ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2361–2380 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining the energy envelope and associated symptom patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome: does coping matter?

Brown, Abigail A, Evans, Meredyth A, Jason, Leonard A·Chronic illness·2013

This study looked at whether different groups of ME/CFS patients manage their energy differently and whether coping strategies help them feel better. Researchers found three distinct groups of patients: two groups that fit the energy envelope theory (where staying within your energy limits helps you function better), and one group that was severely limited even though they were trying to stay within their energy limits. Surprisingly, using positive coping strategies didn't improve outcomes for the most impaired group, suggesting that coping alone cannot overcome the severity of ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

HIV-associated fatigue in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: novel biological mechanisms?

Payne, B A I, Hateley, C L, Ong, E L C et al.·HIV medicine·2013

This study looked at fatigue in people living with HIV who were taking modern HIV medications and had their virus under control. Surprisingly, about half of these patients still reported significant fatigue, even though their HIV was suppressed and their immune systems were recovering. The researchers found that fatigue was often linked to problems with blood pressure control (orthostatic intolerance) and previous exposure to certain older HIV medications.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Health and identity: Self-positioning in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Fuchs, Coralie E, van Geelen, Stefan M, van Geel, Rolf et al.·Clinical child psychology and psychiatry·2013

This study looked at how teenagers with ME/CFS and teenagers with juvenile arthritis see themselves and their health. Researchers found that teenagers with ME/CFS tend to view themselves more negatively—focusing on being tired and unwell—while teenagers with arthritis tend to see themselves as strong and healthy despite physical problems. The study suggests that how young people think about themselves during this important developmental period may affect their long-term wellbeing.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Migraine in gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, potential mechanisms, and evaluation.

Rayhan, Rakib U, Ravindran, Murugan K, Baraniuk, James N·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study found that migraines are very common in people with ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness—occurring in about 8 out of 10 ME/CFS patients and 6 out of 10 Gulf War Illness patients, compared to only 1 out of 8 healthy people. The researchers suggest that both conditions may affect how the brain and nervous system process pain, and that doctors should routinely check for and treat migraines in patients with these illnesses.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Exercise challenge in Gulf War Illness reveals two subgroups with altered brain structure and function.

Rayhan, Rakib U, Stevens, Benson W, Raksit, Megna P et al.·PloS one·2013

This study looked at Gulf War veterans who experience post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a worsening of symptoms after physical activity—and compared them to healthy controls. Researchers used brain imaging before and after exercise tests and found that Gulf War Illness patients fell into two distinct groups: one with heart rate problems and one with increased pain sensitivity. Both groups showed different patterns of brain structure changes and how their brains responded to exercise, while healthy controls showed no such changes.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Influence of symptom expectancies on stair-climbing performance in chronic fatigue syndrome: effect of study context.

Heins, Marianne, Knoop, Hans, Nijs, Jo et al.·International journal of behavioral medicine·2013

This study looked at how ME/CFS patients' expectations about getting worse after physical activity affect how they actually perform during that activity. Researchers had 49 patients climb stairs while measuring how long it took and how their heart rate changed. They found that patients who expected to feel more fatigued after climbing took longer to complete the task, even after accounting for their initial fatigue level. Worry about symptoms and catastrophic thinking about their condition appeared to play a role in these expectations.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Association between cognitive performance, physical fitness, and physical activity level in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ickmans, Kelly, Clarys, Peter, Nijs, Jo et al.·Journal of rehabilitation research and development·2013

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS who have better thinking skills (like memory and reaction time) also tend to be more physically fit or active. Researchers tested 31 women with ME/CFS and 13 healthy women on thinking tasks and physical fitness measures. They found that physical fitness—especially heart and muscle function—was linked to thinking speed, but daily activity levels were not.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Clinical characteristics of a novel subgroup of chronic fatigue syndrome patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Lewis, I, Pairman, J, Spickett, G et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2013

Some ME/CFS patients also have POTS (a condition where the heart rate and blood pressure don't adjust properly when standing up). This study found that ME/CFS patients with POTS are younger, experience less severe fatigue and depression, and have different patterns of daytime sleepiness compared to ME/CFS patients without POTS. A simple combination of two questionnaires can accurately identify which ME/CFS patients have POTS, potentially helping doctors decide who needs additional testing and treatment.

