describes two main treatment approaches: pacing (carefully managing activity levels) and symptom relief.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Does the effect of cognitive behavior therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) vary by patient characteristics? A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Kuut, T A, Buffart, L M, Braamse, A M J et al.·Psychological medicine·2024

This study combined data from 8 clinical trials involving 1,298 people with ME/CFS to see whether cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) works and who benefits most from it. Researchers found that CBT did help reduce fatigue, improve daily functioning, and increase physical activity—but the amount of benefit varied depending on patient characteristics like age, how much disability someone had, and their activity patterns. Younger patients, those with less severe disability at the start, and those with fluctuating activity patterns saw the most improvement.

Severe MEPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Long COVID: lights and shadows on the clinical characterization of this emerging pathology.

Cogliandro, Viola, Bonfanti, Paolo·The new microbiologica·2024

This review examined Long COVID, a condition affecting 10-20% of people who had COVID-19 infection. Long COVID causes multiple symptoms across different body systems that significantly reduce quality of life. The review highlights that some Long COVID patients develop conditions like POTS (a heart rhythm problem when standing), ME/CFS (severe fatigue and post-exertional symptoms), and brain fog, and summarizes what treatments might help.

Long COVID OverlapPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearEditorial

How to understand the overlap of long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndromes.

Goldenberg, Don L·Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism·2024

This study examines how long COVID, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome are similar conditions that all affect the nervous system and immune system together. Rather than being separate diseases, these conditions share common features and may work through the same underlying biological mechanisms. The researchers reviewed existing evidence and found striking similarities in how these conditions develop and affect patients.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

The impact of gut microbiome and diet on post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Reyes, Zabrina, Stovall, Mary Catherine, Punyamurthula, Sanjana et al.·Journal of the neurological sciences·2024

This study looked at how gut bacteria and diet might affect people who develop Long COVID (symptoms that continue months after a COVID-19 infection). Researchers reviewed existing studies to see if changes in gut bacteria linked to worse COVID illness could be improved by eating foods rich in fiber and antioxidants, like those in the Mediterranean Diet. The idea is that a healthier gut might help prevent or reduce Long COVID symptoms.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

[Long COVID - neurological or somatoform disease?].

Tényi, Dalma, Tényi, Tamás, Janszky, József·Ideggyogyaszati szemle·2024

This study reviews research on long COVID to understand what causes its main symptoms like extreme fatigue, pain, and brain fog. Doctors are still debating whether long COVID is primarily a brain/nerve disease, a whole-body illness affecting multiple systems, or a condition where the brain becomes overly sensitive to signals. The researchers found that long COVID shares many similarities with ME/CFS and other hard-to-diagnose conditions, but no single test currently exists to confirm long COVID diagnosis.

NeuroinflammationPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

The gastrointestinal microbiota in the development of ME/CFS: a critical view and potential perspectives.

Stallmach, Andreas, Quickert, Stefanie, Puta, Christian et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2024

This review examines whether changes in gut bacteria might play a role in ME/CFS, particularly in cases that develop after infections like COVID-19. The authors found that many ME/CFS patients do show differences in their gut bacteria compared to healthy people, and these changes might trigger immune and inflammatory problems. However, the review concludes that current research hasn't proven that gut bacteria changes actually cause ME/CFS—only that they often occur together.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome: An Overview.

Mantle, David, Hargreaves, Iain Parry, Domingo, Joan Carles et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2024

This review examines whether problems with mitochondria—the energy-producing structures inside our cells—contribute to post-viral fatigue conditions like ME/CFS, long COVID, and fibromyalgia. The researchers looked at existing research to see if a supplement called Coenzyme Q10 might help reduce fatigue and pain by supporting mitochondrial function. While mitochondrial dysfunction appears linked to these conditions, more research is needed to confirm whether CoQ10 supplementation is an effective treatment.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Epigenetic reprograming in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A narrative of latent viruses.

Apostolou, Eirini, Rosén, Anders·Journal of internal medicine·2024

This review examines how viruses, particularly Epstein-Barr virus, may cause lasting changes to how our cells work in ME/CFS patients. The authors found that in about 70% of ME/CFS cases, the illness begins after a viral infection, and viruses can hide in the body while triggering long-term problems with energy, thinking, and immune function. Understanding these viral-triggered changes could help explain why different patients experience ME/CFS differently and may lead to better treatments.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

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Evidence browser

Epigenetic changes in patients with post-acute COVID-19 symptoms (PACS) and long-COVID: A systematic review.

Meta-analysis of natural killer cell cytotoxicity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the biology of a neglected disease.

Recent Research Trends in Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Functional Somatic Syndromes Are Associated With Varied Postoperative Outcomes and Increased Opioid Use After Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Understanding the kynurenine pathway: A narrative review on its impact across chronic pain conditions.

Efficacy and Acceptance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Meta-analysis.

The persistence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) after SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Direction.

Long COVID in pediatrics-epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.

Research progress in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome through interventions targeting the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

[Interdisciplinary, collaborative D-A-CH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) consensus statement concerning the diagnostic and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome].

Does the effect of cognitive behavior therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) vary by patient characteristics? A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Long COVID: lights and shadows on the clinical characterization of this emerging pathology.

How to understand the overlap of long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndromes.

The impact of gut microbiome and diet on post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[Long COVID - neurological or somatoform disease?].

The gastrointestinal microbiota in the development of ME/CFS: a critical view and potential perspectives.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome: An Overview.

Epigenetic reprograming in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A narrative of latent viruses.

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