ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2461–2480 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Comparison of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy with other disorders: an observational study.

Knudsen, Ak, Lervik, Lv, Harvey, Sb et al.·JRSM short reports·2012

Researchers looked at how many people were using online discussion forums for different health conditions in Norway in 2009. They found that ME/CFS forums were far more active than forums for other illnesses—with more users and more messages posted relative to how many people have the condition. This high activity might mean that people with ME/CFS are seeking answers and support online, especially since the condition is poorly understood and sometimes stigmatized.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome and impaired peripheral pulse characteristics on orthostasis--a new potential diagnostic biomarker.

Allen, John, Murray, Alan, Di Maria, Costanzo et al.·Physiological measurement·2012

This study tested a new way to measure how the heart and blood vessels respond when people stand up, using a painless light-based sensor on the ears, fingers, and toes. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had a weaker blood vessel response to standing compared to healthy controls, which could potentially be used as an objective test to help diagnose ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lyme disease in a British referral clinic.

Cottle, L E, Mekonnen, E, Beadsworth, M B J et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2012

This UK study looked at 115 patients who were referred to a specialist clinic because doctors suspected they had Lyme disease. The researchers found that only 23% actually had Lyme disease, while about one-third had ME/CFS instead. Importantly, some ME/CFS patients had been incorrectly told they had Lyme disease by non-specialist doctors, leading them to take unnecessary antibiotics.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Impaired cardiac function in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using magnetic resonance cardiac tagging.

Hollingsworth, K G, Hodgson, T, Macgowan, G A et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2012

This study used advanced heart imaging (MRI) to look at how the hearts of people with ME/CFS work compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had smaller hearts with less blood volume, weaker pumping strength, and abnormal twisting and relaxation patterns. These heart changes may help explain why ME/CFS patients experience such severe fatigue and exercise intolerance.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Xenotropic and polytropic murine leukemia virus-related sequences are not detected in the majority of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Paolucci, Stefania, Piralla, Antonio, Zanello, Cinzia et al.·The new microbiologica·2012

This study looked for two viruses (XMRV and MLV-related viruses) that had been suggested as possible causes of ME/CFS. Researchers tested 12 ME/CFS patients and 40 healthy control subjects. They found these viruses in only 2 of the 12 patients, while all controls tested negative. The results suggest these viruses are not common in ME/CFS patients, and previous reports of finding them may have been due to laboratory contamination with mouse DNA.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neurohumoral and haemodynamic profile in postural tachycardia and chronic fatigue syndromes.

Okamoto, Luis E, Raj, Satish R, Peltier, Amanda et al.·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·2012

This study looked at patients with POTS (a condition where heart rate increases too much when standing) to see how many also have ME/CFS and whether they are different from POTS patients without ME/CFS. The researchers found that most POTS patients experience severe fatigue, and about two-thirds also meet ME/CFS criteria. Those with both conditions had stronger heart rate increases when standing and signs of greater stress hormone activity.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lipid and protein oxidation in female patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tomic, Slavica, Brkic, Snezana, Maric, Daniela et al.·Archives of medical science : AMS·2012

This study looked for signs of oxidative stress—damage caused by harmful molecules in the body—in women with ME/CFS compared to healthy women. Researchers found that women with ME/CFS had higher levels of markers showing damage to fats and proteins in their blood, along with an unhealthy cholesterol pattern. These findings suggest that oxidative stress may be occurring in ME/CFS and could potentially increase heart disease risk over time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

No biological evidence of XMRV infection in cervical smears from HIV/ HPV positive and negative Kenyan women.

He, Xiaotong, Walker, Thomas D J, Maranga, Innocent O et al.·PloS one·2012

This study tested whether a virus called XMRV could be found in cervical samples from 224 Kenyan women, some with HIV and some without. Using sensitive lab techniques, the researchers found no trace of XMRV in any of the samples. This supports the idea that XMRV, once linked to ME/CFS, is likely a lab contamination rather than a real human infection.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Cytokine expression profiles of immune imbalance in post-mononucleosis chronic fatigue.

Broderick, Gordon, Katz, Ben Z, Fernandes, Henrique et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2012

This study followed 301 teenagers who had infectious mononucleosis caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) for two years. Some developed ME/CFS after their infection while others recovered completely. Researchers measured multiple immune molecules called cytokines in the blood to see if they could identify a pattern that distinguishes people with post-infectious ME/CFS from those who fully recovered.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Factor analysis of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brown, Molly, Kaplan, Carly, Jason, Leonard·Journal of health psychology·2012

This study looked at how well a depression screening tool (the Beck Depression Inventory-II) works for people with ME/CFS. The researchers found that the tool picks up on physical and emotional symptoms separately, and that people with ME/CFS tend to score high on the physical symptom questions because many overlap with ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue. A simpler version of the tool designed for primary care settings worked better for this group.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A prospective genetic marker of the visual-perception disorder Meares-Irlen syndrome.

Loew, Stephen J, Watson, Kenneth·Perceptual and motor skills·2012

This study looked at whether a specific gene called APOB might be linked to Meares-Irlen syndrome, a condition that affects how the eyes process visual information and can make reading difficult. The researchers found that certain variations of this gene were more common in people with Meares-Irlen syndrome than in people without it. This is interesting because the same gene has been connected to problems with fat and cholesterol metabolism, which have also been found in ME/CFS and other conditions.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Reduced cardiac vagal modulation impacts on cognitive performance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Beaumont, Alison, Burton, Alexander R, Lemon, Jim et al.·PloS one·2012

This study examined whether problems with the heart's automatic nervous system (which controls heart rate) are connected to cognitive difficulties in ME/CFS patients. Researchers measured heart rate variability—the natural variation in time between heartbeats—while 30 ME/CFS patients and 40 healthy controls performed thinking tasks. ME/CFS patients showed slower thinking speeds and unusual heart rate patterns, and their reduced heart rate variability was linked to their cognitive slowness.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus does not pose a risk to blood recipient safety.

