ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2381–2400 of 6,160 studies

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 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

No association between XMRV or related gammaretroviruses in Australian prostate cancer patients.

Rezaei, Simin D, Hearps, Anna C, Mills, John et al.·Virology journal·2013

Researchers tested tissue samples from 35 Australian prostate cancer patients to see if they contained XMRV or related viruses, which had been claimed to cause both prostate cancer and ME/CFS. Using sensitive laboratory tests, they found no evidence of these viruses in any of the samples. This study adds to growing evidence that XMRV is not actually involved in prostate cancer and was likely a laboratory contamination rather than a real virus.

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 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Frémont, Marc, Coomans, Danny, Massart, Sebastien et al.·Anaerobe·2013

This study examined bacteria in the gut of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients have different types and amounts of gut bacteria than healthy controls, particularly an overgrowth of certain bacteria and a decrease in others. These differences suggest that gut bacteria imbalance may be linked to ME/CFS, and testing for these specific bacteria changes might help diagnose the condition or guide new treatments like probiotics.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Patterns of abnormal visual attention in myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Hutchinson, Claire V, Badham, Stephen P·Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2013

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have difficulty with visual attention—the ability to focus on and track things they see. Researchers compared 29 patients with ME/CFS to 29 healthy people using eye-tracking tests. The results showed that ME/CFS patients did struggle more with certain types of visual attention tasks, particularly when they had to focus on specific things or search for objects, supporting what many patients report experiencing.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Cholecystectomy and clinical presentations of gastroparesis.

Parkman, Henry P, Yates, Katherine, Hasler, William L et al.·Digestive diseases and sciences·2013

This study looked at 391 patients with gastroparesis (a condition where the stomach empties food slowly) to see if those who had their gallbladder removed had different symptoms than those who hadn't. They found that patients who had gallbladder surgery experienced more severe upper abdominal pain and retching, but less constipation. Interestingly, patients with prior gallbladder removal also had more other health conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Views on the nature of chronic fatigue syndrome: content analysis.

Hossenbaccus, Zahra, White, Peter D·JRSM short reports·2013

This study looked at how ME/CFS is described in newspapers, patient websites, and medical textbooks in the UK. Researchers found that patient organizations typically view ME/CFS as a physical illness, while doctors' resources were more likely to describe it as both physical and psychological. This disagreement may explain why some patients and doctors struggle to understand each other.

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Internet-based therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: long-term follow-up.

Nijhof, Sanne L, Priesterbach, Loudy P, Uiterwaal, Cuno S P M et al.·Pediatrics·2013

This study followed adolescents with ME/CFS for nearly 3 years after they completed an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program called FITNET. About 59% of teenagers had recovered from their illness by the end of the follow-up period, and most of those who improved right after treatment stayed better. Interestingly, teens who received standard care also recovered at similar rates over time, though it took longer.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Fatigue heralding multiple sclerosis.

Berger, Joseph R, Pocoski, Jennifer, Preblick, Ronald et al.·Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)·2013

This study looked at medical records to see how often fatigue appears before someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers found that about 29% of newly diagnosed MS patients had been labeled with fatigue in the 3 years before their MS diagnosis, often 1–2 years earlier. The findings suggest that persistent fatigue might be an early warning sign of MS, and doctors should carefully evaluate people with unexplained fatigue for possible neurological causes.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI): establishing clinically significant values for identifying central sensitivity syndromes in an outpatient chronic pain sample.

Neblett, Randy, Cohen, Howard, Choi, YunHee et al.·The journal of pain·2013

This study tested a questionnaire called the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) to see if it could help doctors identify patients with conditions like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers believe these conditions may share a common cause: the nervous system becoming overly sensitive to pain and other stimuli. The study found that a CSI score of 40 or higher was a good way to identify patients with these central sensitivity syndromes.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

Cognitive behavior therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: the role of illness acceptance and neuroticism.

Poppe, Carine, Petrovic, Mirko, Vogelaers, Dirk et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2013

This study tested whether cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)—a talking treatment that helps change thought patterns and behaviors—improves quality of life in ME/CFS patients. Eighty patients received CBT and reported on their mental health, physical wellbeing, fatigue, and personality traits before and after treatment. While patients did improve, the gains were modest, and the study found that personality traits like neuroticism and how much patients accept their illness affected who benefited most.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attributions, distress and behavioural responses in the significant others of people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brooks, Joanna M, Daglish, Julie, Wearden, Alison J·Journal of health psychology·2013

This study looked at how family members and close friends of people with ME/CFS think about the illness and how those beliefs affect their emotions and behavior toward the patient. Researchers interviewed 30 family members and found that when they blamed the patient personally for their symptoms—rather than understanding it as a medical condition—they experienced more stress and were more likely to respond negatively to the patient. Understanding these beliefs could help develop better family-based support programs.

