ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1541–1560 of 6,157 studies

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 requiredCase-Control

Hair cortisol levels in women with medically unexplained symptoms.

Fischer, Susanne, Skoluda, Nadine, Ali, Nida et al.·Journal of psychiatric research·2022

This study tested whether people with medically unexplained symptoms have different stress hormone levels than healthy people. Researchers measured cortisol (a stress hormone) in hair samples, which shows stress levels over the previous three months. They found that women with somatic symptom disorder (a condition involving excessive worry about physical symptoms) had lower cortisol than healthy women, but women with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome did not differ from healthy controls.

Endocrine Disruption

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 not requiredObservational

Neurological Involvement in COVID-19 Among Non-Hospitalized Adolescents and Young Adults.

Havdal, Lise Beier, Berven, Lise Lund, Selvakumar, Joel et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2022

This study looked at young people (ages 12-25) who had COVID-19 but were not hospitalized, comparing them to people who didn't have COVID-19. Researchers found that COVID-19 patients reported more fatigue and post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a worsening of symptoms after physical activity—and had slightly elevated markers of brain injury in their blood. However, their thinking and memory abilities tested normally, and the blood markers didn't directly correlate with their symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Clinical characteristics of patients with unexplainable hypothalamic disorder diagnosed by the corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge test: a retrospective study.

Hataya, Yuji, Okubo, Marie, Hakata, Takuro et al.·BMC endocrine disorders·2022

Researchers used a special hormone test (CRH challenge test) to study a group of young women with chronic fatigue who had unusual patterns in their stress hormone system. They found that these patients had a mild form of adrenal insufficiency—their bodies weren't producing quite enough cortisol—but giving them cortisol supplements only helped some of them feel less fatigued. This suggests that their fatigue might involve more than just low cortisol levels.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cognitive Task Performance and Subjective Cognitive Symptoms in Individuals With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Lifelines Cohort Study.

Joustra, Monica L, Hartman, Catharina A, Bakker, Stephan J L et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2022

This study looked at thinking and memory problems in people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia by testing nearly 80,000 people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS reported significantly more trouble concentrating and had slightly slower performance on thinking tasks compared to healthy people and those with other diseases like multiple sclerosis. These cognitive complaints remained even when researchers accounted for depression, anxiety, and physical symptom severity.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Findings from a survey about hidradenitis suppurativa in the Netherlands.

The British journal of dermatology·2022

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a painful skin condition that causes recurrent boils, drainage, and scarring in areas like armpits and groin. This Dutch study surveyed over 167,000 people and found that HS is more common than previously thought (2% rather than 1%), and that people with HS often have other conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and depression. The study also found that many people with HS have not yet been diagnosed or treated.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredLongitudinal

Improvement of Long COVID symptoms over one year.

Oliveira, Carlos R, Jason, Leonard A, Unutmaz, Derya et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2022

This study compared people with Long COVID (PASC) to people with ME/CFS, conditions that cause similar symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. Over one year, people with Long COVID showed improvement in five key symptoms including fatigue and post-exertional malaise, while people with ME/CFS did not improve. The researchers used a symptom questionnaire to track changes and found that Long COVID and ME/CFS look similar at first, but Long COVID appears to follow a different course.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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 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 requiredCross-Sectional

An online survey of pelvic congestion support group members regarding comorbid symptoms and syndromes.

Smith, Steven J, Sichlau, Michael, Sewall, Luke E et al.·Phlebology·2022

This study surveyed women with pelvic congestion syndrome (a vascular condition affecting pelvic blood vessels) to see how often they also experience other medical conditions like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers found that these co-occurring conditions were much more common in this group than in the general population, suggesting that these conditions may be connected in ways we don't yet understand.

Autonomic Nervous System

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Subjective and objective cognitive function in adolescent with chronic fatigue following Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Øie, Merete Glenne, Rødø, Astrid Sofie Buer, Bølgen, Maria Sletten et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2022

This study followed 195 teenagers who had Epstein-Barr virus infection for six months to see if they developed persistent fatigue and cognitive problems. While teenagers with ongoing fatigue reported much more trouble with thinking and memory than healthy teenagers, standard cognitive tests showed no actual differences in their thinking abilities. This suggests that cognitive difficulties in ME/CFS may feel very real to patients but are not always detectable by traditional testing methods.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neurocognitive screening in patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection: tools for triage.