Dodd, Roger Y, Hackett, John, Linnen, Jeffrey M et al.·Transfusion·2012

Researchers tested thousands of blood donors and transfusion recipients to see if XMRV (a virus once suspected to be linked to ME/CFS) was present in the blood supply and could be transmitted through blood transfusions. They found no evidence of the virus in any of the donors or recipients tested, suggesting that XMRV does not pose a safety risk to people receiving blood transfusions.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank N M, Johnson, Cort·Psychiatry research·2012

This study looked at whether ME, CFS, and chronic fatigue are truly different conditions or if they overlap too much to distinguish. Researchers tested 144 patients and found that post-exertional malaise (PEM)—where symptoms worsen after activity—is a key feature that separates ME from CFS. They also found that ME and CFS patients had higher levels of certain inflammatory markers in their blood compared to people with simple chronic fatigue.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

NMR metabolic profiling of serum identifies amino acid disturbances in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Armstrong, Christopher W, McGregor, Neil R, Sheedy, John R et al.·Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry·2012

Researchers used a specialized blood test called NMR to compare the levels of different chemicals in the blood of 11 people with ME/CFS and 10 healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS had significantly lower levels of two amino acids (building blocks of protein): glutamine and ornithine. These findings suggest that people with ME/CFS may have problems with how their bodies process certain proteins and manage nitrogen, which are important for energy and cell function.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Mitochondrial dysfunction and the pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Booth, Norman E, Myhill, Sarah, McLaren-Howard, John·International journal of clinical and experimental medicine·2012

This study tested whether ME/CFS fatigue is caused by problems with how cells produce energy. Researchers measured energy production in immune cells from 138 ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy controls, finding that all patients had measurable problems with their cellular energy factories (mitochondria) that matched how sick they felt. The study also found signs of tissue damage in the blood, suggesting these energy problems affect many cells throughout the body.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Superiority of 18F-FDG PET compared to 111In-labelled leucocyte scintigraphy in the evaluation of fever of unknown origin.

Seshadri, N, Sonoda, L I, Lever, A M et al.·The Journal of infection·2012

This study compared two imaging tests for finding the cause of fever that doctors can't explain. One test (PET) was much better at detecting problems—finding a cause in 86% of patients—compared to the other test (leucocyte scintigraphy), which only found a cause in 20% of patients. PET scans successfully identified infections, inflammation, and other conditions causing unexplained fevers.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Loss of capacity to recover from acidosis on repeat exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Jones, David E J, Hollingsworth, Kieren G, Jakovljevic, Djordje G et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·2012

This study looked at how muscles produce and use energy during exercise in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients' muscles became more acidic (like buildup of lactic acid) during exercise and took much longer to recover back to normal levels, even after repeated exercise sessions. This abnormal response to exercise may explain why some ME/CFS patients feel worse after exertion rather than better.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Equity of access to specialist chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) services in England (2008-2010): a national survey and cross-sectional study.

Collin, Simon M, Sterne, Jonathan A C, Hollingworth, William et al.·BMJ open·2012

This study examined how fairly ME/CFS specialist services were distributed across England between 2008-2010. Researchers found that some areas had no specialist services at all, while others had very different numbers of patients being seen and diagnosed. In some regions, people living in poorer neighborhoods were less likely to access services than those in wealthier areas, even when services existed.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

No evidence for xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus infection in Sweden using internally controlled multiepitope suspension array serology.

Blomberg, Jonas, Blomberg, Fredrik, Sjösten, Anna et al.·Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI·2012

Researchers tested blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy blood donors to see if they had been infected with a mouse virus called XMRV, which had been proposed as a possible cause of ME/CFS. Using a sensitive new testing method that looked for multiple signs of XMRV infection, they found no difference in viral markers between the two groups, suggesting XMRV is not associated with ME/CFS.

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Comparison of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy with other disorders: an observational study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and impaired peripheral pulse characteristics on orthostasis--a new potential diagnostic biomarker.

Lyme disease in a British referral clinic.

Impaired cardiac function in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using magnetic resonance cardiac tagging.

Xenotropic and polytropic murine leukemia virus-related sequences are not detected in the majority of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neurohumoral and haemodynamic profile in postural tachycardia and chronic fatigue syndromes.

Lipid and protein oxidation in female patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

No biological evidence of XMRV infection in cervical smears from HIV/ HPV positive and negative Kenyan women.

Cytokine expression profiles of immune imbalance in post-mononucleosis chronic fatigue.

Factor analysis of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A prospective genetic marker of the visual-perception disorder Meares-Irlen syndrome.

Reduced cardiac vagal modulation impacts on cognitive performance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus does not pose a risk to blood recipient safety.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

NMR metabolic profiling of serum identifies amino acid disturbances in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and the pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Superiority of 18F-FDG PET compared to 111In-labelled leucocyte scintigraphy in the evaluation of fever of unknown origin.

Loss of capacity to recover from acidosis on repeat exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Equity of access to specialist chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) services in England (2008-2010): a national survey and cross-sectional study.

No evidence for xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus infection in Sweden using internally controlled multiepitope suspension array serology.

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Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

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