ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2581–2600 of 6,209 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Physical activity intensity but not sedentary activity is reduced in chronic fatigue syndrome and is associated with autonomic regulation.

Newton, J L, Pairman, J, Hallsworth, K et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2011

This study looked at how much people with ME/CFS move around during the day compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS do less intense physical activity (like brisk walking or exercise) than healthy controls, even though they spend similar amounts of time sitting. The study also found that reduced physical activity was linked to problems with heart rate regulation in ME/CFS patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Peripheral blood gene expression in postinfective fatigue syndrome following from three different triggering infections.

Galbraith, Sally, Cameron, Barbara, Li, Hui et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·2011

Researchers studied blood samples from 18 people who developed long-lasting fatigue after three different infections (Epstein-Barr virus, Ross River virus, and Q fever) and compared them to 18 healthy people who recovered normally. They looked for patterns in which genes were turned on or off that might explain the fatigue syndrome. While they found some differences in gene activity, these patterns were not consistent across the different infection groups, suggesting there may not be a single blood-based marker that identifies post-infectious fatigue.

Immune System

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in an ethnically diverse population: the influence of psychosocial adversity and physical inactivity.

Bhui, Kamaldeep S, Dinos, Sokratis, Ashby, Deborah et al.·BMC medicine·2011

This study looked at how common ME/CFS is in different ethnic groups in England and found that people from ethnic minority backgrounds had higher rates of the illness than White British people. The researchers discovered that anxiety, depression, lack of physical activity, stress in relationships, and poor social support were all linked to higher rates of ME/CFS, and together these factors explained why some ethnic groups had more cases.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, illness cognitions, defence styles, fatigue severity and psychological well-being in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Eglinton, Rebekah, Chung, Man Cheung·Psychiatry research·2011

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have higher rates of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and whether trauma-related stress affects fatigue levels. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients did experience more PTSD symptoms and traumatic life events than healthy controls, but surprisingly, the severity of PTSD symptoms did not directly predict how severe their fatigue was. Instead, a sense of helplessness was more strongly linked to both fatigue and mental health problems.

E2 ModerateGuidelinePEM not requiredGuideline

How to explain central sensitization to patients with 'unexplained' chronic musculoskeletal pain: practice guidelines.

Nijs, Jo, Paul van Wilgen, C, Van Oosterwijck, Jessica et al.·Manual therapy·2011

Central sensitization is a condition where the nervous system becomes overly sensitive to pain signals, making people feel pain from things that normally wouldn't hurt. This guideline explains that teaching patients about how their nervous system works—called pain physiology education—can help them understand their pain and feel better. The education works best when delivered in face-to-face sessions with written materials, and it has helped people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other long-term pain conditions.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Measuring disability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: reliability and validity of the Work and Social Adjustment Scale.

Cella, Matteo, Sharpe, Michael, Chalder, Trudie·Journal of psychosomatic research·2011

This study tested whether a simple questionnaire called the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) accurately measures how much ME/CFS affects a person's daily life and ability to work. Researchers gave this questionnaire to over 1,000 ME/CFS patients and found it was reliable and valid—meaning it consistently measured disability and actually reflected real-world functioning.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Investigation into the presence of and serological response to XMRV in CFS patients.

Erlwein, Otto, Robinson, Mark J, Kaye, Steve et al.·PloS one·2011

This study tested whether a virus called XMRV could be found in people with ME/CFS. Researchers used the same methods from earlier studies that had suggested a link between this virus and ME/CFS. They checked patient blood samples for the virus itself and for antibodies (immune response markers) to the virus. Their results found no evidence that XMRV is associated with ME/CFS in UK patients.

Immune System

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 requiredLongitudinal

Cognitive dysfunction and mental fatigue in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome--a 6-month follow-up study.

Kawatani, Junko, Mizuno, Kei, Shiraishi, Seishi et al.·Brain & development·2011

This study looked at thinking and attention problems in children with ME/CFS using a specialized test that measures how quickly and accurately the brain can process information. Children with ME/CFS performed worse on attention tasks compared to healthy children, especially when they had to switch between different tasks. After 6 months of combined treatment with therapy and medication, children showed improvements in both their thinking ability and fatigue levels.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jerome, Keith R, Diem, Kurt, Huang, Meei-Li et al.·Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease·2011

Researchers tested whether a virus called XMRV was present in people with ME/CFS by comparing identical twins where one had the illness and one didn't. They looked for the virus in blood samples using multiple sensitive tests. They found no evidence of XMRV in any of the people with ME/CFS, suggesting this virus is not likely a cause of the disease.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Failure to Detect XMRV-Specific Antibodies in the Plasma of CFS Patients Using Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescence Immunoassays.

