ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

121–132 of 132 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Evidence for and pathophysiologic implications of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Demitrack, M A, Crofford, L J·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·1998

This study found that people with ME/CFS have reduced activity in their stress-response system—a network in the brain called the HPA axis that normally helps the body cope with physical and emotional challenges. The researchers discovered that this underactive response pattern is different from what happens in depression, and it may explain why stress and exertion worsen ME/CFS symptoms. The findings suggest that problems with specific brain chemicals involved in stress regulation may contribute to the condition.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Illness from low levels of environmental chemicals: relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Bell, I R, Baldwin, C M, Schwartz, G E·The American journal of medicine·1998

Some people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia react strongly to small amounts of everyday chemicals (like fragrances or pesticides) that don't normally harm others. This paper reviews evidence suggesting that the brain's limbic system—which controls emotions and basic body functions—may become overly sensitive to these chemicals, creating a chain reaction that affects multiple body systems. The authors propose that certain people are born with or develop a heightened sensitivity to this kind of stimulation, which could explain why some ME/CFS patients feel sick from exposure to low levels of chemicals.

Endocrine DisruptionPain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Increased brain serotonin function in men with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sharpe, M, Hawton, K, Clements, A et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1997

This 1997 study examined whether people with ME/CFS have differences in serotonin activity in their brains. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that affects mood, sleep, and energy. The researchers found that men with ME/CFS showed increased brain serotonin function compared to healthy controls, which was unexpected since low serotonin is often associated with fatigue and depression.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Neuroendocrine correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome: a brief review.

Demitrack, M A·Journal of psychiatric research·1997

This review examines how ME/CFS might be connected to problems with the body's stress hormone system and brain chemistry. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS often have a specific pattern of disruption in their stress response system—different from what occurs in depression—along with changes in serotonin levels. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves real biological changes, not just psychological factors.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCase-Control

Blunted serotonin-mediated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dinan, T G, Majeed, T, Lavelle, E et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·1997

This study tested whether a specific brain chemical system called serotonin works properly in ME/CFS patients. Researchers gave patients and healthy people a medication that activates serotonin receptors, then measured how the body's stress-response system (the HPA axis) reacted. They found that ME/CFS patients had a weaker response than healthy people, suggesting this brain system doesn't function normally in ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Evidence that abnormalities of central neurohormonal systems are key to understanding fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Crofford, L J, Demitrack, M A·Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America·1996

This study explores how stress-response systems in the brain and body may be broken in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Both conditions often start after stressful events and get worse during stressful times. The researchers found that the brain's main stress-management system—called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—does not work normally in these patients, which could explain why their symptoms worsen with stress.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a stress disorder?

Cleare, A J, Wessely, S C·British journal of hospital medicine·1996

This paper explores whether ME/CFS might be connected to stress and how the body responds to stress. The authors examine the evidence around the relationship between stress responses and ME/CFS symptoms, considering whether stress-related factors play a role in the condition's development or persistence.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Increased prolactin response to buspirone in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sharpe, M, Clements, A, Hawton, K et al.·Journal of affective disorders·1996

Researchers gave a medication called buspirone to people with ME/CFS and healthy volunteers to see how their bodies would respond. People with ME/CFS had higher levels of a hormone called prolactin and experienced more nausea than the healthy group. This suggests that the brains of people with ME/CFS may process certain chemicals differently, particularly those involved in mood and nerve signaling.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Neuroendocrine responses to d-fenfluramine and insulin-induced hypoglycemia in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bearn, J, Allain, T, Coskeran, P et al.·Biological psychiatry·1995

This study tested whether ME/CFS might be caused by problems with the brain's hormone-control system (the pituitary and adrenal glands). Researchers gave patients and healthy people two different tests—one using low blood sugar and another using a serotonin-stimulating drug—to measure hormone responses. They found that ME/CFS patients had unusual patterns in some hormones, suggesting their glands may not be working normally.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Corticotropin releasing hormone in the pathophysiology of melancholic and atypical depression and in the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs.

Gold, P W, Licinio, J, Wong, M L et al.·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·1995

This research examines how the stress hormone system works differently in people with depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. The study found that while some people with depression have too much cortisol (a stress hormone), others—particularly those with fatigue-related conditions—may have too little activity in the part of the brain that normally triggers this hormone. This suggests that different types of depression and fatigue conditions might involve different problems with the body's stress response system.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary findings.

Demitrack, M A, Gold, P W, Dale, J K et al.·Biological psychiatry·1992

This study measured chemical messengers in the blood and spinal fluid of people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy individuals. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower levels of one chemical (MHPG, related to stress response) and higher levels of another (5-HIAA, related to mood regulation). These differences suggest ME/CFS may have biological markers that distinguish it from purely psychiatric conditions.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Evidence for impaired activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Demitrack, M A, Dale, J K, Straus, S E et al.·The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·1991

This study examined whether ME/CFS patients have a problem with their body's stress hormone system, specifically the network that controls cortisol production. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower cortisol levels than healthy people, but their bodies were responding unusually to stimulation—suggesting the problem lies in the brain's control center rather than the adrenal glands themselves.

Endocrine Disruption

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Evidence for and pathophysiologic implications of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Illness from low levels of environmental chemicals: relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Increased brain serotonin function in men with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroendocrine correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome: a brief review.

Blunted serotonin-mediated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence that abnormalities of central neurohormonal systems are key to understanding fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a stress disorder?

Increased prolactin response to buspirone in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroendocrine responses to d-fenfluramine and insulin-induced hypoglycemia in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Corticotropin releasing hormone in the pathophysiology of melancholic and atypical depression and in the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary findings.

Evidence for impaired activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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