ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1481–1500 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The psychological features of distinct somatic syndromes: A cluster analysis according to population-based somatic symptom profiles in Taiwan.

Huang, Wei-Lieh, Chang, Shu-Sen, Liao, Shih-Cheng·Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan yi zhi·2022

This study looked at whether different types of physical symptoms (like fatigue, pain, digestive problems, and heart-related symptoms) represent separate conditions or are all part of one bigger syndrome. Researchers analyzed survey data from 550 people in Taiwan and found that people tend to cluster into four different groups based on their symptom patterns, and each group had different levels of depression, anxiety, and health worry.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Predictors of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Mood Disturbance After Acute Infection.

Sandler, Carolina X, Cvejic, Erin, Valencia, Braulio M et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2022

This study followed people who had acute viral infections (EBV, Ross River virus, or Q fever) to see who developed ME/CFS-like symptoms by 6 months. About 1 in 5 participants met CFS criteria. The researchers found that people who felt more severely ill during their acute infection, and those with mood problems during that time, were more likely to have prolonged fatigue and continued mood difficulties afterward.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Differences in Symptoms among Black and White Patients with ME/CFS.

Jason, Leonard A, Torres, Chelsea·Journal of clinical medicine·2022

This study looked at whether ME/CFS symptoms differ between Black and White patients. Researchers compared 19 Black patients with ME/CFS to White patients with ME/CFS and healthy people without the condition. They found that ME/CFS patients had notably different symptoms compared to healthy controls, but Black and White ME/CFS patients reported very similar symptom patterns.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Volumetric differences in hippocampal subfields and associations with clinical measures in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Thapaliya, Kiran, Staines, Donald, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya et al.·Journal of neuroscience research·2022

Researchers used brain imaging to examine a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is important for memory and thinking. They found that people with ME/CFS who met stricter diagnostic criteria had some structural differences in specific regions of their hippocampus compared to healthy people, and these differences were connected to how severe their fatigue and pain were. This finding supports the idea that ME/CFS involves real physical changes in the brain that may explain memory and cognitive problems patients experience.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Genetic association study in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) identifies several potential risk loci.

Hajdarevic, Riad, Lande, Asgeir, Mehlsen, Jesper et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2022

Researchers studied the genes of nearly 3,000 ME/CFS patients from Norway, Denmark, and the UK to find genetic factors that might increase the risk of developing the disease. While they found some interesting patterns in a gene called TPPP that appeared in multiple study groups, none of the findings were strong enough to definitively prove they cause ME/CFS. This study is the largest genetic search for ME/CFS risk factors conducted so far, but more research with even larger groups of patients will be needed to find reliable genetic clues.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

How mycobacterium tuberculosis infection could lead to the increasing risks of chronic fatigue syndrome and the potential immunological effects: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Yang, Tse-Yen, Lin, Cheng-Li, Yao, Wei-Cheng et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

This study found that people who have had a tuberculosis infection are about 23% more likely to develop ME/CFS than people who have never had tuberculosis. Researchers in Taiwan tracked over 38,000 people for about 10 years and noticed that tuberculosis and ME/CFS share similar symptoms and immune system patterns. The link was especially strong in men and in people aged 65 and older.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Activity measurement in pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome.

Loiacono, Bernardo, Sunnquist, Madison, Nicholson, Laura et al.·Chronic illness·2022

This study compared how active children with ME/CFS are compared to healthy children. Researchers used activity tracking devices and asked children to report their own activity levels. Children with ME/CFS were less active overall and had unusual sleep-wake patterns, with more activity at night and delayed activity during the day. The good news is that children with ME/CFS could accurately report their own activity levels.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

High prevalence of fatigue in patients with Takayasu arteritis: a case-control study in a Brazilian centre.

Dos Santos, Alexandre Moura, Misse, Rafael Giovani, Borges, Isabela Bruna Pires et al.·Rheumatology advances in practice·2022

This study compared 53 patients with Takayasu arteritis (a rare blood vessel disease) to 100 healthy people and found that fatigue is much more common in patients with this condition. Patients with Takayasu arteritis also had more difficulty doing daily activities and were less physically active than healthy people. The researchers suggest that doctors should specifically treat fatigue as part of caring for these patients.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Orthostatic intolerance and neurocognitive impairment in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Gaglio, Caroline L, Islam, Mohammed F, Cotler, Joseph et al.·Epidemiologic methods·2022

This study looked at how often people with ME/CFS experience two symptoms that doctors use to diagnose the condition: difficulty thinking clearly (brain fog, memory problems) and dizziness when standing up. The researchers found that nearly all participants reported thinking and memory problems, while only a small number had standing-up dizziness without also having cognitive problems. This suggests these two symptoms overlap heavily in ME/CFS patients.

