ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2541–2560 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Immunological abnormalities as potential biomarkers in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Brenu, Ekua W, van Driel, Mieke L, Staines, Don R et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2011

This study examined immune system markers in 95 ME/CFS patients compared to 50 healthy people to see if certain blood tests could help diagnose the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had imbalanced immune responses, including higher levels of certain inflammatory proteins and lower activity of immune cells that normally fight infections. These immune differences might one day be used as reliable diagnostic markers to help doctors identify ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Assessment of a 44 gene classifier for the evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome from peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression.

Frampton, Daniel, Kerr, Jonathan, Harrison, Tim J et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers tested whether 44 genes could be used together to diagnose ME/CFS by measuring their activity in blood samples from patients and healthy people. While the combination of genes worked well when tested on the original group, it failed when applied to a new group of patients, correctly identifying only about two-thirds of cases. This suggests that a simple blood test using these genes is not yet ready for diagnosing ME/CFS in everyday medical practice.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in three regions of England: a repeated cross-sectional study in primary care.

Nacul, Luis C, Lacerda, Eliana M, Pheby, Derek et al.·BMC medicine·2011

This study looked at how many people in three regions of England have ME/CFS by checking medical records and asking doctors directly about their patients. Depending on which diagnostic criteria they used, between 0.03% and 0.2% of adults had ME/CFS—meaning roughly 1 in 500 to 1 in 3,300 people. The study shows ME/CFS is a real and significant health problem affecting many people who need better support and care.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Unidentified Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a major cause of school absence: surveillance outcomes from school-based clinics.

Crawley, Esther M, Emond, Alan M, Sterne, Jonathan A C·BMJ open·2011

Researchers set up clinics in three schools to identify students missing a lot of school without an obvious reason. They found that ME/CFS was responsible for about 1 in 100 cases of unexplained school absence. Students identified through this school-based approach were less severely ill than those who went to specialist clinics through typical healthcare pathways, and many improved quickly once they received appropriate care.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

[A study of median frequencies of skeletal muscle undergoing Tuina intervention in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Liu, Kun-peng, Fang, Min, Dai, De-chun et al.·Zhong xi yi jie he xue bao = Journal of Chinese integrative medicine·2011

This study looked at whether a Chinese massage technique called Tuina could help people with ME/CFS by measuring muscle electrical activity and fatigue levels. Thirty-two CFS patients received 20 days of Tuina treatment, and researchers found that the treatment reduced fatigue symptoms on a standard questionnaire, though the electrical patterns in muscles did not change noticeably.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

The economic impact of chronic fatigue syndrome in Georgia: direct and indirect costs.

Lin, Jin-Mann S, Resch, Stephen C, Brimmer, Dana J et al.·Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E·2011

This study measured how much money ME/CFS costs people and society in Georgia. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS spend about $3,300 extra per year on medical care and lose about $8,500 in yearly income compared to similar people without the illness. Across Georgia, ME/CFS may cost the state over $1.5 billion annually when you add up healthcare spending and lost wages.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cerebral blood flow is reduced in chronic fatigue syndrome as assessed by arterial spin labeling.

Biswal, Bharat, Kunwar, Pratap, Natelson, Benjamin H·Journal of the neurological sciences·2011

Researchers used a brain imaging technique called arterial spin labeling to measure blood flow in the brains of 11 ME/CFS patients and 10 healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients as a group had significantly lower blood flow to their brains compared to healthy controls, though this pattern wasn't universal—some patients showed normal or even slightly increased blood flow. This suggests that reduced brain blood flow may be one physical feature of ME/CFS, though it doesn't affect all patients in the same way.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Absence of detectable XMRV and other MLV-related viruses in healthy blood donors in the United States.

Tang, Shixing, Zhao, Jiangqin, Haleyur Giri Setty, Mohan Kumar et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers tested blood samples from healthy U.S. blood donors to see if they carried XMRV or related viruses, which had been found in some ME/CFS patients in earlier studies. Using multiple sensitive detection methods, they found no evidence of these viruses in any of the 110 plasma samples or 71 cell samples they tested. This suggests that these viruses are not present in the U.S. blood supply at detectable levels.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychophysical distress and alexithymic traits in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without comorbid depression.