Blackmon, Karen, Day, Gregory S, Powers, Harry Ross et al.·BMC neurology·2022

Many people recovering from COVID-19 report trouble thinking clearly or remembering things. This study tested 102 COVID-19 patients (some who were hospitalized, some who weren't) within about 3-4 weeks of infection to see how common these cognitive problems really were and what might cause them. The researchers found that while most patients felt foggy-headed, people who had been hospitalized showed more measurable problems with memory and thinking speed than those who recovered at home.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Assessment of Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients and Its Impact on Their Quality of Life.

Dar, Waseem R, Mir, Irfan A, Siddiq, Summra et al.·Clinics and practice·2022

This study looked at fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and inflammation. Researchers found that fatigue was very common and severely affected quality of life in RA patients, even when their inflammation was being treated. The study suggests that doctors often focus on treating joint inflammation but may overlook how much fatigue impacts their patients' daily lives.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Small-Fiber Polyneuropathy Is Prevalent in Patients With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome.

Wolff, Dylan T, Xu, Raymond, Overholt, Tyler et al.·Urogynecology (Philadelphia, Pa.)·2022

Researchers found that about one-third of people with bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) have small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN), a condition where tiny nerves in the skin are damaged or reduced. Notably, people with SFPN were significantly more likely to also have chronic fatigue syndrome (31% vs 10.6%). This suggests these two painful conditions may share a common nerve-related mechanism.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The Relationship between Physical Activity and Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Wright, Jack, Astill, Sarah L, Sivan, Manoj·International journal of environmental research and public health·2022

This study asked 477 people with Long COVID about their physical activity levels before and after illness, and how exercise affected their symptoms. Participants were much less active after getting Long COVID and needed more help with daily tasks. Most people (about 75%) reported that physical activity made their symptoms worse, while only about 1% said it improved them.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

The Impact of Micro RNA-320a Serum Level on Severity of Symptoms and Cerebral Processing of Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia.

Hussein, Mona, Fathy, Wael, Abdelaleem, Enas A et al.·Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)·2022

Researchers measured a molecule called miR-320a in the blood of people with fibromyalgia and compared it to healthy people. They found that fibromyalgia patients had higher levels of this molecule, and those with higher levels tended to have worse symptoms like pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and depression. However, this molecule did not appear to affect how the brain processes pain signals.

Pain and SensitizationSleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Epidemiology of Insomnia and Sleep Duration Across Mental and Physical Health: The SHoT Study.

Sivertsen, Børge, Hysing, Mari, Harvey, Allison G et al.·Frontiers in psychology·2021

This study looked at sleep problems in over 50,000 Norwegian college students and found that insomnia (difficulty sleeping) is much more common in people with both mental and physical health conditions. Students with ME/CFS had particularly high rates of insomnia—about 65% of women and an unspecified percentage of men experienced insomnia when they also had ME/CFS. The study also found that people with these conditions slept shorter amounts overall.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye in 79,866 participants of the population-based Lifelines cohort study in the Netherlands.

Vehof, Jelle, Snieder, Harold, Jansonius, Nomdo et al.·The ocular surface·2021

This large study of nearly 80,000 Dutch adults found that about 9 out of 100 people experience dry eye symptoms. Interestingly, younger adults (ages 20-30) reported dry eye more often than expected. The researchers discovered that dry eye is connected to many different health conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, and various autoimmune diseases.

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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.

Hair cortisol levels in women with medically unexplained symptoms.

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

Neurological Involvement in COVID-19 Among Non-Hospitalized Adolescents and Young Adults.

Clinical characteristics of patients with unexplainable hypothalamic disorder diagnosed by the corticotropin-releasing hormone challenge test: a retrospective study.

Cognitive Task Performance and Subjective Cognitive Symptoms in Individuals With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Lifelines Cohort Study.

Findings from a survey about hidradenitis suppurativa in the Netherlands.

Improvement of Long COVID symptoms over one year.

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

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

An online survey of pelvic congestion support group members regarding comorbid symptoms and syndromes.

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

Subjective and objective cognitive function in adolescent with chronic fatigue following Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Neurocognitive screening in patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection: tools for triage.

The Assessment of Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients and Its Impact on Their Quality of Life.

Small-Fiber Polyneuropathy Is Prevalent in Patients With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome.

The Relationship between Physical Activity and Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The Impact of Micro RNA-320a Serum Level on Severity of Symptoms and Cerebral Processing of Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia.

The Epidemiology of Insomnia and Sleep Duration Across Mental and Physical Health: The SHoT Study.

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye in 79,866 participants of the population-based Lifelines cohort study in the Netherlands.

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