Autonomic Nervous SystemDiagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Long-term neuromuscular consequences of SARS-Cov-2 and their similarities with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: results of the retrospective CoLGEM study.

Retornaz, Frédérique, Rebaudet, Stanislas, Stavris, Chloé et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

This study found that long-COVID patients and ME/CFS patients have very similar symptoms and muscle problems. Researchers measured electrical activity in leg muscles during and after exercise in both groups and found comparable patterns of muscle fatigue. This suggests that COVID-19 infection may trigger ME/CFS-like illness in some people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID.

Jason, Leonard A, Dorri, Joseph A·Neurology international·2022

Researchers studied 465 people with long-term COVID symptoms to see how many also had ME/CFS (a serious condition causing extreme fatigue and worsening after activity). They found that about 6 in 10 people with long COVID met the medical criteria for ME/CFS. Interestingly, some people thought they had ME/CFS when they didn't, while others had ME/CFS without realizing it—showing that self-diagnosis alone isn't reliable.

Long COVID OverlapPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Clinical Characteristics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Diagnosed in Patients with Long COVID.

Tokumasu, Kazuki, Honda, Hiroyuki, Sunada, Naruhiko et al.·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2022

This study examined patients with long COVID who developed ME/CFS, a serious condition causing extreme fatigue and worsening after activity. Researchers found that about 17% of long COVID patients met standardized medical criteria for ME/CFS, with fatigue and post-exertional malaise being the most common symptoms. Interestingly, men and women were affected equally in this group, which differs from typical ME/CFS patterns.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Regional gray matter volume correlates to physical and mental fatigue in healthy middle-aged adults.

Putra, Handityo Aulia, Park, Kaechang, Yamashita, Fumio et al.·Neuroimage. Reports·2022

Researchers used brain scans to examine whether the size of certain brain regions relates to how tired people feel, both physically and mentally. In a large group of nearly 1,900 healthy middle-aged adults, they found that specific brain areas showed different sizes depending on fatigue levels—some areas were smaller in people reporting more fatigue, while others were larger. This suggests that brain structure may be connected to how tired we feel, even before someone develops a condition like ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Predictors of Male Sexual Dysfunction in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS), Other Chronic Pain Syndromes, and Healthy Controls in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network.

Loh-Doyle, Jeffrey C, Stephens-Shields, Alisa J, Rolston, Renee et al.·The journal of sexual medicine·2022

This study looked at sexual dysfunction in men with chronic pelvic pain conditions (like prostatitis and bladder pain syndrome), compared to men with other chronic pain conditions (like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia) and healthy men. Researchers found that men with pelvic pain conditions experienced more sexual problems, including difficulty with erections and ejaculation. Depression, stress, pain, and diabetes were linked to these sexual problems across all groups.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Vaccine Vigilance System: Considerations on the Effectiveness of Vigilance Data Use in COVID-19 Vaccination.

Araja, Diana, Krumina, Angelika, Nora-Krukle, Zaiga et al.·Vaccines·2022

Researchers analyzed publicly available European vaccine safety reports to see which health problems were most commonly reported after COVID-19 vaccination. They found that the most frequently reported issues involved general symptoms (like injection site reactions and fever), nervous system problems (like headaches), and muscle/joint pain. The study notes that while ME/CFS wasn't specifically tracked in the database, reports of chronic fatigue syndrome were present and could be studied.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Pre-illness data reveals differences in multiple metabolites and metabolic pathways in those who do and do not recover from infectious mononucleosis.

Jason, Leonard A, Conroy, Karl E, Furst, Jacob et al.·Molecular omics·2022

This study looked at blood samples taken from college students before they got sick to see if certain chemical markers could predict who would recover from mononucleosis and who would develop ME/CFS instead. Researchers found that people who later developed ME/CFS had different levels of certain chemicals in their blood before they even got sick, particularly those involved in energy production and immune function. Using a computer model based on these chemical differences, they could correctly predict with 97% accuracy which people would recover and which would develop ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Retinal Microcirculation as a Potential Marker for Chronic Fatigue.

