ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1941–1960 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Systemic exertion intolerance disease diagnostic criteria applied on an adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome cohort: evaluation of subgroup differences and prognostic utility.

Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Sulheim, Dag, Fagermoen, Even et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2018

This study looked at whether a diagnostic checklist called SEID (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) could reliably identify and predict outcomes in teenagers with ME/CFS. The researchers compared 120 adolescents who did or didn't meet the SEID criteria and found that the criteria didn't actually help predict who would improve over time. Interestingly, teens who met the SEID criteria were more likely to show symptoms of depression, which raises questions about whether the criteria are truly measuring ME/CFS itself.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

A 4-Day Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program for CFS/ME. An Open Study, With 1-Year Follow-Up.

Stubhaug, Bjarte, Lier, Haldis O, Aßmus, Jörg et al.·Frontiers in psychiatry·2018

This study tested whether a 4-day treatment program combining education, cognitive therapy, mindfulness, physical activity, and writing could help people with ME/CFS. Over 300 patients participated and were followed for one year. About 80% of patients showed meaningful improvement in fatigue and physical functioning that lasted throughout the year, and nearly all patients were satisfied with the program.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Humoral Immunity Profiling of Subjects with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Using a Random Peptide Microarray Differentiates Cases from Controls with High Specificity and Sensitivity.

Singh, Sahajpreet, Stafford, Phillip, Schlauch, Karen A et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2018

Researchers tested blood samples from 21 people with ME and 21 healthy controls to look for distinctive antibody patterns that could serve as a diagnostic test. Using a high-tech screening tool that checks for antibodies against thousands of different peptides, they found 25 unique patterns that could reliably distinguish people with ME from those without the disease. The antibodies appeared to target the person's own proteins and certain virus-like sequences found in human DNA.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Estimating Prevalence, Demographics, and Costs of ME/CFS Using Large Scale Medical Claims Data and Machine Learning.

Valdez, Ashley R, Hancock, Elizabeth E, Adebayo, Seyi et al.·Frontiers in pediatrics·2018

Researchers used insurance billing records and computer analysis to estimate how many Americans have ME/CFS. They found that between 1.7 and 3.4 million people in the U.S. may have been diagnosed with ME/CFS, making it more common than many people realize. The study also showed that ME/CFS costs patients far more in medical expenses than other serious diseases like lupus or multiple sclerosis.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Latent class analysis of a heterogeneous international sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Huber, Kayla A, Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

This study looked at 1,210 ME/CFS patients to see if there are different types or subtypes of the illness based on their symptoms. Researchers found six distinct groups of patients, each experiencing different combinations of symptoms like heart and blood pressure problems, dizziness when standing, and digestive issues. Importantly, patients in different groups had very different abilities to function in daily life, suggesting that tailored treatment approaches might work better than one-size-fits-all care.

Autonomic Nervous System

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 requiredObservational

Rheumatism and chronic fatigue, the two facets of post-chikungunya disease: the TELECHIK cohort study on Reunion island.

Duvignaud, A, Fianu, A, Bertolotti, A et al.·Epidemiology and infection·2018

This study followed over 1,000 people on Reunion Island to understand why some patients infected with chikungunya virus develop long-lasting fatigue and joint pain. Researchers found that people who had chikungunya were much more likely to experience chronic fatigue and a condition resembling ME/CFS compared to those who were never infected. About 24% of people with chikungunya developed CFS-like illness, compared to only 7% of those without the virus.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sleep patterns among patients with chronic fatigue: A polysomnography-based study.

Pajediene, Evelina, Bileviciute-Ljungar, Indre, Friberg, Danielle·The clinical respiratory journal·2018

This study looked at sleep problems in people with chronic fatigue by using a sleep monitoring test called polysomnography. Researchers found that more than half of the fatigued patients who also felt excessively sleepy had treatable sleep disorders like sleep apnea, restless legs, or periodic leg movements. The authors suggest that people with these symptoms should be tested for sleep disorders and treated before being diagnosed with ME/CFS, since fixing the sleep problem might help with fatigue.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Genome-epigenome interactions associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Herrera, Santiago, de Vega, Wilfred C, Ashbrook, David et al.·Epigenetics·2018

This study examined how genes and chemical switches on genes (called methylation) work together in ME/CFS patients. Researchers compared immune cells from people with ME/CFS to healthy people, looking at hundreds of thousands of genetic markers and chemical modifications. They found that certain chemical switches on genes involved in immune function and energy production are different in ME/CFS patients, and these differences are connected to a person's genetic makeup.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Effects of a short-term aquatic exercise intervention on symptoms and exercise capacity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a pilot study.

Broadbent, Suzanne, Coetzee, Sonja, Beavers, Rosalind·European journal of applied physiology·2018

This small study looked at whether exercising in water could help women with ME/CFS. Eleven women did gentle water exercise twice a week for 4 weeks, and researchers measured their strength, fitness, and fatigue levels before and after. The women were able to walk farther, felt less tired and had less pain after the program, and nobody reported feeling worse from the exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Association of T and NK Cell Phenotype With the Diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Rivas, Jose Luis, Palencia, Teresa, Fernández, Guerau et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2018

This study compared immune system cells in the blood of people with ME/CFS to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had different levels of certain immune cells, particularly lower regulatory T cells and higher NKT-like cells, along with changes in natural killer (NK) cells. Using these immune cell differences, researchers could correctly identify about 70% of ME/CFS patients versus healthy controls, suggesting these immune markers might someday help doctors diagnose the condition.

