ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1281–1300 of 6,157 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Dry eye symptoms and signs in United States Gulf War era veterans with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sanchez, Victor, Kim, Colin K, Locatelli, Elyana V T et al.·Clinical & experimental ophthalmology·2024

Researchers studied eye dryness and discomfort in Gulf War veterans with ME/CFS and compared them to veterans without the condition. They found that people with ME/CFS reported significantly more eye pain and dryness symptoms, even though physical examination of their eyes showed similar amounts of tear production and surface damage as the control group. This suggests that the eye pain experienced by ME/CFS patients may come from causes beyond just dry eyes.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Naturally acquired adaptive immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae is impaired in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Ercoli, Giuseppe, Selway-Clarke, Hugh, Truijen, Dena et al.·Clinical & translational immunology·2024

This study compared how well people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ME/CFS patients can fight off a common bacterial infection called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Researchers found that RA patients had weaker immune responses to this bacteria compared to ME/CFS patients, which may explain why RA patients get pneumonia more often. The study also looked at how a common RA treatment (rituximab, which depletes B cells) affected these immune responses.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Factors associated with having previously received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome: A cross sectional DanFunD study.

Tattan, Mais, Ørnbøl, Eva, Wellnitz, Kaare Bro et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2024

This study looked at 1,704 people with symptoms of functional somatic disorders (including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome) to understand who had received a diagnosis from a doctor. The researchers found that people—especially women—who had poor quality of life and negative beliefs about their illness were more likely to have received an official diagnosis. The study suggests that factors beyond just having symptoms affect whether people get diagnosed with these conditions.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Illness presentation and quality of life in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post COVID-19 condition: a pilot Australian cross-sectional study.

Weigel, Breanna, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Thapaliya, Kiran et al.·Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2024

This study compared symptoms and quality of life in people with ME/CFS, people with long COVID, and healthy controls in Australia. Both ME/CFS and long COVID patients experienced similar debilitating symptoms affecting memory, sleep, and physical function, and both groups had much lower quality of life scores than healthy people. The findings suggest that ME/CFS and long COVID are similarly serious illnesses that require comprehensive medical care.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Longitudinal Progression of Patients with Long COVID Treated in a Post-COVID Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Hurt, Ryan T, Yadav, Siddhant, Schroeder, Darrell R et al.·Journal of primary care & community health·2024

This study surveyed over 500 Long COVID patients who received care at a specialized clinic about 2 years after their initial infection. While most patients reported that their symptoms improved compared to their first visit, only 4.5% felt they had fully recovered. Some treatments like low-dose naltrexone, vagal nerve stimulation, and fisetin were rated as helpful by a majority of patients who tried them.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Immunological Patient Stratification in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rohrhofer, Johanna, Hauser, Lisa, Lettenmaier, Lisa et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2024

This study found that ME/CFS patients have different types of immune system problems. Researchers divided patients into two groups: those with weakened immune systems and those with normal immune systems. The two groups showed different patterns of illness—one group had low levels of a protective immune protein, while the other group had signs that their gut barrier was leaking. This suggests that ME/CFS may not be one disease but rather multiple conditions that need different treatment approaches.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Compelled loneliness and necessitated social isolation: "It's like being on the other side of a mirror, just looking in".

Wotherspoon, Natalie·Sociology of health & illness·2024

This study explored loneliness in people with ME/CFS by listening to 42 patients' experiences. The researchers found that loneliness in ME isn't just about being alone—it happens because ME symptoms keep people isolated AND because others often don't believe the illness is real, leading to rejection. As ME gets worse, people can get caught in a cycle where isolation and loneliness feed each other, making both worse over time.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Predictors of treatment response trajectories to cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome: A cohort study.

