ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2241–2260 of 6,209 studies

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Issues in Estimating Rates of Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in a Community-based Sample.

Jason, Leonard A, Katz, Ben Z, Mears, Cynthia et al.·Avicenna journal of neuropsychophysiology·2015

This study looked at how common ME/CFS is in children living in regular communities, not just in doctor's offices. Researchers used a two-step approach: first they screened children for ME/CFS-like symptoms, then they did detailed medical and mental health evaluations to confirm diagnoses. The study also compared children with ME/CFS to healthy children without the condition.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

Hall, Daniel L, Antoni, Michael H, Lattie, Emily G et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2015

This study compared how fatigue affects daily life in people with ME/CFS versus breast cancer survivors who experience fatigue. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients reported more severe fatigue and more depression than the cancer survivors. Importantly, in ME/CFS patients, higher depression was closely tied to greater fatigue-related problems in daily activities, suggesting that mood and fatigue interference may be connected in ways worth exploring for treatment.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Finding benefit in stressful uncertain circumstances: relations to social support and stigma among women with unexplained illnesses.

McInnis, Opal A, McQuaid, Robyn J, Bombay, Amy et al.·Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2015

People with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia face more stigma and judgment from others compared to people with more widely recognized illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis. This study found that when women with ME/CFS have good social support, they are less likely to hide their illness due to shame. However, women with ME/CFS reported finding less personal growth and positive change from their illness experience compared to women with other chronic conditions.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Distinct plasma immune signatures in ME/CFS are present early in the course of illness.

Hornig, Mady, Montoya, José G, Klimas, Nancy G et al.·Science advances·2015

This study found that people with ME/CFS have distinctive patterns of immune system markers in their blood, but only early in the disease. Researchers compared blood samples from 52 people with early-stage ME/CFS to 348 healthy people and 246 people with long-standing ME/CFS. The early-stage group showed heightened immune activity that was not present in people who had been sick longer, suggesting the disease's immune profile changes over time.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Pain in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: the role of traumatic stress and coping strategies.

Krzeczkowska, Anna, Karatzias, Thanos, Dickson, Adele·Psychology, health & medicine·2015

This study looked at pain in people with ME/CFS and how they cope with it. Researchers compared 27 people with ME/CFS to 27 healthy people and found that those with ME/CFS experienced more pain and had different coping strategies. People with ME/CFS who had severe pain were less likely to use helpful coping methods like accepting their situation or thinking positively about it.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Early menopause and other gynecologic risk indicators for chronic fatigue syndrome in women.

Boneva, Roumiana S, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Unger, Elizabeth R·Menopause (New York, N.Y.)·2015

This study looked at whether gynecological conditions—like irregular periods, endometriosis, and early menopause—are more common in women with ME/CFS compared to healthy women. Researchers found that women with ME/CFS reported significantly more gynecological problems and surgeries, including hysterectomies (removal of the uterus) performed at younger ages. The findings suggest that gynecological issues may be connected to ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand exactly how.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in diagnosed sleep disorders: a further test of the 'unitary' hypothesis.

Pejovic, Slobodanka, Natelson, Benjamin H, Basta, Maria et al.·BMC neurology·2015

This study looked at whether ME/CFS and fibromyalgia are actually the same condition or different disorders. Researchers compared patients with sleep-breathing problems, sleep insomnia, and healthy controls, measuring how often each group had ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or both. They found that while both conditions occurred in sleep disorder patients, fibromyalgia was much more common in insomnia patients, whereas ME/CFS appeared in both groups equally—suggesting these may be separate conditions with different causes.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Increased expression of activation antigens on CD8+ T lymphocytes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: inverse associations with lowered CD19+ expression and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, but no associations with (auto)immune, leaky gut, oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers.

Maes, Michael, Bosmans, Eugene, Kubera, Marta·Neuro endocrinology letters·2015

This study examined immune cells called CD8+ T lymphocytes in ME/CFS patients and found they show higher levels of activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) compared to healthy people and those with regular fatigue. The researchers measured 139 ME/CFS patients, 65 with chronic fatigue, and 40 healthy controls, finding distinct immune patterns in ME/CFS that don't appear to be directly linked to inflammation, gut problems, or oxidative stress.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome in patients with migraine: A retrospective cohort study.

