ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1901–1920 of 6,160 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Depression, evening salivary cortisol and inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychoneuroendocrinological structural regression model.

Milrad, Sara F, Hall, Daniel L, Jutagir, Devika R et al.·International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2018

This study examined how depression, stress hormone levels, and inflammation connect in ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS who had higher evening cortisol (a stress hormone) levels also had more depression and higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. The results suggest that depression, hormones, and the immune system may be interconnected in ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand which causes which.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characteristics and determinants of dietary intake and physical activity in a group of patients with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Aguilar-Aguilar, Elena, Marcos-Pasero, Helena, de la Iglesia, Rocío et al.·Endocrinologia, diabetes y nutricion·2018

This study looked at the eating habits and exercise levels of 52 people with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a condition where people react badly to everyday chemicals. The researchers found that most patients weren't eating enough fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, were taking many supplements, and very few were exercising regularly. The study suggests that better nutritional guidance tailored to each person's needs could help improve their health and quality of life.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Eukaryotes in the gut microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mandarano, Alexandra H, Giloteaux, Ludovic, Keller, Betsy A et al.·PeerJ·2018

This study looked at tiny organisms called eukaryotes (which include fungi and parasites) living in the gut of people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had slightly less diversity of these organisms and some differences in fungal types, though these differences were small. The findings suggest that gut imbalances in ME/CFS may involve more than just bacteria.

Gut Microbiome

E2 ModeratePEM unclearBiobank-Resource

The UK ME/CFS Biobank: A Disease-Specific Biobank for Advancing Clinical Research Into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Lacerda, Eliana M, Mudie, Kathleen, Kingdon, Caroline C et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2018

Researchers in the UK created a special collection of biological samples (like blood) and health information from 600 people—including those with ME/CFS, people with multiple sclerosis, and healthy volunteers. This resource, called the UK ME/CFS Biobank, was designed to help scientists study ME/CFS more effectively and find reliable ways to diagnose the disease. The biobank is being shared with researchers around the world to speed up discovery.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Value of Circulating Cytokine Profiling During Submaximal Exercise Testing in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Moneghetti, Kegan J, Skhiri, Mehdi, Contrepois, Kévin et al.·Scientific reports·2018

Researchers tested whether measuring immune chemicals (called cytokines) in the blood after exercise could help identify people with ME/CFS. They compared 24 people with ME/CFS to 24 healthy controls and measured 51 different immune markers both before and 18 hours after exercise. They found that the pattern of immune chemicals measured 18 hours after exercise was different enough to reliably distinguish people with ME/CFS from healthy people.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Urodynamic characteristics might be variable in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis patients with different non-bladder co-morbid conditions.

Cheng, Wei-Ming, Fan, Yu-Hua, Lin, Alex T L·Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA·2018

This study looked at how other health conditions that often occur alongside bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis) might affect bladder function. Researchers tested 111 patients with bladder pain and found that 78% also had at least one other condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome. They discovered that patients with both bladder pain and irritable bowel syndrome had different bladder function patterns than those with bladder pain alone.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The presence of co-morbid mental health problems in a cohort of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Loades, Maria Elizabeth, Rimes, Katharine A, Ali, Sheila et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2018

This study looked at mental health problems in 52 teenagers with ME/CFS to see how common depression and anxiety are in this group. About one-third of the teenagers had depression, and over a quarter had anxiety disorders. Teenagers with depression reported more difficulty with school and social life. The researchers found that using a proper psychiatric interview was better than just asking teenagers to fill out questionnaires for identifying these mental health conditions.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Incidence of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue following GI infection: a population-level study using routinely collected claims data.

Donnachie, Ewan, Schneider, Antonius, Mehring, Michael et al.·Gut·2018

This study looked at medical records from nearly one million people in Germany to see if stomach and intestinal infections could lead to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Researchers found that people who had a GI infection were 2-4 times more likely to develop IBS and 1.4-1.8 times more likely to develop CFS compared to people who hadn't had such infections. The study also found that having anxiety, depression, or stress before the infection increased the risk even more.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

How to Distinguish Patients with pSS among Individuals with Dryness without Invasive Diagnostic Studies.