Sepede, G, Racciatti, D, Gorgoretti, V et al.·International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology·2011

This study compared people with ME/CFS to healthy people and looked at two things: emotional distress and difficulty recognizing their own feelings. They found that ME/CFS patients had more physical symptoms and emotional complaints than healthy people, especially those who also had depression. Interestingly, even ME/CFS patients without depression had some difficulty identifying their emotions, though less than those with depression.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lack of infection with XMRV or other MLV-related viruses in blood, post-mortem brains and paternal gametes of autistic individuals.

Lintas, Carla, Guidi, Francesco, Manzi, Barbara et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers wanted to know if a virus called XMRV or related viruses might cause autism. They tested blood, brain tissue, and semen samples from people with autism, their fathers, and control groups. They found no evidence that XMRV or similar viruses were present in autism patients, suggesting these viruses are unlikely to play a role in causing autism.

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

A Disease Register for ME/CFS: Report of a Pilot Study.

Pheby, Derek, Lacerda, Eliana, Nacul, Luis et al.·BMC research notes·2011

Researchers created a disease register (a database) to identify and track people with ME/CFS in a fair and systematic way. They searched GP records in three regions of England and found 510 patients with unexplained chronic fatigue, of which 160 agreed to join the register. By following these patients over time, researchers can better understand how ME/CFS progresses and use this group for future studies.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Detection of antinuclear antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and by solid phase assay.

Op De Beeck, Katrijn, Vermeersch, Pieter, Verschueren, Patrick et al.·Autoimmunity reviews·2011

This study compared two different blood tests for detecting antinuclear antibodies (proteins the immune system sometimes makes against the body's own cells). Researchers tested these methods in people with autoimmune diseases, healthy people, ME/CFS patients, and other disease controls. The newer solid phase test was better at correctly identifying people with certain autoimmune diseases, though both tests rarely showed false positives in ME/CFS patients.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in a Japanese community population : chronic fatigue syndrome in Japan.

Hamaguchi, Masahide, Kawahito, Yutaka, Takeda, Noriyuki et al.·Clinical rheumatology·2011

This Japanese study looked at how many people have ME/CFS in the general population and what their daily habits are like. Researchers found that about 1 in 100 people in Japan have ME/CFS, and people with the condition slept significantly less (about 5.5 hours per night) compared to people without it (about 6.3 hours). The symptom of unrefreshing sleep was particularly useful for identifying who has ME/CFS.

Sleep

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Does the heterogeneity of chronic fatigue syndrome moderate the response to cognitive behaviour therapy? An exploratory study.

Cella, Matteo, Chalder, Trudie, White, Peter D·Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2011

This study looked at whether ME/CFS patients are different from each other in ways that predict how well they respond to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), a type of talking therapy. Researchers analyzed data from 236 patients and found that most patients improved with CBT regardless of their characteristics, but they identified a smaller group with certain traits—including weight changes, tremors, anxiety, and pain—who were less likely to benefit. The findings suggest CBT can help most people with ME/CFS, though a minority may need different approaches.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Personality and chronic fatigue syndrome: The role of the five-factor model.

Besharat, Mohammad Ali, Behpajooh, Ahmad, Poursharifi, Hamid et al.·Asian journal of psychiatry·2011

This study looked at whether personality traits are connected to fatigue in people with ME/CFS. Researchers compared 77 people with ME/CFS to 72 healthy people and found that those with ME/CFS tended to score higher on two personality traits: neuroticism (tendency to experience negative emotions) and conscientiousness (tendency to be organized and responsible). Both of these traits were linked to how severe their fatigue symptoms were.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Absence of XMRV retrovirus and other murine leukemia virus-related viruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Shin, Clifford H, Bateman, Lucinda, Schlaberg, Robert et al.·Journal of virology·2011

This study investigated whether a virus called XMRV or related viruses might cause ME/CFS by testing blood samples from 100 ME/CFS patients and 200 healthy volunteers. The researchers used multiple methods to look for the virus itself, genetic material, and antibodies to the virus. They found no evidence of these viruses in any of the patient samples, suggesting they are not responsible for ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Premorbid risk markers for chronic fatigue syndrome in the 1958 British birth cohort.

