ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

1961–1980 of 6,160 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

In Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety, and Physiosomatic Symptoms Are Strongly Related to Psychotic Symptoms and Excitation, Impairments in Episodic Memory, and Increased Production of Neurotoxic Tryptophan Catabolites: a Multivariate and Machine Learning Study.

Kanchanatawan, Buranee, Thika, Supaksorn, Sirivichayakul, Sunee et al.·Neurotoxicity research·2018

This study examined 80 people with schizophrenia and 40 healthy controls to understand why schizophrenia patients often experience depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms like those seen in chronic fatigue. The researchers found that these symptoms were linked to changes in how the body breaks down tryptophan (an amino acid), problems with memory, and the severity of psychotic symptoms. The findings suggest that toxic byproducts from tryptophan metabolism may contribute to depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms in schizophrenia.

Neuroinflammation

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome patients have alterations in their oral microbiome composition and function.

Wang, Taiwu, Yu, Lei, Xu, Cong et al.·PloS one·2018

Researchers studied the bacteria living in the mouths of ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients have a different balance of oral bacteria, with some types being more common and others less common. These bacterial differences appear to affect how the body processes energy and amino acids, which could be relevant to understanding ME/CFS.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Evaluation of four clinical laboratory parameters for the diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

De Meirleir, Kenny L, Mijatovic, Tatjana, Subramanian, Krishnamurthy et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

Researchers tested four substances in the blood of 140 ME/CFS patients and 140 healthy people to see if they could help diagnose the disease. They found that three specific markers—sCD14, prostaglandin E2, and interleukin 8—were most useful for identifying ME/CFS. These findings suggest that a simple blood test might one day help doctors confirm ME/CFS diagnosis more quickly and objectively.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Higher Prevalence of "Low T3 Syndrome" in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case-Control Study.

Ruiz-Núñez, Begoña, Tarasse, Rabab, Vogelaar, Emar F et al.·Frontiers in endocrinology·2018

This study compared thyroid hormone levels in 98 ME/CFS patients with 99 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients were more than twice as likely to have low levels of an active thyroid hormone called T3. The patients also showed signs of chronic low-grade inflammation and had more reverse T3 (an inactive form), which may explain why their bodies aren't producing or using thyroid hormones efficiently.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in Chinese middle-school students.

Shi, Jieyao, Shen, Jie, Xie, Jian et al.·Medicine·2018

Researchers in China surveyed over 18,000 middle school students to see how many had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). They found that about 1 in 100 students met the criteria for CFS, with older students and boys more commonly affected. Beyond typical tiredness, these students also reported school anxiety, sadness, and irritability, suggesting CFS in teenagers may involve emotional symptoms alongside physical exhaustion.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Verification of exercise-induced transient postural tachycardia phenotype in Gulf War Illness.

Garner, Richard S, Rayhan, Rakib U, Baraniuk, James N·American journal of translational research·2018

Researchers found that about one-fourth of Gulf War Illness patients developed an unusual heart rate response after exercise: their heart raced when they stood up, even though this didn't happen before exercise. This temporary condition, called the START phenotype, appeared around 2 hours after exercise and was different from a similar condition called POTS that some patients had continuously. This discovery suggests that exercise can trigger a specific cardiovascular problem in some Gulf War Illness patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

School Functioning in Adolescents With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Knight, Sarah Jenette, Politis, Jennifer, Garnham, Christine et al.·Frontiers in pediatrics·2018

This study looked at how ME/CFS affects teenagers' school lives by comparing 39 adolescents with ME/CFS to 28 healthy peers. Researchers found that teens with ME/CFS missed more school, felt less connected to school, participated less in school activities, and had lower academic performance. The severity of fatigue and emotional symptoms were linked to these school difficulties.

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

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[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.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cross-Cultural Study of Information Processing Biases in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Comparison of Dutch and UK Chronic Fatigue Patients.