Autonomic Nervous System

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

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cognitive performance is of clinical importance, but is unrelated to pain severity in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ickmans, Kelly, Meeus, Mira, Kos, Daphne et al.·Clinical rheumatology·2013

This study looked at whether cognitive problems (thinking, memory, attention) in women with ME/CFS are related to pain severity. Researchers gave cognitive tests and questionnaires to 29 women with ME/CFS and 17 healthy women. They found that cognitive problems were NOT linked to pain levels, but were connected to fatigue and mental health, suggesting that cognitive difficulties in ME/CFS may work differently than in other chronic pain conditions.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Early-life hygiene-related factors affect risk of central nervous system demyelination and asthma differentially.

Hughes, A-M, Lucas, R M, McMichael, A J et al.·Clinical and experimental immunology·2013

This study looked at whether early childhood experiences—like having siblings and attending childcare—affect the risk of developing central nervous system demyelination (a condition where the protective coating around nerve fibers becomes damaged). Researchers compared adults with demyelination to healthy controls and found that having younger siblings appeared to protect against demyelination, while the number of older siblings affected asthma risk differently. Interestingly, people with demyelination were more likely to also have chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Latent class analysis of comorbidity patterns among women with generalized and localized vulvodynia: preliminary findings.

Nguyen, Ruby Hn, Veasley, Christin, Smolenski, Derek·Journal of pain research·2013

This study examined 1,457 women with vulvodynia (chronic vulvar pain) to understand which other pain conditions tend to occur together. Researchers found that women with more severe vulvar pain were much more likely to also have multiple other pain conditions, particularly irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. The findings suggest that these different pain conditions may share common underlying causes.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Differing leukocyte gene expression profiles associated with fatigue in patients with prostate cancer versus chronic fatigue syndrome.

Light, Kathleen C, Agarwal, Neeraj, Iacob, Eli et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2013

This study compared how certain genes are turned 'on' and 'off' differently in blood cells from people with ME/CFS, men with prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy, and healthy people. The researchers found that while both patient groups experience severe fatigue, they show different patterns of gene activity, suggesting that fatigue in these conditions may arise from different biological mechanisms. One gene related to calming the nervous system (DBI) was linked to fatigue severity in both patient groups, offering a potential target for future treatments.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Symptom Severity: Stress Management Skills are Related to Lower Illness Burden.

Lattie, Emily G, Antoni, Michael H, Fletcher, Mary Ann et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2013

This study examined whether learning to manage stress could help people with ME/CFS feel less burdened by their illness, even if their symptoms don't improve. Researchers found that people who felt they had better stress management skills reported lower emotional distress and felt less limited in their daily activities and social life. Importantly, this benefit existed independently of how severe their ME/CFS symptoms were.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The role of neuroticism, perfectionism and depression in chronic fatigue syndrome. A structural equation modeling approach.

Valero, Sergi, Sáez-Francàs, Naia, Calvo, Natalia et al.·Comprehensive psychiatry·2013

This study examined whether personality traits and depression influence how severe ME/CFS symptoms are in patients. Researchers looked at 229 ME/CFS patients and tested whether neuroticism (a tendency toward negative emotions) and perfectionism affect fatigue severity, and whether depression acts as a connecting link between these traits and fatigue. They found that neuroticism appears to influence fatigue severity primarily through depression—meaning people with high neuroticism tend to develop depression, which then worsens fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Is chronic fatigue syndrome in older patients a different disease? -- a clinical cohort study.

