ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2001–2020 of 6,160 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Activin B is a novel biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) diagnosis: a cross sectional study.

Lidbury, Brett A, Kita, Badia, Lewis, Donald P et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2017

Researchers tested blood samples from people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy controls, looking for differences in proteins called activins. They found that people with ME/CFS had significantly higher levels of a protein called activin B, while activin A remained normal. This pattern could potentially be used as a blood test to help diagnose ME/CFS, since currently there is no reliable diagnostic test available.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Clinical Criteria Versus a Possible Research Case Definition in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Jason, Leonard A, McManimen, Stephanie, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2017

This study compared different ways of defining ME/CFS to see which one best identifies the sickest patients. Researchers looked at over 1,000 patients from multiple countries and found that using stricter criteria—specifically focusing on people who are homebound and meet core ME/CFS symptoms—identified a group with more severe symptoms and greater disability than the broader clinical definition. The researchers suggest that having a clear, standardized research definition would help scientists compare patients more fairly across different studies.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Fatigue and psychosocial variables in autoimmune rheumatic disease and chronic fatigue syndrome: A cross-sectional comparison.

Ali, Sheila, Matcham, Faith, Irving, Katherine et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2017

This study compared how people with ME/CFS and people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis) experience fatigue and cope with their symptoms. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS were more fatigued, had worse sleep, and were more likely to avoid activities and struggle with accepting their illness, while people with rheumatic diseases were more likely to worry about damage to their bodies. This suggests that fatigue in these different conditions may need different treatment approaches.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

HPV vaccination and risk of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: A nationwide register-based study from Norway.

Feiring, Berit, Laake, Ida, Bakken, Inger Johanne et al.·Vaccine·2017

This study looked at whether the HPV vaccine (used to prevent cervical cancer) was linked to developing ME/CFS in Norwegian girls and boys between 2009 and 2014. Researchers tracked over 824,000 young people using national health records and found that girls who received the HPV vaccine were not at higher risk of developing ME/CFS compared to those who didn't receive it. The study did find that ME/CFS became slightly more common over time in both vaccinated and unvaccinated young people.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

An attention and interpretation bias for illness-specific information in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hughes, A M, Chalder, T, Hirsch, C R et al.·Psychological medicine·2017

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS notice illness-related information more than healthy people, and whether they tend to interpret unclear situations in a health-focused way. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS do pay more attention to fatigue-related words and are more likely to interpret ambiguous situations negatively related to their health compared to healthy controls. These thought patterns were connected to beliefs about fear and avoidance, suggesting they may help keep ME/CFS symptoms going.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Activity Pacing is Associated With Better and Worse Symptoms for Patients With Long-term Conditions.

Antcliff, Deborah, Campbell, Malcolm, Woby, Steve et al.·The Clinical journal of pain·2017

This study looked at different ways people with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain manage their activities day-to-day. Researchers found that some pacing strategies work better than others: spreading activities consistently throughout the day helped, but drastically cutting back activities was linked to feeling worse. The study suggests that how you pace your activities matters—not all pacing strategies are equally helpful.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Cytokine responses to exercise and activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: case-control study.

Clark, L V, Buckland, M, Murphy, G et al.·Clinical and experimental immunology·2017

This study examined whether people with ME/CFS have abnormal immune protein levels (cytokines) in their blood, especially after physical activity. Researchers compared 24 ME/CFS patients with 21 healthy controls and measured multiple immune markers at rest and after exercise. The study found no significant differences in immune protein levels between the two groups, and no link between post-exertional symptoms and increased cytokine levels.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Establishing Clinically Relevant Severity Levels for the Central Sensitization Inventory.

Neblett, Randy, Hartzell, Meredith M, Mayer, Tom G et al.·Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain·2017

Researchers created and tested a scoring system called the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) to help doctors identify when someone's symptoms may be caused by their nervous system being overly sensitive to pain signals. The study divided CSI scores into five levels—from subclinical to extreme—and confirmed that higher scores are associated with having more chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, as well as higher levels of depression, sleep problems, and disability.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Obesity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: an observational study.

Norris, T, Hawton, K, Hamilton-Shield, J et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2017

This study looked at whether adolescents with ME/CFS are more likely to be overweight or obese than young people without the condition. Researchers compared teenagers attending specialist ME/CFS clinics with healthy teenagers from a large population study. They found that adolescents with severe ME/CFS (those referred to specialist services) had higher rates of obesity, particularly by age 16.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

The utility of patient-reported outcome measures among patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Murdock, Kyle W, Wang, Xin Shelley, Shi, Qiuling et al.·Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2017

Researchers tested three common questionnaires that measure fatigue and symptoms in ME/CFS patients to see which ones work best. They found that two popular questionnaires had problems—many patients scored so high they hit the ceiling (meaning the test couldn't measure if they got worse), and the questions weren't reliable. The DePaul Symptom Questionnaire worked much better, especially at measuring post-exertional malaise (the worsening of symptoms after activity), and could reliably distinguish ME/CFS patients from healthy people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People.

Oosterwijck, Jessica Van, Marusic, Uros, De Wandele, Inge et al.·Pain physician·2017

This study looked at why exercise doesn't reduce pain in people with ME/CFS the way it normally does in healthy people. Researchers measured how the nervous system recovered after exercise and tracked pain levels in 20 women with ME/CFS and 20 healthy women. They found that people with ME/CFS had problems with their nervous system's ability to 'turn off' after exercise, and this was connected to their pain not improving like it should.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Multimodal and simultaneous assessments of brain and spinal fluid abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome and the effects of psychiatric comorbidity.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Mao, Xiangling, Stegner, Aaron J et al.·Journal of the neurological sciences·2017

This study compared brain and spinal fluid measurements in people with ME/CFS and healthy controls to understand what physical changes occur in the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of a protective brain chemical (glutathione), reduced blood flow to the brain, higher levels of lactate (a sign of energy problems), and more abnormalities in spinal fluid compared to healthy people. Importantly, these differences were the same whether or not ME/CFS patients also had depression or anxiety, suggesting psychiatric conditions are not making the disease worse.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.