Clark, Charlotte, Goodwin, Laura, Stansfeld, Stephen A et al.·The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·2011

This study followed over 11,000 British children from birth until age 42 to identify early warning signs of ME/CFS. Researchers found that people who experienced physical abuse from parents, had frequent stomach problems as children, or caught many colds were more likely to develop ME/CFS later in life. The study also confirmed that mood and mental health problems occurring before ME/CFS developed played an important role in the condition's development.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

The role of changes in activity as a function of perceived available and expended energy in nonpharmacological treatment outcomes for ME/CFS.

Brown, Molly, Khorana, Neha, Jason, Leonard A·Journal of clinical psychology·2011

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS respond to gradual activity increases. The key finding was that patients who stayed within their energy limits—not pushing beyond what energy they had available—improved more in both physical function and fatigue compared to those who pushed beyond their limits. This suggests that personalized treatment based on each person's actual energy availability might be more helpful than one-size-fits-all activity programs.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Alternative health care consultations in Ontario, Canada: A geographic and socio-demographic analysis.

Williams, Allison M, Kitchen, Peter, Eby, Jeanette·BMC complementary and alternative medicine·2011

This study looked at how many people in Ontario, Canada visited alternative health care providers like massage therapists, acupuncturists, and naturopaths in 2005. Researchers found that about 13% of adults (over 1.2 million people) used these services. People with chronic conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, were more likely to visit alternative providers, especially if they felt their regular doctors weren't meeting their health needs.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Characterization of chronic fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis in clinical remission.

Korenromp, Ingrid H E, Heijnen, Cobi J, Vogels, Oscar J M et al.·Chest·2011

This study looked at 75 people with sarcoidosis (an inflammatory disease) whose disease was no longer active, but who still felt extremely tired. Nearly half of these fatigued patients met the diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The researchers found that fatigue was linked to depression, anxiety, reduced quality of life, lower physical activity, and muscle weakness—even though their sarcoidosis was considered under control.

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Evidence browser

Immunological abnormalities as potential biomarkers in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Assessment of a 44 gene classifier for the evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome from peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression.

Prevalence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in three regions of England: a repeated cross-sectional study in primary care.

Unidentified Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a major cause of school absence: surveillance outcomes from school-based clinics.

[A study of median frequencies of skeletal muscle undergoing Tuina intervention in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

The economic impact of chronic fatigue syndrome in Georgia: direct and indirect costs.

Cerebral blood flow is reduced in chronic fatigue syndrome as assessed by arterial spin labeling.

Absence of detectable XMRV and other MLV-related viruses in healthy blood donors in the United States.

Psychophysical distress and alexithymic traits in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without comorbid depression.

Lack of infection with XMRV or other MLV-related viruses in blood, post-mortem brains and paternal gametes of autistic individuals.

A Disease Register for ME/CFS: Report of a Pilot Study.

Detection of antinuclear antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and by solid phase assay.

Characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in a Japanese community population : chronic fatigue syndrome in Japan.

Does the heterogeneity of chronic fatigue syndrome moderate the response to cognitive behaviour therapy? An exploratory study.

Personality and chronic fatigue syndrome: The role of the five-factor model.

Absence of XMRV retrovirus and other murine leukemia virus-related viruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Premorbid risk markers for chronic fatigue syndrome in the 1958 British birth cohort.

The role of changes in activity as a function of perceived available and expended energy in nonpharmacological treatment outcomes for ME/CFS.

Alternative health care consultations in Ontario, Canada: A geographic and socio-demographic analysis.

Characterization of chronic fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis in clinical remission.

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