Lewis, Ieuan, Pairman, Jessie, Spickett, Gavin et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·2013

This study compared ME/CFS symptoms and nervous system function in older patients (age 50+) versus younger patients (ages 16-29). Researchers found that older patients experienced more severe fatigue and depression, along with greater imbalance in their autonomic nervous system—the system that controls heart rate, blood pressure, and other automatic body functions. The results suggest that ME/CFS may present differently and more severely in older adults.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Multiscale analysis of heart rate variability in non-stationary environments.

Gao, Jianbo, Gurbaxani, Brian M, Hu, Jing et al.·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study looked at how the heart rate patterns of people with ME/CFS differ from healthy people, especially when they're under stress. Researchers used advanced computer methods to analyze heart rate data collected during a social stress test. They found that before the stress test, people with ME/CFS had noticeably different heart rate patterns than healthy controls, but these differences became smaller during the stress test itself.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and frequently associated comorbidities.

Suskind, Anne M, Berry, Sandra H, Suttorp, Marika J et al.·Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2013

This study looked at how chronic conditions—including fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and irritable bowel syndrome—affect quality of life in women with bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). Researchers surveyed 276 women and found that fibromyalgia and IBS were linked to significantly worse physical and mental health outcomes, while ME/CFS showed no significant association. The findings suggest that treating bladder pain syndrome effectively requires addressing other conditions a patient may have.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome: complex presentations and protracted time to diagnosis.

Knight, Sarah, Harvey, Adrienne, Lubitz, Lionel et al.·Journal of paediatrics and child health·2013

This study looked at 59 young people (average age 15) diagnosed with ME/CFS at a specialist clinic in Australia to understand how the illness affects them and how long it takes to get diagnosed. Researchers found that young people typically wait over a year after their symptoms start before getting a diagnosis, and most experience significant problems with school attendance and daily activities. The most common symptoms included extreme tiredness, sleep problems, pain, and difficulty thinking clearly.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Treatment outcome in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study in England based on the CFS/ME National Outcomes Database.

Crawley, E, Collin, S M, White, P D et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2013

This study tracked over 800 people with ME/CFS who received care at NHS specialist services in England for 8-20 months. Patients showed meaningful improvements in fatigue, physical function, anxiety, depression, and pain. The study found that patients who started with more severe fatigue, disability, or pain tended to have less improvement, suggesting baseline severity is an important predictor of how well someone will improve with specialist care.

Pain and Sensitization

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Examining the energy envelope and associated symptom patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome: does coping matter?

HIV-associated fatigue in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: novel biological mechanisms?

Health and identity: Self-positioning in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Migraine in gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, potential mechanisms, and evaluation.

Exercise challenge in Gulf War Illness reveals two subgroups with altered brain structure and function.

Influence of symptom expectancies on stair-climbing performance in chronic fatigue syndrome: effect of study context.

Association between cognitive performance, physical fitness, and physical activity level in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical characteristics of a novel subgroup of chronic fatigue syndrome patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Detection of antinuclear antibodies by automated indirect immunofluorescence analysis.

Cognitive performance is of clinical importance, but is unrelated to pain severity in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Early-life hygiene-related factors affect risk of central nervous system demyelination and asthma differentially.

Latent class analysis of comorbidity patterns among women with generalized and localized vulvodynia: preliminary findings.

Differing leukocyte gene expression profiles associated with fatigue in patients with prostate cancer versus chronic fatigue syndrome.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Symptom Severity: Stress Management Skills are Related to Lower Illness Burden.

The role of neuroticism, perfectionism and depression in chronic fatigue syndrome. A structural equation modeling approach.

Is chronic fatigue syndrome in older patients a different disease? -- a clinical cohort study.

Multiscale analysis of heart rate variability in non-stationary environments.

Health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and frequently associated comorbidities.

Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome: complex presentations and protracted time to diagnosis.

Treatment outcome in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study in England based on the CFS/ME National Outcomes Database.

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