Van Oudenhove, Lukas, Debyser, Soetkin, Vergaelen, Elfi et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2024

This study followed 297 people with ME/CFS who received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to see how their fatigue improved over time. Researchers found that people responded very differently to treatment: some improved significantly, some improved a little, and some didn't improve at all. People who started treatment with higher anxiety, depression, stress, and physical symptoms—and lower mood—were less likely to benefit from CBT.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Low-dose Naltrexone Improves post-COVID-19 condition Symptoms.

Tamariz, Leonardo, Bast, Elizabeth, Klimas, Nancy et al.·Clinical therapeutics·2024

This study looked at whether treatments used for ME/CFS could help people with long COVID. Researchers reviewed records from 108 patients who tried different treatments including low-dose naltrexone, amitriptyline, duloxetine, and physical therapy. They found that patients taking low-dose naltrexone were about 5 times more likely to improve compared to those doing physical therapy alone, with improvements in both fatigue and pain.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Classification Accuracy and Description of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in an Integrated Health Care System, 2006-2017.

Liles, Elizabeth G, Irving, Stephanie A, Koppolu, Padma et al.·The Permanente journal·2024

This study looked at how often ME/CFS is diagnosed in a large health care system by checking electronic medical records from 2006 to 2017. Researchers found that while doctors used ME/CFS diagnosis codes for over 500 patients, only about 34% of the cases they reviewed actually matched the real diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. This shows that relying only on diagnosis codes in medical records can give an inaccurate picture of how many people truly have ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Two Different Hemodynamic Responses in ME/CFS Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome During Head-Up Tilt Testing.

van Campen, C Linda M C, Rowe, Peter C, Visser, Frans C·Journal of clinical medicine·2024

This study looked at how the bodies of ME/CFS patients with POTS (a condition causing rapid heart rate when standing) respond to positional changes differently than healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients with POTS fall into two groups: those with a smaller heart rate increase appear to have blood pooling in their legs, while those with a larger heart rate increase seem to have an overactive stress response system. These two different patterns might benefit from different treatments.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Socioeconomic determinants of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in Norway: a registry study.

Hilland, Geir Haakon, Anthun, Kjartan Sarheim·BMC public health·2024

This Norwegian study looked at whether a person's education level and income affect their risk of being diagnosed with ME/CFS. Using official health records and financial data from thousands of people, researchers compared ME/CFS patients with both healthy people and others with similar chronic illnesses. They found that education and income were linked to ME/CFS diagnosis, but the strength of these connections depended on which groups they compared.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cluster analysis of long COVID symptoms for deciphering a syndrome and its long-term consequence.

Niewolik, J, Mikuteit, M, Klawitter, S et al.·Immunologic research·2024

Researchers studied 2,371 people with long COVID to understand how their symptoms tend to occur together in groups. They found that long COVID symptoms cluster into three main patterns: one involving joint and nerve problems, another involving mood and heart/breathing issues, and a third involving general infection-like symptoms and skin problems. Importantly, most participants experienced symptoms from all three groups, suggesting long COVID affects multiple body systems at once.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Connecting the dots: Network structures of internalizing and functional symptoms in a population-based cohort.

Saini, Urvi, Rosmalen, Judith G M, Oldehinkel, Albertine J et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2024

This study looked at how symptoms of depression, anxiety, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome are connected in over 70,000 people. Researchers found that these conditions tend to cluster separately, but are linked together through specific 'bridge' symptoms like fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems. This helps explain why people often experience multiple conditions at the same time.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The presence of attentional and interpretation biases in patients with severe MS-related fatigue.

de Gier, Marieke, Oosterman, Joukje M, Hughes, Alicia M et al.·British journal of health psychology·2024

This study looked at whether people with severe fatigue from MS or ME/CFS tend to notice fatigue-related information more readily or interpret unclear physical symptoms in a threatening way compared to healthy people. Researchers found that both MS and ME/CFS patients interpreted ambiguous body sensations as more threatening than healthy controls did, though there was no difference in how they paid attention to fatigue-related words. The way patients interpreted symptoms was linked to how they mentally responded to their symptoms.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Management of severe ME/CFS in children and young people in the UK: a British Paediatric Surveillance Unit study.