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 unclearCross-Sectional

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

White, Andrea T, Light, Alan R, Hughen, Ronald W et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2012

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and healthy people respond to moderate exercise by measuring changes in specific genes in blood cells. ME/CFS patients experienced much larger increases in fatigue and pain after exercise, and showed distinctive patterns of gene activity related to pain sensing and stress hormones that were different from MS patients and healthy controls.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Prevalence, incidence, and classification of chronic fatigue syndrome in Olmsted County, Minnesota, as estimated using the Rochester Epidemiology Project.

Vincent, Ann, Brimmer, Dana J, Whipple, Mary O et al.·Mayo Clinic proceedings·2012

This study looked at how many people in one county had ME/CFS by reviewing medical records from 1998-2002. Researchers found that about 71 out of every 100,000 people had ME/CFS, and about 13 out of every 100,000 per year were newly diagnosed. Importantly, they discovered that 70% of people initially suspected of having ME/CFS actually had other medical conditions that explained their fatigue instead.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Temporal ordering of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and non-bladder conditions.

Clemens, J Quentin, Elliott, Marc N, Suttorp, Marika et al.·Urology·2012

This study looked at nearly 3,400 women with bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) to see how often they also had other long-term conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, panic attacks, and depression. The researchers found that most of these conditions commonly occur together, but the symptoms don't follow a predictable order—sometimes the bladder symptoms came first, sometimes the other conditions came first, and sometimes they started around the same time.

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Data mining: comparing the empiric CFS to the Canadian ME/CFS case definition.

Jason, Leonard A, Skendrovic, Beth, Furst, Jacob et al.·Journal of clinical psychology·2012

This study compared two different sets of diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS patients. Researchers used a computer-based analysis technique to test which questions from patient surveys were most helpful in accurately diagnosing the illness. They found that the Canadian criteria correctly identified 87% of ME/CFS patients, while the older empiric criteria identified about 79%, suggesting the Canadian approach may be more effective for diagnosis.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Immunophenotyping in post-giardiasis functional gastrointestinal disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hanevik, Kurt, Kristoffersen, Einar K, Sørnes, Steinar et al.·BMC infectious diseases·2012

This study looked at immune system changes in people who developed chronic fatigue and gut problems after a Giardia infection. Researchers found that people with post-infectious chronic fatigue had lower levels of natural killer (NK) cells, which are important for fighting infections. The more severe someone's fatigue and stomach symptoms were, the lower their NK cells tended to be.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Test effort in persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when assessed using the Validity Indicator Profile.

Cockshell, Susan J, Mathias, Jane L·Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·2012

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS perform poorly on thinking tests because they aren't trying hard enough, or because of the illness itself. Researchers gave 54 people with ME/CFS and 54 healthy people a special test designed to measure effort and intention during testing. The results showed that most people in both groups were trying their best, and very few showed signs of not putting in effort—suggesting that low effort is not the reason people with ME/CFS struggle with cognitive tasks.

Cognitive Impairment

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

No association between XMRV or related gammaretroviruses in Australian prostate cancer patients.

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

High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Patterns of abnormal visual attention in myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Cholecystectomy and clinical presentations of gastroparesis.

Views on the nature of chronic fatigue syndrome: content analysis.

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

Internet-based therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: long-term follow-up.

Fatigue heralding multiple sclerosis.

The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI): establishing clinically significant values for identifying central sensitivity syndromes in an outpatient chronic pain sample.

Cognitive behavior therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: the role of illness acceptance and neuroticism.

Attributions, distress and behavioural responses in the significant others of people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

Prevalence, incidence, and classification of chronic fatigue syndrome in Olmsted County, Minnesota, as estimated using the Rochester Epidemiology Project.

Temporal ordering of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and non-bladder conditions.

Data mining: comparing the empiric CFS to the Canadian ME/CFS case definition.

Immunophenotyping in post-giardiasis functional gastrointestinal disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Test effort in persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when assessed using the Validity Indicator Profile.

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