ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1901–1920 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Pain Intensity in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Al-Rawaf, Hadeel A, Alghadir, Ahmad H, Gabr, Sami A·Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain·2019

This study looked at tiny molecules called microRNAs in the blood of adolescents with ME/CFS to see if they could help explain why these patients experience pain. Researchers found that five specific microRNAs were lower in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy teens, and these changes were linked to higher levels of inflammatory chemicals that are known to cause pain. Interestingly, girls with ME/CFS had even lower microRNA levels and higher inflammation markers than boys with the condition.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Sleep education in primary school prevents future school refusal behavior.

Maeda, Tsutomu, Oniki, Kentaro, Miike, Teruhisa·Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society·2019

This study tested whether teaching primary school children about healthy sleep habits could prevent school refusal (persistent avoidance of attending school) later on. Researchers in Japan had students track their sleep for 2 weeks, gave them feedback, and taught them and their parents about the importance of regular sleep schedules. After the program started, school refusal rates dropped dramatically—from 10% of graduates in 2007 to 0% by 2012.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evidence for similarity in symptoms and mechanism: The extra-pulmonary symptoms of severe asthma and the polysymptomatic presentation of fibromyalgia.

Hyland, Michael E, Lanario, Joseph W, Wei, Yinghui et al.·Immunity, inflammation and disease·2019

This study found that people with severe asthma report many symptoms beyond breathing problems—such as fatigue, pain, and digestive issues—that are very similar to symptoms seen in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers compared symptom patterns between asthma patients and people with various functional disorders, finding that asthma and fibromyalgia symptoms were 75% similar in type and pattern. This suggests these conditions may share common underlying mechanisms related to how the body's systems interact.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

General theory of inflammation: patient self-administration of hydrocortisone safely achieves superior control of hydrocortisone-responding disorders by matching dosage with symptom intensity.

Irwin, John B, Baldwin, A L, Stenberg, Virgil I·Journal of inflammation research·2019

This study tested whether people with various chronic inflammatory conditions, including ME/CFS, could safely manage their own low-dose hydrocortisone treatment by adjusting it based on symptom flares. Over 2,000 participants achieved an average 76% improvement in symptoms while taking about 12 mg of hydrocortisone daily, and no serious side effects were reported.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Integrated in Routine Clinical Care: Implementation Study.

Worm-Smeitink, Margreet, van Dam, Arno, van Es, Saskia et al.·Journal of medical Internet research·2019

This study tested whether an online cognitive behavioral therapy program (I-CBT) for ME/CFS could work as well in regular hospitals and clinics as it did in research trials. Researchers tracked 79 patients who used the online program first, and those who didn't improve enough could then have in-person therapy sessions. The online program reduced fatigue and improved daily functioning, though not quite as much as in the original research trial.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: A case-control study nested within a cohort.

Loades, Maria Elizabeth, Rimes, Katharine, Lievesley, Kate et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2019

This study looked at how adolescents with ME/CFS think about and respond to their symptoms, compared to teenagers with asthma. Researchers found that young people with ME/CFS tend to have unhelpful thought patterns—like believing symptoms cause permanent damage—and unhelpful behaviors like pushing through activity or avoiding it completely. These unhelpful patterns were linked to more fatigue and disability over a 3-month follow-up period.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Dry eye syndrome and the subsequent risk of chronic fatigue syndrome-a prospective population-based study in Taiwan.

Chen, Chih-Sheng, Cheng, Hui-Man, Chen, Hsuan-Ju et al.·Oncotarget·2018

This study found that people with dry eye syndrome (DES) are more likely to develop ME/CFS than those without dry eye problems. Researchers followed patients in Taiwan over many years and discovered that those with dry eye had about twice the risk of developing ME/CFS. Even after accounting for age, sex, and other health conditions, the increased risk remained significant.

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 ModerateTrialPEM unclearRCT

Hair and salivary cortisol in a cohort of women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roerink, Megan E, Roerink, Sean H P P, Skoluda, Nadine et al.·Hormones and behavior·2018

This study measured cortisol (a stress hormone) in hair and saliva samples from women with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy women. The ME/CFS patients showed lower cortisol levels, particularly a weaker morning cortisol rise. When some patients took a medication called anakinra (which reduces inflammation), their cortisol levels changed differently than in patients taking placebo, suggesting a link between the immune system and hormonal stress response in ME/CFS.

