ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2301–2320 of 6,160 studies

Two age peaks in the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a population-based registry study from Norway 2008-2012.

Bakken, Inger Johanne, Tveito, Kari, Gunnes, Nina et al.·BMC medicine·2014

This study tracked how often ME/CFS is diagnosed in Norway between 2008 and 2012. Researchers found that about 26 people per 100,000 develop ME/CFS each year, and women are diagnosed about three times more often than men. Interestingly, the disease peaks twice: once in teenagers and again in people in their 30s, which suggests that different life stages or age-related factors may influence who gets ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Role of adaptive and innate immune cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Brenu, Ekua Weba, Huth, Teilah K, Hardcastle, Sharni L et al.·International immunology·2014

This study compared immune system cells in 30 people with ME/CFS and 25 healthy controls to identify which immune cells are abnormal in ME/CFS. Researchers found several key differences: patients with ME/CFS had unusual numbers and activity levels of immune cells called B cells, regulatory T cells, and neutrophils. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves problems with how the immune system regulates itself, similar to autoimmune diseases.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Evidence for the existence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with and without abdominal discomfort (irritable bowel) syndrome.

Maes, Michael, Leunis, Jean-Claude, Geffard, Michel et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2014

This study found that many people with ME/CFS experience stomach and digestive problems, and this appears to be linked to bacteria from the gut leaking into the bloodstream. Researchers identified two groups of ME/CFS patients: those with significant abdominal discomfort and those without. The group with digestive symptoms showed higher levels of immune responses to gut bacteria, suggesting their intestinal barrier may be more permeable.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Prevalence, health care utilization, and costs of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, and chronic fatigue syndromes in the military health system, 2006-2010.

Jeffery, Diana D, Bulathsinhala, Lakmini, Kroc, Michelle et al.·Military medicine·2014

This study looked at how many military service members had fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome between 2006 and 2010. Fibromyalgia diagnoses increased significantly during this period, while chronic fatigue syndrome diagnoses stayed about the same. The cost of treating fibromyalgia cases rose dramatically, especially after new fibromyalgia medications became available.

E2 ModeratePEM unclearBiobank-Resource

No association found between the detection of either xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or polytropic murine leukemia virus and chronic fatigue syndrome in a blinded, multi-site, prospective study by the establishment and use of the SolveCFS BioBank.

Irlbeck, David M, Vernon, Suzanne D, McCleary, K Kimberly et al.·BMC research notes·2014

Researchers investigated whether two viruses (XMRV and pMLV) were present in people with ME/CFS, as had been suggested by earlier studies. They collected blood samples from people with ME/CFS and healthy people across five different U.S. locations and used sensitive testing methods to look for these viruses. They found no meaningful difference in virus detection between the two groups, and the virus sequences they did find appeared to be contamination from lab materials rather than real infections.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Construct validity and temporal stability of the abridged 31-item Illness Behaviour Questionnaire.

Prior, Kirsty N, Bond, Malcolm J·Psychology & health·2014

This study tested a questionnaire that measures how people think about their illness, including how much they believe they are ill, how worried they are about their health, and their overall mood. Researchers gave this questionnaire to 675 people—some healthy and some with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, chronic pain, or ME/CFS—and checked it again after 3 and 12 months. The questionnaire performed reasonably well and remained fairly stable over time.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and personality: a case-control study using the Alternative Five Factor Model.

Sáez-Francàs, Naia, Valero, Sergi, Calvo, Natalia et al.·Psychiatry research·2014

This study looked at personality traits in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people without the condition. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS tend to have lower levels of activity and drive, and higher levels of anxiety and worry. These personality differences were the strongest markers that could distinguish ME/CFS patients from people without the condition.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

The impact of significant other expressed emotion on patient outcomes in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Band, Rebecca, Barrowclough, Christine, Wearden, Alison·Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·2014

This study looked at how the emotional responses of family members or partners affect ME/CFS patients' health outcomes. Researchers found that when significant others were overly critical or overly involved, patients tended to have worse fatigue, more disability, and more depression 6 months later. The emotional support you receive from those close to you appears to matter for how your ME/CFS progresses.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Traditional Chinese medicine and new concepts of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine in diagnosis and treatment of suboptimal health.

Wang, Wei, Russell, Alyce, Yan, Yuxiang et al.·The EPMA journal·2014

This study looked at how to identify people in the early stages of health problems before they develop into serious diseases. The researchers created a simple 25-question survey to measure 'suboptimal health'—a state where people feel unwell with fatigue and other complaints but don't have a clear diagnosis. They tested this survey with over 3,400 people in China and found that answers to the survey were connected to blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Fatigue and depression in sick-listed chronic low back pain patients.

Snekkevik, Hildegun, Eriksen, Hege R, Tangen, Tone et al.·Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)·2014

This study looked at 569 people with chronic lower back pain who were off work, and found that about 70% of them experienced severe fatigue. People with more fatigue also reported more pain, depression, and disability. Importantly, fatigue was able to predict who would have more difficulty functioning 6 to 12 months later, even after accounting for pain and depression.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comorbidity of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome in an Australian cohort.

