Evidence browser

Characteristics of women with endometriosis from the USA and Puerto Rico.

Fourquet, Jessica, Sinaii, Ninet, Stratton, Pamela et al.·Journal of endometriosis and pelvic pain disorders·2015

This study compared women with endometriosis in the USA and Puerto Rico to see if their symptoms and health conditions differed. Researchers found that while both groups experienced similar types of pain and fertility problems, women in the USA reported more severe pain and more often had other chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Women in Puerto Rico more frequently reported miscarriages.

E2 ModerateReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Frequency of Migraine Headaches in Patients With Fibromyalgia.

Vij, Brinder, Whipple, Mary O, Tepper, Stewart J et al.·Headache·2015

This study examined how often people with fibromyalgia experience migraine headaches. Researchers surveyed over 1,700 fibromyalgia patients and found that about 56% met the criteria for migraines. People with both conditions were more likely to also have depression, anxiety, IBS, and chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting these overlapping conditions increase overall burden on patients.

Pain and Sensitization

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.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Preinterventional Psychiatric History as a Major Predictor for a Reduced Quality of Life After Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms.

Fontana, Johann, Wenz, Ralf, Groden, Christoph et al.·World neurosurgery·2015

This study looked at patients who had surgery for unruptured brain aneurysms (weak blood vessel spots in the brain that hadn't bled yet) and compared them to patients who had surgery for brain tumors. The researchers found that patients with a history of psychiatric conditions before surgery reported worse quality of life and more chronic fatigue symptoms after surgery, but when they removed those patients from the analysis, the differences went away. This suggests that pre-existing mental health conditions, not the aneurysm or surgery itself, may explain poor outcomes.

Chronic multisymptom illness among female Veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mohanty, April F, Muthukutty, Anusha, Carter, Marjorie E et al.·Medical care·2015

This study looked at how common chronic multisymptom illnesses—including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome—are among female veterans who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers found that these conditions were more than twice as common in this group compared to other female veterans. The study suggests that deployment experiences may play a role in developing these illnesses.

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.

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 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.

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.

Response to vitamin B12 and folic acid in myalgic encephalomyelitis and fibromyalgia.

Regland, Björn, Forsmark, Sara, Halaouate, Lena et al.·PloS one·2015

This study looked at 38 ME/CFS patients who were receiving vitamin B12 injections and oral folic acid to see how well this treatment worked for them. Patients who improved the most received more frequent injections at higher doses, took more folic acid, and were less likely to use strong pain medications like opioids. The researchers found that this treatment combination showed real benefits for some patients, particularly when carefully matched to individual needs.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Timed loaded standing in female chronic fatigue syndrome compared with other populations.

Eyskens, Jan B, Nijs, Jo, D'Août, Kristiaan et al.·Journal of rehabilitation research and development·2015

Researchers tested how long women with ME/CFS could hold small weights with their arms extended straight out—a test that measures muscle endurance in the arms and trunk. Women with ME/CFS performed significantly worse than healthy women and even worse than older women with osteoporosis, suggesting a specific weakness pattern in ME/CFS. This finding could help guide rehabilitation programs that focus on movement quality rather than just building strength.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Cardiac dysfunction and orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and a small left ventricle.

Miwa, Kunihisa·Heart and vessels·2015

This study looked at heart function in 40 ME/CFS patients compared to 40 healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients frequently had smaller hearts and difficulty standing up without dizziness or other symptoms (orthostatic intolerance). The smaller heart size appeared to pump less blood with each beat, which may explain why patients struggle with upright posture and fatigue.

Autonomic Nervous System

Factor Analysis of the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire: Identifying Core Domains.

Jason, Leonard A, Sunnquist, Madison, Brown, Abigail et al.·Journal of neurology and neurobiology·2015

Researchers analyzed symptom patterns in people with ME/CFS from three countries to better understand what makes this illness unique. Using statistical analysis, they found that ME/CFS symptoms naturally organize into four main groups: exhaustion that gets worse after activity, brain fog and memory problems, sleep issues, and a combination of hormone, nervous system, and immune problems. This organized way of thinking about symptoms could help doctors recognize and study the disease more effectively.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

The Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Falk Hvidberg, Michael, Brinth, Louise Schouborg, Olesen, Anne V et al.·PloS one·2015

This study measured how ME/CFS affects quality of life using a standard health questionnaire given to Danish ME/CFS patients. The results show that people with ME/CFS report significantly lower quality of life (a score of 0.47 out of 1.0) compared to the general population (0.85), and this impact is worse than 20 other health conditions studied. Even after accounting for other illnesses patients might have, ME/CFS itself was shown to cause substantial harm to daily life and wellbeing.

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.

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 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.

Cytokine expression provides clues to the pathophysiology of Gulf War illness and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Khaiboullina, Svetlana F, DeMeirleir, Kenny L, Rawat, Shanti et al.·Cytokine·2015

This study looked at chemical messengers in the blood called cytokines to understand Gulf War illness (GWI) and ME/CFS better. Researchers found that certain cytokines could identify ME/CFS patients very well, but were less reliable for GWI patients. The findings suggest that while GWI and ME/CFS share many similar symptoms, they may have different underlying immune system problems.

BiomarkersImmune System

Slow wave sleep in the chronically fatigued: Power spectra distribution patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome and primary insomnia.

Neu, Daniel, Mairesse, Olivier, Verbanck, Paul et al.·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2015

This study looked at the deepest, most restorative type of sleep in people with ME/CFS and primary insomnia to understand why both groups feel tired and don't feel rested despite sleeping. Researchers used special brain wave measurements during sleep and found that both groups had unusual patterns of very slow brain waves during deep sleep, even though they were getting normal or sometimes even extra amounts of deep sleep. The findings suggest that the problem may not be getting enough deep sleep, but rather that the quality or type of brain activity during that sleep is different.