Lau, Chi-ieong, Lin, Che-Chen, Chen, Wei-Hung et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2015

This study found that people with migraine headaches are 1.5 times more likely to develop ME/CFS than people without migraine. The risk was even higher in older adults (age 65+), who were more than twice as likely to develop ME/CFS if they had migraines. The more frequently someone had migraines, the higher their risk of developing ME/CFS appeared to be.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The association between daytime napping and cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gotts, Zoe M, Ellis, Jason G, Deary, Vincent et al.·PloS one·2015

This study looked at how sleep patterns, especially daytime napping, affect fatigue, sleepiness, and thinking ability in people with ME/CFS. Researchers asked 118 patients to keep a sleep diary for two weeks and complete daily assessments of their symptoms. They found that afternoon napping was linked to worse cognitive problems and increased daytime sleepiness, suggesting that when and how much patients nap may influence how well they can think and function.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

The pre-interventional psychiatric history - an underestimated confounder in benign intracranial lesions studies.

Wenz, H, Wenz, R, Groden, C et al.·Clinical neurology and neurosurgery·2015

This study looked at 103 patients who had surgery for benign brain tumors or aneurysms and were physically recovered afterward. Researchers found that patients with a history of psychiatric conditions before surgery reported worse quality of life, more sleep problems, more fatigue symptoms, and more PTSD symptoms after surgery compared to those without prior psychiatric history—even though both groups had similar physical recovery.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Toward An Empirical Case Definition.

Jason, Leonard A, Kot, Bobby, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Health psychology and behavioral medicine·2015

Researchers studied which symptoms are most important for diagnosing ME/CFS by comparing patients with the condition to people without it. They found that four main symptoms stood out: extreme fatigue, symptom worsening after activity (called post-exertional malaise), thinking or memory problems, and sleep that doesn't feel refreshing. Using these core symptoms could help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more reliably.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Right arcuate fasciculus abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zeineh, Michael M, Kang, James, Atlas, Scott W et al.·Radiology·2015

This study used advanced brain imaging to compare 15 ME/CFS patients with 14 healthy controls. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had less white matter (the brain's communication pathways) overall, and specific changes in fiber structure on the right side of the brain. The severity of these brain changes correlated with how sick patients felt, suggesting this could be a measurable biological marker of the illness.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Polymorphism in COMT is associated with IgG3 subclass level and susceptibility to infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Löbel, Madlen, Mooslechner, Agnes Anna, Bauer, Sandra et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2015

This study looked at a genetic variation in a gene called COMT that affects how the body handles stress hormones. Researchers compared 74 ME/CFS patients with 76 healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients with a specific genetic variant (Met/Met) had higher stress hormone levels, weaker immune responses to certain infections, and got respiratory infections more often. This suggests that a person's genes may influence both their stress response and infection risk in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evidence in chronic fatigue syndrome for severity-dependent upregulation of prefrontal myelination that is independent of anxiety and depression.

Barnden, Leighton R, Crouch, Benjamin, Kwiatek, Richard et al.·NMR in biomedicine·2015

This study used advanced brain imaging (MRI scans) to examine white matter—the brain's communication wiring—in 25 people with ME/CFS and compared them to 25 healthy controls. The researchers found that in people with more severe ME/CFS, certain areas of the brain showed signs of increased myelination (the protective coating around nerve fibers), particularly in the prefrontal region. Importantly, these brain changes appeared to be distinct from depression and anxiety, suggesting ME/CFS involves unique brain differences.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attention network test: assessment of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Togo, Fumiharu, Lange, Gudrun, Natelson, Benjamin H et al.·Journal of neuropsychology·2015

This study tested whether a computer-based attention test called the Attention Network Task (ANT) could measure thinking and processing speed problems in ME/CFS patients. Researchers compared 41 ME/CFS patients (some with depression, some without) to 29 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients took longer to respond to tasks, especially when the tasks were complex, even though they made the same number of mistakes as controls. This suggests that slowed thinking speed, rather than errors, may be the main cognitive problem in ME/CFS.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is different in children compared to in adults: a study of UK and Dutch clinical cohorts.