Jain, Vageesh, Arunkumar, Amit, Kingdon, Caroline et al.·BMC neurology·2017

This study compared cognitive problems (like trouble concentrating and memory issues) and sleep difficulties in people with ME/CFS and people with MS. Researchers found that cognitive and sleep problems were much more common in ME/CFS patients—98% reported trouble concentrating, and 55% reported severe unrefreshing sleep. The study also identified that ME/CFS patients who were older, current smokers, or had lower incomes were more likely to experience severe symptoms.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModeratePEM unclearBiobank-Resource

The UK ME/CFS Biobank for biomedical research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Multiple Sclerosis.

Lacerda, Eliana M, Bowman, Erinna W, Cliff, Jacqueline M et al.·Open journal of bioresources·2017

The UK ME/CFS Biobank is a collection of blood samples and health information from 284 people with ME/CFS, 60 people with multiple sclerosis, and 135 healthy volunteers. Researchers created this resource to help scientists study what causes ME/CFS and find better ways to diagnose and treat it. The samples and detailed patient information can be used by researchers worldwide to search for biological markers of the disease.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM requiredCross-Sectional

A Comparison of Case Definitions for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A, Nehrke, Pamela et al.·Journal of chronic diseases and management·2017

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that 76% of people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome met the newer Institute of Medicine criteria, but only 44% met the revised London criteria. The London criteria identified patients who were more severely physically impaired, suggesting that different diagnostic tools can identify different groups of patients.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Natural course of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescents.

Norris, Tom, Collin, Simon M, Tilling, Kate et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2017

This study followed teenagers in the UK from ages 13 to 18 to understand what happens to disabling fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer. The researchers found that while more teenagers reported this kind of fatigue as they got older, about 75% of those with persistent fatigue at age 13 felt better by age 16. Only about 8% of teenagers had this disabling fatigue throughout their entire teenage years.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Call for Centers of Excellence.

Sunnquist, Madison, Nicholson, Laura, Jason, Leonard A et al.·Modern clinical medicine research·2017

This study asked nearly 900 people with ME/CFS about their experiences finding and receiving medical care. The researchers found that less than half had ever seen a doctor who specializes in ME/CFS, even though almost everyone wanted to. The biggest obstacles were distance to specialists and cost, and patients were much happier with care from ME/CFS specialists than from doctors who didn't specialize in these conditions.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Patterns of control beliefs in chronic fatigue syndrome: results of a population-based survey.

Doerr, Johanna M, Jopp, Daniela S, Chajewski, Michael et al.·BMC psychology·2017

This study looked at how ME/CFS patients think about their ability to solve problems and manage their condition. Researchers surveyed 113 people with ME/CFS, 264 with severe fatigue that didn't quite meet CFS criteria, and 124 healthy people. They found that people who didn't feel confident in their problem-solving skills were much more likely to have ME/CFS or severe fatigue. Interestingly, some healthy people also had low confidence, suggesting that mindset alone doesn't determine who gets ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Well-being in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Relationship to Symptoms and Psychological Distress.

Jackson, H, MacLeod, A K·Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2017

This study looked at well-being in people with ME/CFS, not just focusing on what's wrong, but also on what's right. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower well-being than healthy people, especially in areas like personal growth, feeling in control of life, and self-acceptance. Importantly, well-being was more connected to emotional and psychological symptoms than to physical fatigue itself, suggesting that treating the emotional side of living with ME/CFS might be just as important as treating the fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Physio-somatic symptoms in schizophrenia: association with depression, anxiety, neurocognitive deficits and the tryptophan catabolite pathway.

Kanchanatawan, Buranee, Sirivichayakul, Sunee, Thika, Supaksorn et al.·Metabolic brain disease·2017

This study looked at physical symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, and flu-like feelings in people with schizophrenia. Researchers found that more than half of schizophrenia patients experienced these symptoms, which were linked to depression, anxiety, and problems with memory and attention. The symptoms appeared to be connected to changes in how the body processes tryptophan, an amino acid, and how the immune system responds to these breakdown products.

Immune System

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Activin B is a novel biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) diagnosis: a cross sectional study.

Clinical Criteria Versus a Possible Research Case Definition in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Fatigue and psychosocial variables in autoimmune rheumatic disease and chronic fatigue syndrome: A cross-sectional comparison.

HPV vaccination and risk of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: A nationwide register-based study from Norway.

An attention and interpretation bias for illness-specific information in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Activity Pacing is Associated With Better and Worse Symptoms for Patients With Long-term Conditions.

Cytokine responses to exercise and activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: case-control study.

Establishing Clinically Relevant Severity Levels for the Central Sensitization Inventory.

Obesity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: an observational study.

The utility of patient-reported outcome measures among patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case-control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy People.

Multimodal and simultaneous assessments of brain and spinal fluid abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome and the effects of psychiatric comorbidity.

Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.

The UK ME/CFS Biobank for biomedical research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Multiple Sclerosis.

A Comparison of Case Definitions for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Natural course of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adolescents.

Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Call for Centers of Excellence.

Patterns of control beliefs in chronic fatigue syndrome: results of a population-based survey.

Well-being in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Relationship to Symptoms and Psychological Distress.

Physio-somatic symptoms in schizophrenia: association with depression, anxiety, neurocognitive deficits and the tryptophan catabolite pathway.

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