Schlick, Sarah, Lucio, Marianna, Wallukat, Gerd et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2022

Researchers studied whether tiny blood vessels in the eye could be a measurable sign of fatigue in people with long COVID. Using a special imaging technique to look at blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye), they found that people with long COVID—especially women—had reduced blood flow in these tiny vessels compared to healthy people. Those with long COVID who reported severe fatigue had even lower blood vessel density than those with milder fatigue, suggesting the eye scan might objectively confirm what patients report feeling.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Separating Patients with SEID from Those with CFS in the French ME/CFS Association, with Some Thoughts on Nomenclature.

Campagne, Julien, Fornasieri, Isabelle, Andreani, Barbara et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2022

Researchers surveyed French ME/CFS patients to see how many met the newer diagnostic criteria called SEID (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease), proposed in 2015. They found that about 84% of patients in the survey met SEID criteria, and certain symptoms like unrefreshing sleep, brain fog, and problems with blood pressure changes were especially useful for identifying SEID patients. However, most patients didn't strongly prefer the new SEID name over ME/CFS, suggesting the medical community should work with patients to find better terminology.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Incidence of post-COVID syndrome and associated symptoms in outpatient care in Bavaria, Germany: a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected claims data.

Donnachie, Ewan, Hapfelmeier, Alexander, Linde, Klaus et al.·BMJ open·2022

This study looked at health insurance records from nearly 400,000 people in Germany who had COVID-19 to see how many developed long COVID symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. About 14% of COVID-19 patients received a diagnosis of post-COVID syndrome, with the most common symptoms being fatigue, breathing problems, and loss of taste or smell. These symptoms occurred much more often in COVID-19 patients compared to people who had other respiratory infections or no respiratory illness.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Genetic risk factors for ME/CFS identified using combinatorial analysis.

Das, Sayoni, Taylor, Krystyna, Kozubek, James et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

Researchers identified 199 genetic variations in 14 genes that are associated with ME/CFS by analyzing genetic data from thousands of people in UK Biobank. These genetic variations work together in groups to influence ME/CFS risk and were found in 91% of people with ME/CFS in the study. The identified genes are involved in processes the body uses to handle stress, infection, energy production in cells, sleep, and immune function—all areas that scientists think may go wrong in ME/CFS.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

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The psychological features of distinct somatic syndromes: A cluster analysis according to population-based somatic symptom profiles in Taiwan.

Predictors of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Mood Disturbance After Acute Infection.

Differences in Symptoms among Black and White Patients with ME/CFS.

Volumetric differences in hippocampal subfields and associations with clinical measures in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Genetic association study in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) identifies several potential risk loci.

How mycobacterium tuberculosis infection could lead to the increasing risks of chronic fatigue syndrome and the potential immunological effects: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Activity measurement in pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome.

High prevalence of fatigue in patients with Takayasu arteritis: a case-control study in a Brazilian centre.

Orthostatic intolerance and neurocognitive impairment in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Long-term neuromuscular consequences of SARS-Cov-2 and their similarities with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: results of the retrospective CoLGEM study.

ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID.

Clinical Characteristics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Diagnosed in Patients with Long COVID.

Regional gray matter volume correlates to physical and mental fatigue in healthy middle-aged adults.

Predictors of Male Sexual Dysfunction in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS), Other Chronic Pain Syndromes, and Healthy Controls in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network.

Vaccine Vigilance System: Considerations on the Effectiveness of Vigilance Data Use in COVID-19 Vaccination.

Pre-illness data reveals differences in multiple metabolites and metabolic pathways in those who do and do not recover from infectious mononucleosis.

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Retinal Microcirculation as a Potential Marker for Chronic Fatigue.

Separating Patients with SEID from Those with CFS in the French ME/CFS Association, with Some Thoughts on Nomenclature.

Incidence of post-COVID syndrome and associated symptoms in outpatient care in Bavaria, Germany: a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected claims data.

Genetic risk factors for ME/CFS identified using combinatorial analysis.

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