Collin, Simon M, Nuevo, Roberto, van de Putte, Elise M et al.·BMJ open·2015

This study compared how ME/CFS affects children, teenagers, and adults by looking at patient data from clinics in the UK and a trial in the Netherlands. The researchers found that ME/CFS looks quite different depending on age: younger children were more likely to have sore throats and less likely to have problems with thinking or memory, while teenagers were more prone to headaches and depression. Adults showed more severe fatigue and disability overall.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Maternal and childhood psychological factors predict chronic disabling fatigue at age 13 years.

Collin, Simon M, Tilling, Kate, Joinson, Carol et al.·The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·2015

This study followed over 5,600 children from birth to age 13 to see whether mothers' anxiety and depression, and children's own psychological stress, were linked to severe, disabling fatigue in early adolescence. Researchers found that children whose mothers experienced anxiety or depression during pregnancy and early childhood had a higher risk of developing chronic fatigue at age 13. The findings suggest that family-based approaches to treatment may be important for children with disabling fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Altered resting brain connectivity in persistent cancer related fatigue.

Hampson, Johnson P, Zick, Suzanna M, Khabir, Tohfa et al.·NeuroImage. Clinical·2015

This study used brain imaging to compare how the brains of breast cancer survivors with fatigue differ from those without fatigue. Researchers found that people experiencing persistent cancer-related fatigue showed different patterns of communication between brain regions, particularly involving areas linked to thinking about oneself and regulating sleep. These brain connectivity differences were associated with worse physical fatigue and poor sleep quality.

Sleep

E2 ModerateReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

The rs3771863 single nucleotide polymorphism of the TACR1 gene is associated to a lower risk of sicca syndrome in fibromyalgia patients.

Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Luis, Ramón Lamas, Jose, Abásolo, Lydia et al.·Clinical and experimental rheumatology·2015

This study examined whether genetic variations in a gene called TACR1 might affect which fibromyalgia patients develop dry mouth and eyes (sicca syndrome). Researchers tested 564 fibromyalgia patients for specific genetic markers and then checked their findings in a second group of 397 patients. They found that people carrying a particular genetic variant had lower chances of developing sicca syndrome alongside their fibromyalgia.

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Issues in Estimating Rates of Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in a Community-based Sample.

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

Finding benefit in stressful uncertain circumstances: relations to social support and stigma among women with unexplained illnesses.

Distinct plasma immune signatures in ME/CFS are present early in the course of illness.

Pain in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: the role of traumatic stress and coping strategies.

Early menopause and other gynecologic risk indicators for chronic fatigue syndrome in women.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in diagnosed sleep disorders: a further test of the 'unitary' hypothesis.

Increased expression of activation antigens on CD8+ T lymphocytes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: inverse associations with lowered CD19+ expression and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, but no associations with (auto)immune, leaky gut, oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers.

Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome in patients with migraine: A retrospective cohort study.

The association between daytime napping and cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The pre-interventional psychiatric history - an underestimated confounder in benign intracranial lesions studies.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Toward An Empirical Case Definition.

Right arcuate fasciculus abnormality in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Polymorphism in COMT is associated with IgG3 subclass level and susceptibility to infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence in chronic fatigue syndrome for severity-dependent upregulation of prefrontal myelination that is independent of anxiety and depression.

Attention network test: assessment of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is different in children compared to in adults: a study of UK and Dutch clinical cohorts.

Maternal and childhood psychological factors predict chronic disabling fatigue at age 13 years.

Altered resting brain connectivity in persistent cancer related fatigue.

The rs3771863 single nucleotide polymorphism of the TACR1 gene is associated to a lower risk of sicca syndrome in fibromyalgia patients.

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