Immune System

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 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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

The effects of warm water immersion on blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability in people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Parker, Romy, Higgins, Zeenath, Mlombile, Zandiswa N P et al.·The South African journal of physiotherapy·2018

This study looked at how warm water bathing affects heart function in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had less stable heart rate patterns before entering warm water, but this improved during the water immersion. The heart rate stayed slightly elevated in the ME/CFS group even after leaving the water. Overall, warm water immersion appeared safe and may help with managing ME/CFS symptoms.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Reduction of Glucocorticoid Receptor Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Lynn, Megan, Maclachlan, Laura, Finkelmeyer, Andreas et al.·Mediators of inflammation·2018

This study looked at how the body's stress hormone system (glucocorticoid receptor) works in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers took blood samples and tested how well a stress hormone called dexamethasone could reduce inflammation markers. They found that ME/CFS patients had some differences in how their immune system responded, but the stress hormone system itself seemed to work similarly to healthy controls.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A Concurrent Cognitive Task Does Not Perturb Quiet Standing in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rasouli, Omid, Fors, Egil A, Vasseljen, Ottar et al.·Pain research & management·2018

This study examined how well people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia can balance while standing still, and whether doing mental math at the same time makes balancing harder. Researchers found that both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia patients had slightly worse balance control than healthy people, but surprisingly, adding a math task didn't make their balance worse—unlike what researchers expected.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression Differences in Twins Discordant for Disease and Binary Phenotypes.

Tangirala, Sivateja, Patel, Chirag J·Scientific reports·2018

Researchers compared gene activity in identical twins where one twin had ME/CFS and the other didn't, along with studying six other conditions. They wanted to understand how environment (rather than genes) influences disease by looking at which genes were turned on or off differently between affected and unaffected twins. The study found that while different diseases may share some similar changes in gene activity, each condition has its own unique pattern of gene changes.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Two-Year Follow-Up of Impaired Range of Motion in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rowe, Peter C, Marden, Colleen L, Flaherty, Marissa A K et al.·The Journal of pediatrics·2018

This study tracked how physical flexibility and movement changed in 53 young people with ME/CFS over two years while they received multimodal therapy. Researchers measured range of motion in 11 different body areas and found that most participants showed significant improvement—the proportion with abnormal movement patterns dropped from 78% to 20%. Importantly, improvements in flexibility were linked with improvements in physical quality of life.

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 requiredLongitudinal

Longitudinal associations of lymphocyte subsets with clinical outcomes in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mehalick, Melissa L, Schmaling, Karen B, Sabath, Daniel E et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

This study looked at how different types of immune cells (called lymphocytes) change over 18 months in people with ME/CFS and whether these changes connected to symptom severity and physical ability. Researchers tracked three types of immune cells in 93 ME/CFS patients and measured their fatigue, physical functioning, and energy levels over time. They found that certain immune cell patterns were linked to worse physical function and more symptoms, suggesting the immune system may play a role in ME/CFS severity.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comparison of Fatigue Severity and Quality of Life between Unexplained Fatigue Patients and Explained Fatigue Patients.

Yoo, Eun Hae, Choi, Eun Sil, Cho, Soo Hyun et al.·Korean journal of family medicine·2018

This study compared fatigue and quality of life in 200 Korean adults with fatigue. Researchers divided participants into two groups: those whose fatigue had a clear medical explanation (like anemia or thyroid disease) and those whose fatigue remained unexplained after testing. People with unexplained fatigue reported significantly lower quality of life, especially in physical functioning, compared to those with explained fatigue.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Physical Examination for Men and Women With Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A MAPP (Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Network Study.

Yang, Claire C, Miller, Jane L, Omidpanah, Adam et al.·Urology·2018

This study looked at physical examination findings in people with chronic pelvic pain to see if doctors could identify characteristic patterns. Researchers examined 62 people with pelvic pain and compared them to 42 people with chronic fatigue syndrome and 39 healthy people. They found that people with pelvic pain were much more likely to have tender muscles in the pelvic floor area, and a special extended examination could help identify which specific areas were affected.

Pain and Sensitization

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MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Pain Intensity in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Sleep education in primary school prevents future school refusal behavior.

Evidence for similarity in symptoms and mechanism: The extra-pulmonary symptoms of severe asthma and the polysymptomatic presentation of fibromyalgia.

General theory of inflammation: patient self-administration of hydrocortisone safely achieves superior control of hydrocortisone-responding disorders by matching dosage with symptom intensity.

Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Integrated in Routine Clinical Care: Implementation Study.

Cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: A case-control study nested within a cohort.

Dry eye syndrome and the subsequent risk of chronic fatigue syndrome-a prospective population-based study in Taiwan.

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

Hair and salivary cortisol in a cohort of women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

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

The effects of warm water immersion on blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability in people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Reduction of Glucocorticoid Receptor Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

A Concurrent Cognitive Task Does Not Perturb Quiet Standing in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression Differences in Twins Discordant for Disease and Binary Phenotypes.

Two-Year Follow-Up of Impaired Range of Motion in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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

Longitudinal associations of lymphocyte subsets with clinical outcomes in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Comparison of Fatigue Severity and Quality of Life between Unexplained Fatigue Patients and Explained Fatigue Patients.

Physical Examination for Men and Women With Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A MAPP (Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Network Study.

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