Sebastian, Agata, Sebastian, Maciej, Misterska-Skóra, Maria et al.·Journal of immunology research·2018

This study looked at whether doctors can tell the difference between primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS)—an autoimmune disease that damages moisture-producing glands—and simple dryness caused by other reasons, without needing invasive tests like biopsies. The researchers found that certain blood markers and symptoms like fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and specific antibodies were much more common in pSS patients than in people with dryness alone.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Grey and white matter differences in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A voxel-based morphometry study.

Finkelmeyer, Andreas, He, Jiabao, Maclachlan, Laura et al.·NeuroImage. Clinical·2018

Researchers used advanced brain imaging (MRI) to compare the brains of 42 people with ME/CFS to 30 healthy people. They found differences in how much grey matter and white matter the ME/CFS patients had in certain brain regions. Specifically, people with ME/CFS had more grey matter in areas that process internal body signals and stress, but less white matter in regions involved in the brainstem and midbrain.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Pitfalls in cytokine measurements - Plasma TGF-β1 in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roerink, M E, van der Schaaf, M E, Hawinkels, L J A C et al.·The Netherlands journal of medicine·2018

This study measured a protein called TGF-β1 in the blood of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Previous research suggested this protein was elevated in ME/CFS, but the researchers found that how blood samples are processed in the lab—specifically how fast they spin them—dramatically affects the results. When they carefully controlled this process, they found no actual difference in TGF-β1 levels between patients and healthy controls.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Adolescent's descriptions of fatigue, fluctuation and payback in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME): interviews with adolescents and parents.

Parslow, Roxanne M, Anderson, Nina, Byrne, Danielle et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2018

Researchers interviewed 21 teenagers with ME/CFS and their parents to understand how they experience fatigue and symptoms. All the teenagers described fatigue, good days and bad days, and getting worse after activity (called payback). However, each teenager's experience was different—some felt constantly tired while others had more variable symptoms, and the impact on their daily lives ranged from minor activity limitations to being mostly sedentary.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Weighting of orthostatic intolerance time measurements with standing difficulty score stratifies ME/CFS symptom severity and analyte detection.

Richardson, Alice M, Lewis, Don P, Kita, Badia et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

This study tested a new way to measure ME/CFS severity by combining how long patients can stand with how difficult standing feels to them. Researchers found that this combined measurement (called weighted standing time) was significantly different between ME/CFS patients and healthy people, and it also related to differences in certain inflammation markers in the blood. This suggests that a simple standing test could help doctors diagnose ME/CFS and track how severe a patient's symptoms are.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Hyperintense sensorimotor T1 spin echo MRI is associated with brainstem abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Barnden, Leighton R, Shan, Zack Y, Staines, Donald R et al.·NeuroImage. Clinical·2018

Researchers used advanced MRI scans to compare the brains of 43 people with ME/CFS and 27 healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS had different patterns in their brainstem (the base of the brain that controls basic functions) and in the sensorimotor areas (parts that control movement and sensation). The study suggests that the body may be compensating for problems in the brainstem by increasing protective coating around nerve fibers in motor control areas.

Neuroinflammation

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Defining the minimally clinically important difference of the SF-36 physical function subscale for paediatric CFS/ME: triangulation using three different methods.

Brigden, Amberly, Parslow, Roxanne M, Gaunt, Daisy et al.·Health and quality of life outcomes·2018

This study determined the smallest meaningful improvement in physical function that children and teenagers with ME/CFS can experience. Researchers asked young patients and their parents what amount of improvement would feel worthwhile, and they also analyzed clinical data from a specialist service. They found that an improvement of 10 points on a standard physical function scale represents a clinically meaningful change for children with ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Static and dynamic functional connectivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: use of arterial spin labelling fMRI.