Reynolds, G K, Lewis, D P, Richardson, A M et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2014

This study looked at patients with ME/CFS to see how many also have POTS (a condition where heart rate increases too much when standing). The researchers found that about 1 in 9 ME/CFS patients also had POTS, and these patients were younger, got sick more recently, and found it much harder to stand for long periods compared to ME/CFS patients without POTS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Dimensions of pure chronic fatigue: psychophysical, cognitive and biological correlates in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neu, Daniel, Mairesse, Olivier, Montana, Xavier et al.·European journal of applied physiology·2014

This study compared 16 people with ME/CFS to 14 healthy controls to understand fatigue better. Researchers measured attention, reaction time, muscle strength, sleep patterns, and immune markers (cytokines). They found that people with ME/CFS had cognitive problems, slower reactions, weaker grip strength, and higher levels of certain inflammatory markers—but their sleep time was actually similar to controls.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining case definition criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jason, Leonard A, Sunnquist, Madison, Brown, Abigail et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2014

This study looked at different ways doctors define ME/CFS by comparing symptoms in 236 patients and 86 healthy people. The researchers found that simply looking for the presence of symptoms isn't enough—the frequency and severity matter greatly. Three key symptoms stood out as the best way to identify ME/CFS patients: extreme fatigue, difficulty focusing on multiple things at once, and feeling heavy or exhausted after exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Hall, Daniel L, Lattie, Emily G, Antoni, Michael H et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2014

This study looked at whether learning better stress management skills could help reduce post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the exhaustion that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS. Researchers measured stress hormones called cortisol in saliva samples from 117 people with ME/CFS and found that those who reported better stress management skills had healthier cortisol patterns and less severe PEM symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Prevalence and predictors of recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome in a routine clinical practice.

Flo, Elisabeth, Chalder, Trudie·Behaviour research and therapy·2014

This study looked at how many people with ME/CFS improved after receiving cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in a regular medical clinic. About 37.5% of patients no longer met the criteria for ME/CFS after 6 months, and 18.3% experienced full recovery. The researchers found that people were less likely to recover if they were older, had higher depression, struggled with work and social activities, or had unhelpful beliefs about their emotions.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Longitudinal follow-up of employment status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome after mononucleosis.

Nyland, Morten, Naess, Halvor, Birkeland, Jon Steinar et al.·BMJ open·2014

This study followed young patients with ME/CFS (triggered by mononucleosis) over 13 years to see how many could return to work. Surprisingly, about half of patients who initially couldn't work were able to return to part-time or full-time employment by the follow-up. The study found that depression, joint pain, and how long someone has been sick were linked to staying unable to work.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

A comparison of sex-specific immune signatures in Gulf War illness and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Smylie, Anne Liese, Broderick, Gordon, Fernandes, Henrique et al.·BMC immunology·2013

This study compared immune system markers in blood samples from Gulf War veterans with illness, people with ME/CFS, and healthy controls. Researchers measured immune chemicals (called cytokines) before, during, and after exercise to see if different patterns could identify each group. They found distinct immune fingerprints for each condition, and importantly, these patterns differed between men and women.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cognitions, behaviours and co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cella, M, White, P D, Sharpe, M et al.·Psychological medicine·2013

This study looked at how often certain thought patterns and behaviors occur in ME/CFS patients, and whether these patterns differ when patients also have depression or anxiety. Researchers surveyed 640 ME/CFS patients and found that more than half had ME/CFS alone, while the rest also had depression and/or anxiety. Different thinking patterns appeared in patients with different mental health combinations—for example, patients with anxiety were more likely to focus heavily on their symptoms, while those with depression were more likely to avoid activities.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Undiagnosed and comorbid disorders in patients with presumed chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mariman, An, Delesie, Liesbeth, Tobback, Els et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2013

Researchers studied nearly 280 patients who came to a specialized clinic thinking they had ME/CFS, and gave them thorough medical, sleep, and mental health assessments. They found that only about 23% actually had clear-cut ME/CFS; most others had sleep problems like sleep apnea, depression or anxiety, or a combination of these conditions. This suggests that when people feel persistently exhausted, many different medical and mental health issues could be the real cause.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Detection of antinuclear antibodies by automated indirect immunofluorescence analysis.

Bossuyt, Xavier, Cooreman, Sarah, De Baere, Heidi et al.·Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry·2013

This study tested an automated machine to detect antinuclear antibodies (ANA)—proteins the immune system sometimes makes that can be seen in blood tests. Researchers compared how well this automated system worked compared to traditional methods, using blood samples from people with autoimmune diseases, healthy donors, people with chronic fatigue syndrome, and other patient groups. The machine was good at collecting images but had difficulty identifying the specific patterns of these antibodies accurately.

Immune System

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Two age peaks in the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a population-based registry study from Norway 2008-2012.

Role of adaptive and innate immune cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Evidence for the existence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with and without abdominal discomfort (irritable bowel) syndrome.

Prevalence, health care utilization, and costs of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, and chronic fatigue syndromes in the military health system, 2006-2010.

No association found between the detection of either xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or polytropic murine leukemia virus and chronic fatigue syndrome in a blinded, multi-site, prospective study by the establishment and use of the SolveCFS BioBank.

Construct validity and temporal stability of the abridged 31-item Illness Behaviour Questionnaire.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and personality: a case-control study using the Alternative Five Factor Model.

The impact of significant other expressed emotion on patient outcomes in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Traditional Chinese medicine and new concepts of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine in diagnosis and treatment of suboptimal health.

Fatigue and depression in sick-listed chronic low back pain patients.

Comorbidity of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome in an Australian cohort.

Dimensions of pure chronic fatigue: psychophysical, cognitive and biological correlates in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Examining case definition criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Prevalence and predictors of recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome in a routine clinical practice.

Longitudinal follow-up of employment status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome after mononucleosis.

A comparison of sex-specific immune signatures in Gulf War illness and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cognitions, behaviours and co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Undiagnosed and comorbid disorders in patients with presumed chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of antinuclear antibodies by automated indirect immunofluorescence analysis.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research