Immune System

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 unclearObservational

Defining the prevalence and symptom burden of those with self-reported severe chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a two-phase community pilot study in the North East of England.

Strassheim, Victoria Jane, Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A et al.·BMJ open·2018

This study tried to find out how many people in Northern England have severe ME/CFS and what symptoms they experience. Researchers sent questionnaires to people with ME/CFS and then invited five participants to take part in home-based research visits. The study found that people with severe ME/CFS want to participate in research but struggle with their high symptom burden and poor quality of life, which makes completing research visits challenging.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Low Sensitivity of Abbreviated Tilt Table Testing for Diagnosing Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Adults With ME/CFS.

van Campen, C Linda M C, Rowe, Peter C, Visser, Frans C·Frontiers in pediatrics·2018

Many people with ME/CFS experience dizziness and rapid heartbeat when standing up, a condition called POTS. This study found that when doctors use shortened tilt table tests (lasting only 2 minutes) to diagnose POTS, they miss more than half of the patients who actually have it. The researchers recommend using the full 10-minute test instead of the abbreviated version to properly identify POTS in ME/CFS patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Related to Nocturnal Sleep in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Compared to Tired Controls.

Orjatsalo, Maija, Alakuijala, Anniina, Partinen, Markku·Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine·2018

This study examined how the nervous system controls heart rate and blood pressure during sleep in ME/CFS patients compared to people without the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients showed unusual patterns during sleep: their sympathetic nervous system (the 'fight or flight' system) was more active than normal, while their parasympathetic nervous system (the 'rest and digest' system) was less active, especially during deep sleep. This abnormal nervous system activity during sleep may help explain why ME/CFS patients often wake up feeling unrefreshed.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

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.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Why do some ME/CFS patients benefit from treatment with sodium dichloroacetate, but others do not?

Comhaire, Frank·Medical hypotheses·2018

This study looked at why some ME/CFS patients improve when taking sodium dichloroacetate (DCA), a drug that helps mitochondria—the energy centers of cells—work better, while others don't benefit at all. By examining 35 ME/CFS patients, researchers found 6 specific patient characteristics that could predict who would respond well to DCA treatment. These findings suggest doctors might be able to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment before they start taking it.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Circadian rhythm abnormalities and autonomic dysfunction in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Cambras, Trinitat, Castro-Marrero, Jesús, Zaragoza, Maria Cleofé et al.·PloS one·2018

This study compared daily activity patterns and skin temperature regulation in 10 women with ME/CFS and 10 healthy women over a week in both winter and summer. While sleep patterns were similar between groups, people with ME/CFS had lower overall daily activity levels and their bodies showed weaker responses to the normal daily rhythm patterns that healthy people display (like a post-lunch energy dip). The findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve problems with how the body's internal clock and temperature regulation systems work.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Blood Volume Status in ME/CFS Correlates With the Presence or Absence of Orthostatic Symptoms: Preliminary Results.

van Campen, C Linda M C, Rowe, Peter C, Visser, Frans C·Frontiers in pediatrics·2018

This study measured the amount of blood circulating in the bodies of 20 adults with ME/CFS and found that those with symptoms of dizziness or lightheadedness when standing up had significantly less blood volume than those without these symptoms. On average, all ME/CFS patients had about 11 milliliters less blood per kilogram of body weight than expected, but the drop was much more pronounced in patients with orthostatic symptoms. This finding suggests that reduced blood volume may be connected to specific symptoms some ME/CFS patients experience.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Visual Aspects of Reading Performance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

Wilson, Rachel L, Paterson, Kevin B, McGowan, Victoria et al.·Frontiers in psychology·2018

This study tested reading and vision abilities in 27 people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy controls. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS read more slowly and had greater difficulty reading when text was crowded together, even though their basic vision was similar to controls. These findings suggest that vision-related reading problems in ME/CFS are real and measurable, not just imagined.

Cognitive Impairment

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Systemic exertion intolerance disease diagnostic criteria applied on an adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome cohort: evaluation of subgroup differences and prognostic utility.

A 4-Day Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program for CFS/ME. An Open Study, With 1-Year Follow-Up.

Humoral Immunity Profiling of Subjects with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Using a Random Peptide Microarray Differentiates Cases from Controls with High Specificity and Sensitivity.

Estimating Prevalence, Demographics, and Costs of ME/CFS Using Large Scale Medical Claims Data and Machine Learning.

Latent class analysis of a heterogeneous international sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Rheumatism and chronic fatigue, the two facets of post-chikungunya disease: the TELECHIK cohort study on Reunion island.

Sleep patterns among patients with chronic fatigue: A polysomnography-based study.

Genome-epigenome interactions associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Effects of a short-term aquatic exercise intervention on symptoms and exercise capacity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a pilot study.

Association of T and NK Cell Phenotype With the Diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

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

Defining the prevalence and symptom burden of those with self-reported severe chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a two-phase community pilot study in the North East of England.

Low Sensitivity of Abbreviated Tilt Table Testing for Diagnosing Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Adults With ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Related to Nocturnal Sleep in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Compared to Tired Controls.

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

Why do some ME/CFS patients benefit from treatment with sodium dichloroacetate, but others do not?

Circadian rhythm abnormalities and autonomic dysfunction in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Blood Volume Status in ME/CFS Correlates With the Presence or Absence of Orthostatic Symptoms: Preliminary Results.

Visual Aspects of Reading Performance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

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