ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1561–1580 of 6,209 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy (EAT) Has Potential as a Novel Method for Long COVID Treatment.

Imai, Kazuaki, Yamano, Takafumi, Nishi, Soichiro et al.·Viruses·2022

This study tested a Japanese treatment called epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT) on 58 long COVID patients. The treatment involves applying zinc chloride to the back of the throat to reduce inflammation. Patients received weekly treatments for one month, and three common symptoms—fatigue, headaches, and difficulty concentrating—improved significantly after treatment.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Brain fog of post-COVID-19 condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, same medical disorder?

Azcue, N, Gómez-Esteban, J C, Acera, M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

This study compared brain fog and fatigue symptoms in people with ME/CFS and those recovering from COVID-19 to see if they might be the same condition triggered by different causes. Both groups showed similar problems with fatigue, sleep, and muscle pain, but people with ME/CFS had more severe cognitive difficulties like trouble concentrating and processing information. Interestingly, loss of smell that lasted a long time in COVID-19 patients appeared connected to their cognitive problems.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Comparative Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles in Patients with Severe and Mild Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Bonilla, Hector, Hampton, Dylan, Marques de Menezes, Erika G et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2022

Researchers looked for tiny particles called extracellular vesicles in the blood of people with ME/CFS to see if they could help diagnose or understand the disease. They found that people with severe ME/CFS had higher levels of certain vesicles that come from B cells (immune cells) and platelets (blood clotting cells) compared to healthy people. While these differences were promising, they weren't strong enough to confirm they're reliable markers yet.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Saliva antibody-fingerprint of reactivated latent viruses after mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 is unique in patients with myalgic-encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Apostolou, Eirini, Rizwan, Muhammad, Moustardas, Petros et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2022

This study found that people with ME/CFS have a different immune response to COVID-19 compared to healthy people, even when the COVID infection is mild. Specifically, the researchers discovered that after COVID-19, dormant viruses (like EBV and others) reactivate more strongly in people with ME/CFS, as shown by antibody patterns in saliva. This suggests that COVID-19 may trigger hidden virus reactivation that could contribute to fatigue symptoms in ME/CFS patients.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

A description of the current status of chronic fatigue syndrome and associated factors among university students in Wuhan, China.

Luo, Lunbing, Zhang, Yutong, Huang, Tao et al.·Frontiers in psychiatry·2022

This study surveyed over 1,800 university students in Wuhan, China to understand how common ME/CFS is and what factors might contribute to it. Researchers found that about 6 in 100 students had ME/CFS, and identified several factors linked to the condition: pulling all-nighters, overeating, anxiety, and poor sleep quality increased risk, while being actively engaged in learning appeared protective. The study highlights that lifestyle and mental health factors may play important roles in ME/CFS among young adults.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Systemic antibody responses against human microbiota flagellins are overrepresented in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Vogl, Thomas, Kalka, Iris N, Klompus, Shelley et al.·Science advances·2022

Researchers found that people with severe ME/CFS have different immune responses against bacteria in their gut compared to healthy people. Specifically, their blood contains more antibodies (immune proteins) that target flagella, which are whip-like structures used by certain gut bacteria to move. This immune signature was so distinctive that a computer algorithm could use it to help identify ME/CFS patients.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Revisiting IgG Antibody Reactivity to Epstein-Barr Virus in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Its Potential Application to Disease Diagnosis.

Sepúlveda, Nuno, Malato, João, Sotzny, Franziska et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2022

This study looked at antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus linked to ME/CFS onset in some patients. Researchers analyzed blood samples from 92 ME/CFS patients and 50 healthy people, testing reactions to over 3,000 EBV proteins. They found that in patients whose ME/CFS started after a suspected EBV infection, two specific viral proteins triggered stronger antibody responses than in healthy controls. These antibody patterns could correctly identify about 83% of infected patients and 72% of healthy people, suggesting they might become useful diagnostic markers.

BiomarkersImmune System

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 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 unclearCase-Control

Psychogenic Pseudosyncope: Real or Imaginary? Results from a Case-Control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Patients.

van Campen, C Linda M C, Visser, Frans C·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2022

Some ME/CFS patients experience frequent fainting or near-fainting spells and have been told these are psychological in origin. This study compared brain blood flow in ME/CFS patients with these spells to ME/CFS patients without them during a tilt test (where you're gradually tilted upright). The group with fainting spells showed a much larger drop in blood flow to the brain, suggesting their symptoms have a physical cause rather than a psychiatric one.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

A comparison of health-related factors between patients diagnosed with ME/CFS and patients with a related symptom picture but no ME/CFS diagnosis: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

Bernhoff, Gabriella, Rasmussen-Barr, Eva, Bunketorp Käll, Lina·Journal of translational medicine·2022

This study compared 205 people diagnosed with ME/CFS to 57 people with similar symptoms who were not diagnosed with ME/CFS. The researchers found that those with an ME/CFS diagnosis reported greater difficulties with physical and mental effort, more pain, and worse overall health than the undiagnosed group. Interestingly, both groups reported similar levels of anxiety, depression, and weekly physical activity, suggesting that what makes ME/CFS distinct may be specifically how the body reacts to exertion rather than activity levels alone.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

The Impact of COVID Vaccination on Symptoms of Long COVID: An International Survey of People with Lived Experience of Long COVID.

Strain, William David, Sherwood, Ondine, Banerjee, Amitava et al.·Vaccines·2022

This survey asked 812 people with long COVID about how COVID-19 vaccination affected their symptoms. Overall, 58% reported feeling better after vaccination, 18% felt worse, and the rest noticed no change. People who received mRNA vaccines (like Pfizer and Moderna) tended to see more improvement than those who received other types of vaccines. However, responses varied greatly from person to person.

