Evidence browser

The proportion of women with central sensitivity syndrome in gynecology outpatient clinics (GOPDs).

Vij, Monika, Davies, Anthony, Dua, Anu et al.·International urogynecology journal·2019

This study looked at women visiting gynecology clinics whose symptoms didn't match what doctors could see on physical exams or tests. Researchers gave these women a questionnaire about pain sensitivity and related symptoms. They found that 37% of the women screened positive for central sensitization—a condition where the nervous system becomes more sensitive to pain and other sensations. Many of these women also had other conditions like migraine, depression, anxiety, IBS, and ME/CFS.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A logistic regression analysis of risk factors in ME/CFS pathogenesis.

Lacerda, Eliana M, Geraghty, Keith, Kingdon, Caroline C et al.·BMC neurology·2019

This study looked at what factors might increase someone's risk of developing ME/CFS by comparing 269 people with ME/CFS to people with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls. Researchers found that having frequent colds or infections before illness onset, being single, having lower income, and having a family history of anxiety or neurological illness were linked to higher ME/CFS risk. The study suggests that infections may play an important role in how ME/CFS develops, which differs from multiple sclerosis.

Illness perceptions in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome and other physical health conditions: Application of the common sense model.

Haines, Cara, Loades, Maria, Davis, Cara·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2019

This study compared how teenagers with ME/CFS view their illness compared to teenagers with diabetes or arthritis. Teenagers with ME/CFS had very different beliefs about their condition—particularly about how much control they had over it, how long it would last, and how well they understood what was happening to them. The researchers suggest that helping teenagers with ME/CFS feel more in control and understand their condition better might help them cope better.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Predictors of chronic fatigue in adolescents six months after acute Epstein-Barr virus infection: A prospective cohort study.

Pedersen, Maria, Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Godang, Kristin et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study followed 200 teenagers who had an acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection to see which factors predicted who would develop lasting fatigue six months later. Researchers measured many baseline characteristics including pain sensitivity, mood, memory, physical activity level, and blood markers like vitamin B12 and inflammation levels. They found that fatigue six months after EBV was most strongly predicted by things like sensory sensitivity, pain, anxiety, and how active the teenager was—rather than by immune system markers alone.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Tsai, Shin-Yi, Chen, Hsuan-Ju, Lio, Chon-Fu et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2019

This study found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more than twice as likely to develop ME/CFS compared to people without IBD. The researchers looked at medical records from Taiwan and followed patients over time to see who developed ME/CFS. The increased risk was especially high in men and older adults with IBD who didn't have other chronic conditions.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Hematological and Psychophysiological Correlates of Anomalous Information Reception in Mediums: A Preliminary Exploration.

Beischel, Julie, Tassone, Shawn, Boccuzzi, Mark·Explore (New York, N.Y.)·2019

This study looked at whether people who identify as mediums (those who report communicating with deceased individuals) experience more health problems than people who don't. Researchers found that mediums reported significantly more autoimmune diseases, sleep problems, gastrointestinal issues, and other symptoms compared to non-mediums. However, blood tests and heart rate measurements taken during mediumship sessions showed no unusual changes.

Sleep

Clinical symptoms and markers of disease mechanisms in adolescent chronic fatigue following Epstein-Barr virus infection: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

Kristiansen, Miriam Skjerven, Stabursvik, Julie, O'Leary, Elise Catriona et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study looked at adolescents who had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and tracked whether they developed chronic fatigue 6 months later. Researchers found that those with ongoing fatigue had more symptoms overall, but blood tests and heart-monitoring showed only small differences compared to those who recovered—mainly slightly higher inflammation markers and changes in nervous system activity. The study suggests that post-EBV fatigue in teenagers involves subtle changes in the body's stress and immune systems, even though the virus itself had cleared.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Childhood sleep and adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME): evidence of associations in a UK birth cohort.

Collin, Simon M, Norris, Tom, Gringras, Paul et al.·Sleep medicine·2018

This study tracked children from birth through their teenage years to see if sleep problems in childhood were linked to developing ME/CFS later on. Researchers found that children who slept less at night during early childhood were more likely to develop chronic disabling fatigue as teenagers, and those with trouble falling asleep were at higher risk. Each extra hour of sleep at age 9 or 11 was associated with a significantly lower chance of developing the condition.

Sleep

[Investigation of the diagnostic value of anti-dense fine speckled 70/lens epithelium derived growth factor p75 autoantibody for autoimmune diseases].

Türkoğlu, Gamze, Berkem, Rukiye, Karakoç, Ayşe Esra·Mikrobiyoloji bulteni·2018

This study looked at a specific type of autoantibody (immune protein) called anti-DFS70 that can appear in blood tests. Researchers tested patient samples to see how often this antibody was present and whether it could help doctors diagnose autoimmune diseases. They found that this antibody sometimes appears in patients with chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, but it's not a reliable marker for typical autoimmune diseases.

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

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

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.

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

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

Restricted Spatial Windows of Visibility in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

Ahmed, Nadia S, Gottlob, Irene, Proudlock, Frank A et al.·Vision (Basel, Switzerland)·2018

This study looked at how ME affects vision by testing how well people can see contrast (the difference between light and dark areas). Researchers tested 19 people with ME and 19 healthy people by asking them to identify faint striped patterns. People with ME had more difficulty seeing these patterns, especially at lower levels of detail, suggesting that ME may affect how the eyes and brain process visual information.

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.

Association between cytokines and psychiatric symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy controls.

Groven, Nina, Fors, Egil A, Iversen, Valentina C et al.·Nordic journal of psychiatry·2018

This study looked at immune system markers called cytokines in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people, and how these markers related to mood and anxiety symptoms. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had slightly higher levels of one immune marker (TNF-α) and discovered different patterns of how immune markers connected to psychiatric symptoms in ME/CFS patients versus healthy controls. The findings suggest that immune system activity may work differently in ME/CFS, which could help explain some symptoms and guide future treatments.

Insights into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome phenotypes through comprehensive metabolomics.

Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya, Barupal, Dinesh K, Lee, Bohyun et al.·Scientific reports·2018

Researchers studied blood and gut bacteria samples from 50 people with ME/CFS and 50 healthy people to find biological markers of the disease. They found that people with ME/CFS have abnormal levels of certain substances in their blood called metabolites, particularly a fatty molecule called ceramide in those who also have irritable bowel syndrome. When scientists combined information about both blood metabolites and gut bacteria, they could identify ME/CFS patients more accurately than using either test alone.

Hand Grip Strength as a Clinical Biomarker for ME/CFS and Disease Severity.

Nacul, Luis Carlos, Mudie, Kathleen, Kingdon, Caroline C et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2018

Researchers tested whether hand grip strength could be a useful tool for diagnosing ME/CFS and measuring how severe the condition is. They found that people with ME/CFS—especially those with severe disease—have noticeably weaker grip strength compared to healthy people, and their grip strength drops more across repeated tests. This simple, objective test may help doctors better diagnose ME/CFS and track how patients are doing over time.