Royston, Alexander Peter, Burge, Sarah, Idini, Ilaria et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2024

This UK study looked at how children and young people with severe ME/CFS are diagnosed and treated. Researchers found that many young people with suspected severe ME/CFS were not getting complete medical investigations to rule out other conditions, and most were not being referred to specialist services. The care these young people received varied greatly, and some didn't receive any help at all.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

A Single-Center Pilot Study of Therapeutic Apheresis in Patients with Severe Post-COVID Syndrome.

Korth, Johannes, Steenblock, Charlotte, Walther, Romy et al.·Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme·2024

This small study looked at whether a blood-filtering treatment called apheresis could help 20 people with long COVID symptoms similar to ME/CFS. The researchers found that the treatment reduced harmful antibodies in patients' blood and many patients reported feeling better, with less fatigue, muscle pain, and post-exertional malaise. While these results are promising, the study was small and didn't use a control group, so we need larger tests to confirm whether the treatment truly works.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Fatigue and symptom-based clusters in post COVID-19 patients: a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study.

Cornelissen, Merel E B, Bloemsma, Lizan D, Vaes, Anouk W et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2024

This study followed 95 Dutch patients with long COVID for up to 18 months after their initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most patients experienced persistent fatigue, along with sleep problems, pain, and cognitive difficulties. Interestingly, over half of these patients met the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, and their symptom patterns resembled those seen in people with ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comorbidity and sex differences in functional disorders and internalizing disorders.

Thomas, Nathaniel S, Gillespie, Nathan A, Kendler, Kenneth S et al.·General hospital psychiatry·2024

This study looked at how often ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome occur together with depression and anxiety in over 107,000 people. The researchers found that people with one of these conditions are much more likely to also have depression or anxiety than would be expected by chance. Interestingly, these connections were even stronger in men than in women.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Discriminating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and comorbid conditions using metabolomics in UK Biobank.

Huang, Katherine, G C de Sá, Alex, Thomas, Natalie et al.·Communications medicine·2024

Researchers studied blood samples from nearly 1,200 people with ME/CFS and compared them to people with other common conditions like depression, asthma, and thyroid problems. They found nine specific markers in the blood that, combined with basic health information, could identify ME/CFS patients about 70% of the time. This blood test approach could eventually help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more easily, since there is currently no definitive test for the condition.

Biomarkers

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Dry eye symptoms and signs in United States Gulf War era veterans with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Naturally acquired adaptive immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae is impaired in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Factors associated with having previously received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome: A cross sectional DanFunD study.

Illness presentation and quality of life in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post COVID-19 condition: a pilot Australian cross-sectional study.

Longitudinal Progression of Patients with Long COVID Treated in a Post-COVID Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Immunological Patient Stratification in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Compelled loneliness and necessitated social isolation: "It's like being on the other side of a mirror, just looking in".

Predictors of treatment response trajectories to cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome: A cohort study.

Low-dose Naltrexone Improves post-COVID-19 condition Symptoms.

Classification Accuracy and Description of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in an Integrated Health Care System, 2006-2017.

Two Different Hemodynamic Responses in ME/CFS Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome During Head-Up Tilt Testing.

Socioeconomic determinants of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in Norway: a registry study.

Cluster analysis of long COVID symptoms for deciphering a syndrome and its long-term consequence.

Connecting the dots: Network structures of internalizing and functional symptoms in a population-based cohort.

The presence of attentional and interpretation biases in patients with severe MS-related fatigue.

Management of severe ME/CFS in children and young people in the UK: a British Paediatric Surveillance Unit study.

A Single-Center Pilot Study of Therapeutic Apheresis in Patients with Severe Post-COVID Syndrome.

Fatigue and symptom-based clusters in post COVID-19 patients: a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study.

Comorbidity and sex differences in functional disorders and internalizing disorders.

Discriminating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and comorbid conditions using metabolomics in UK Biobank.

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