Immune System

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 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Comparing Operationalized Approaches for Substantial Reduction of Functioning in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Wiedbusch, Elzbieta, Jason, Leonard A·Archives of community medicine·2022

This study looked at five different ways to measure how much ME/CFS reduces a person's ability to function in daily life—something that is a key part of diagnosis. Using a large international group of over 2,300 patients and 359 healthy controls, researchers found that all five methods worked reasonably well, but a simple single-question approach was the best at identifying who actually had ME/CFS. This suggests doctors could use an easier, faster method to assess this important symptom.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

A comparative study of valaciclovir, valganciclovir, and artesunate efficacy in reactivated HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections associated with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Maltsev, Dmitry·Microbiology and immunology·2022

This study tested three antiviral medications in ME/CFS patients who had reactivated herpesvirus infections (HHV-6 and HHV-7). Over three months, the drug artesunate was more effective at clearing the virus from the blood than two other antivirals (valaciclovir and valganciclovir). By the third month, artesunate cleared the virus in about 68% of HHV-6 cases and 63% of HHV-7 cases, compared to 37% and 34% with valaciclovir.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Anti-Correlated Myelin-Sensitive MRI Levels in Humans Consistent with a Subcortical to Sensorimotor Regulatory Process-Multi-Cohort Multi-Modal Evidence.

Barnden, Leighton, Crouch, Benjamin, Kwiatek, Richard et al.·Brain sciences·2022

This study looked at brain scans from people with ME/CFS and healthy people to understand how the brain protects and maintains nerve fibers (myelin). Researchers found that healthy people show a balancing pattern: when one part of the brain has less myelin coverage, another part compensates by having more. The study suggests this balance may be disrupted in ME/CFS, which could contribute to symptom severity.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) on the quality of life of people with ME/CFS and their partners and family members: an online cross-sectional survey.

Vyas, Jui, Muirhead, Nina, Singh, Ravinder et al.·BMJ open·2022

This large international study surveyed 1,418 people with ME/CFS and their family members to understand how the illness affects quality of life for both patients and loved ones. People with ME/CFS reported very low health status (averaging 34 out of 100) with major difficulties in daily activities, pain, and movement, while their family members experienced significant emotional distress including worry, frustration, and sadness, plus practical impacts on family life and finances. The study found that the worse a patient's quality of life is, the worse their family member's quality of life tends to be as well.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in Australian primary care patients: only part of the story?

Orji, Nneka, Campbell, Julie A, Wills, Karen et al.·BMC public health·2022

This study looked at how many people in Australia have ME/CFS by examining medical records from primary care clinics between 2015-2019. Researchers found that roughly 95-104 people per 100,000 have ME/CFS in Australia, but they also discovered that many patients avoid visiting their doctors because of stigma, disbelief in the condition, and lack of available treatments. The researchers concluded that the real number of people with ME/CFS is likely much higher than what their numbers show.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and perceptual responses during exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study.

Cook, Dane B, VanRiper, Stephanie, Dougherty, Ryan J et al.·PloS one·2022

Researchers tested 214 people with ME/CFS and 189 healthy controls using exercise bikes to see how their bodies responded to physical activity. They found that people with ME/CFS had unusual patterns during exercise: they breathed inefficiently, their hearts didn't speed up as much as expected, but they felt the exercise was harder than controls thought it was. These differences remained even when comparing people with similar fitness levels.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Endothelial dysfunction and altered endothelial biomarkers in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Haffke, Milan, Freitag, Helma, Rudolf, Gordon et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

This study looked at whether blood vessel function is damaged in people with long COVID and ME/CFS. Researchers tested blood vessel function and measured specific proteins in the blood that reflect endothelial (blood vessel lining) health. They found that some patients with both conditions showed signs of blood vessel dysfunction, and had abnormal levels of certain proteins compared to healthy people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy (EAT) Has Potential as a Novel Method for Long COVID Treatment.

Brain fog of post-COVID-19 condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, same medical disorder?

Comparative Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles in Patients with Severe and Mild Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Saliva antibody-fingerprint of reactivated latent viruses after mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 is unique in patients with myalgic-encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

A description of the current status of chronic fatigue syndrome and associated factors among university students in Wuhan, China.

Systemic antibody responses against human microbiota flagellins are overrepresented in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Revisiting IgG Antibody Reactivity to Epstein-Barr Virus in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Its Potential Application to Disease Diagnosis.

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

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

Psychogenic Pseudosyncope: Real or Imaginary? Results from a Case-Control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Patients.

A comparison of health-related factors between patients diagnosed with ME/CFS and patients with a related symptom picture but no ME/CFS diagnosis: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

The Impact of COVID Vaccination on Symptoms of Long COVID: An International Survey of People with Lived Experience of Long COVID.

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

Comparing Operationalized Approaches for Substantial Reduction of Functioning in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

A comparative study of valaciclovir, valganciclovir, and artesunate efficacy in reactivated HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections associated with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Anti-Correlated Myelin-Sensitive MRI Levels in Humans Consistent with a Subcortical to Sensorimotor Regulatory Process-Multi-Cohort Multi-Modal Evidence.

Impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) on the quality of life of people with ME/CFS and their partners and family members: an online cross-sectional survey.

Prevalence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in Australian primary care patients: only part of the story?

Cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and perceptual responses during exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study.

Endothelial dysfunction and altered endothelial biomarkers in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

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