Hughes, Alicia M, Hirsch, Colette R, Nikolaus, Stephanie et al.·International journal of behavioral medicine·2018

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS pay attention to and interpret information related to illness and symptoms. Researchers in the Netherlands and UK tested whether people with ME/CFS tend to notice illness-related words more quickly and interpret unclear situations in ways related to their symptoms. They found that people with ME/CFS did show these patterns, and importantly, these patterns were similar in both countries, suggesting this is a consistent feature of the condition rather than a cultural difference.

Cognitive Impairment

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 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Decreased Connectivity and Increased Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Complexity in the Default Mode Network in Individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Shan, Zack Y, Finegan, Kevin, Bhuta, Sandeep et al.·Brain connectivity·2018

This study used brain imaging to look at how a specific network in the brain (called the default mode network) works differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that in ME/CFS patients, this brain network shows more chaotic activity and weaker communication between different regions. These differences might one day help doctors diagnose ME/CFS using brain scans.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not score higher on the autism-spectrum quotient than healthy controls: Comparison with autism spectrum disorder.

Bileviciute-Ljungar, Indre, Maroti, Daniel, Bejerot, Susanne·Scandinavian journal of psychology·2018

This study compared autistic traits in people with ME/CFS, people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and healthy people. Although ME/CFS and autism share some overlapping symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and sensitivity to sound and light, the study found that people with ME/CFS did not show more autistic traits than healthy controls. People with autism did score higher on the autism assessment, showing the test can distinguish between the conditions.

Cognitive Impairment

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 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

A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013.

Siegel, Zachary A, Brown, Abigail, Devendorf, Andrew et al.·Chronic illness·2018

Researchers examined 214 newspaper articles about ME/CFS published between 1987 and 2013 to see how the illness was described to the public. They found that newspapers often got the facts wrong or incomplete—nearly 1 in 5 headlines used the wrong name for the illness, most articles didn't explain how to diagnose it, and half didn't mention any treatments. This study shows that people reading the news may have received confusing or incomplete information about ME/CFS.

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 not requiredObservational

Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome following burn injuries.

Tsai, Shin-Yi, Lin, Cheng-Li, Shih, Shou-Chuan et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

This study found that people who suffer burn injuries have a higher chance of developing ME/CFS later on. Researchers looked at over 17,000 people in Taiwan who had burn injuries and compared them to a similar group without burns. Those with burns were about 1.5 times more likely to develop ME/CFS, and burns in visible areas like the face and arms had a stronger link to ME/CFS than burns on the trunk.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cortical hypoactivation during resting EEG suggests central nervous system pathology in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zinn, M A, Zinn, M L, Valencia, I et al.·Biological psychology·2018

Researchers used a brain-imaging technique called EEG to record electrical activity in the brains of 50 ME/CFS patients and 50 healthy people while they rested quietly. They found that ME/CFS patients had unusual patterns of brain activity in specific regions—particularly in the front and back of the brain—that were linked to reduced motivation and fatigue. These differences suggest that ME/CFS may involve changes in how the brain works, not just tiredness from physical causes.

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In Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety, and Physiosomatic Symptoms Are Strongly Related to Psychotic Symptoms and Excitation, Impairments in Episodic Memory, and Increased Production of Neurotoxic Tryptophan Catabolites: a Multivariate and Machine Learning Study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome patients have alterations in their oral microbiome composition and function.

Evaluation of four clinical laboratory parameters for the diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Higher Prevalence of "Low T3 Syndrome" in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case-Control Study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in Chinese middle-school students.

Verification of exercise-induced transient postural tachycardia phenotype in Gulf War Illness.

School Functioning in Adolescents With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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

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

Cross-Cultural Study of Information Processing Biases in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Comparison of Dutch and UK Chronic Fatigue Patients.

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

Decreased Connectivity and Increased Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Complexity in the Default Mode Network in Individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not score higher on the autism-spectrum quotient than healthy controls: Comparison with autism spectrum disorder.

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.

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

A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013.

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

Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome following burn injuries.

Cortical hypoactivation during resting EEG suggests central nervous system pathology in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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