Boissoneault, Jeff, Letzen, Janelle, Lai, Song et al.·Clinical physiology and functional imaging·2018

Researchers used a brain imaging technique to compare how the brains of people with ME/CFS and healthy people process information during a tiring mental task. They found that people with ME/CFS had different patterns of communication between brain regions, and these patterns were linked to how fatigued they felt. This suggests that the fatigue experienced in ME/CFS may be related to how different parts of the brain work together.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Supplementation with Robuvit® in subjects with burnout associated to high oxidative stress.

Belcaro, Gianni, Hosoi, Morio, Feragalli, Beatrice et al.·Minerva medica·2018

This study tested whether a supplement called Robuvit® (made from French oak wood) could help people with burnout syndrome who experience severe fatigue and high oxidative stress (a type of cellular damage). Over 4 weeks, people taking Robuvit® showed improvements in emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and stress levels compared to those receiving standard treatment alone. The supplement also reduced markers of oxidative stress in the blood.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Emotional Regulation in Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Depression: Internal Representations and Adaptive Defenses.

Bram, Anthony D, Gottschalk, Kiley A, Leeds, William M·Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2018

This study looked at how women with ME/CFS and depression process and manage their emotions differently than healthy women. Researchers tested 186 women in four groups—those with ME/CFS and high depression, ME/CFS with lower depression, depression alone, and healthy controls—to see if difficulty expressing emotions psychologically might lead to more physical symptoms. The findings suggest that some people with ME/CFS, particularly those with both ME/CFS and depression, may have more trouble managing emotions, but not all patients show this pattern.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Prospective Biomarkers from Plasma Metabolomics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Implicate Redox Imbalance in Disease Symptomatology.

Germain, Arnaud, Ruppert, David, Levine, Susan M et al.·Metabolites·2018

Researchers studied blood samples from 32 women with ME/CFS and 19 healthy women to look for chemical differences. They found 14 metabolites (small molecules in the blood) that were different in ME/CFS patients, suggesting their bodies may have trouble managing oxidative stress—a chemical imbalance that could contribute to their symptoms. This discovery could eventually help doctors identify ME/CFS through a blood test.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Balance deficits in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.

Serrador, Jorge M, Quigley, Karen S, Zhao, Caixia et al.·NeuroRehabilitation·2018

This study tested balance and dizziness in people with ME/CFS, comparing those with and without fibromyalgia. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had measurably worse balance than healthy controls, and their balance problems were linked to how well they could function physically. Interestingly, people with both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia had the most severe balance problems, suggesting these conditions together may affect the body differently than ME/CFS alone.

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Depression, evening salivary cortisol and inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychoneuroendocrinological structural regression model.

Characteristics and determinants of dietary intake and physical activity in a group of patients with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Eukaryotes in the gut microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

The UK ME/CFS Biobank: A Disease-Specific Biobank for Advancing Clinical Research Into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Value of Circulating Cytokine Profiling During Submaximal Exercise Testing in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Urodynamic characteristics might be variable in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis patients with different non-bladder co-morbid conditions.

The presence of co-morbid mental health problems in a cohort of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Incidence of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue following GI infection: a population-level study using routinely collected claims data.

How to Distinguish Patients with pSS among Individuals with Dryness without Invasive Diagnostic Studies.

Grey and white matter differences in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A voxel-based morphometry study.

Pitfalls in cytokine measurements - Plasma TGF-β1 in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Adolescent's descriptions of fatigue, fluctuation and payback in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME): interviews with adolescents and parents.

Weighting of orthostatic intolerance time measurements with standing difficulty score stratifies ME/CFS symptom severity and analyte detection.

Hyperintense sensorimotor T1 spin echo MRI is associated with brainstem abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Defining the minimally clinically important difference of the SF-36 physical function subscale for paediatric CFS/ME: triangulation using three different methods.

Static and dynamic functional connectivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: use of arterial spin labelling fMRI.

Supplementation with Robuvit® in subjects with burnout associated to high oxidative stress.

Emotional Regulation in Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Depression: Internal Representations and Adaptive Defenses.

Prospective Biomarkers from Plasma Metabolomics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Implicate Redox Imbalance in Disease Symptomatology.

Balance deficits in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.

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