Oakes, Brendan, Qiu, Xiaoxing, Levine, Susan et al.·Advances in virology·2011

In 2009, researchers claimed they found a virus called XMRV in most ME/CFS patients' blood. This study tested whether that finding was real by looking for antibodies (immune system markers) to XMRV in blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. The researchers found no evidence of XMRV antibodies in any of the samples, suggesting the original finding may not have been accurate.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lower whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in depression, but not in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome: another pathway that may be associated with coronary artery disease and neuroprogression in depression.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivanka, Kubera, Marta et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2011

This study looked at a protective enzyme called GPX that helps defend cells from damage in people with depression and ME/CFS. The researchers found that people with depression had lower levels of this enzyme compared to healthy people, but people with ME/CFS had normal levels. Both groups showed connections between low enzyme levels and symptoms like mood problems and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Social support needs for equity in health and social care: a thematic analysis of experiences of people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

de Carvalho Leite, Jose C, de L Drachler, Maria, Killett, Anne et al.·International journal for equity in health·2011

This study asked 35 people with ME/CFS in England about what support they needed from health and social care services. Participants described needing personalized help with managing symptoms, practical support for daily life, and financial assistance—but found it difficult to access these services because doctors and providers often didn't understand their condition. The researchers found that some groups, including certain ethnic minorities, faced even greater barriers to getting the help they needed.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, incidence, and morbidity.

Nijhof, Sanne L, Maijer, Kimberley, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al.·Pediatrics·2011

This Dutch study looked at how many teenagers have ME/CFS and how many develop it each year. Researchers found that about 111 out of every 100,000 teenagers have ME/CFS, and about 12 per 100,000 develop it annually. Most teens with ME/CFS experience severe fatigue and physical impairment, and nearly half miss more than half their school days.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Reliability and validity of Short Form 36 Version 2 to measure health perceptions in a sub-group of individuals with fatigue.

Davenport, Todd E, Stevens, Staci R, Baroni, Katie et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2011

This study tested whether a common health questionnaire (SF-36) could accurately measure how ME/CFS affects quality of life and symptom burden. Researchers gave the questionnaire to 16 people with ME/CFS and 14 healthy controls, then had them perform exercise tests to see how their symptoms changed. The SF-36 successfully captured differences between the two groups and predicted who would recover quickly after exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Cumulative life stress in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nater, Urs M, Maloney, Elizabeth, Heim, Christine et al.·Psychiatry research·2011

This study looked at whether stressful life events are more common in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had experienced more stressors and reported higher levels of psychological distress, and were more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder. This suggests that life stress may play a role in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome in a rehabilitation setting: effectiveness and predictors of outcome.

Schreurs, K M G, Veehof, M M, Passade, L et al.·Behaviour research and therapy·2011

This study tested whether combining cognitive behavioural therapy (a type of talking therapy that addresses thought patterns and behaviours) with graded exercise therapy (gradually increasing physical activity) helps people with ME/CFS. About one-third of patients experienced meaningful improvement in fatigue and physical function. The study found that patients who were more physically active before treatment, felt more in control of their symptoms, and had been unwell for a shorter time tended to do better.

Interventions

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Unraveling the role of perfectionism in chronic fatigue syndrome: is there a distinction between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism?

Kempke, Stefan, Van Houdenhove, Boudewijn, Luyten, Patrick et al.·Psychiatry research·2011

This study looked at perfectionism in ME/CFS patients and found that there are two different types: one that involves setting high personal standards (which wasn't harmful) and another involving excessive worry about mistakes and self-doubt (which was harmful). The harmful type of perfectionism was linked to worse fatigue and depression symptoms. Interestingly, depression appeared to be the main pathway through which this harmful perfectionism made fatigue worse.

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Physical activity intensity but not sedentary activity is reduced in chronic fatigue syndrome and is associated with autonomic regulation.

Peripheral blood gene expression in postinfective fatigue syndrome following from three different triggering infections.

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

Chronic fatigue syndrome in an ethnically diverse population: the influence of psychosocial adversity and physical inactivity.

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, illness cognitions, defence styles, fatigue severity and psychological well-being in chronic fatigue syndrome.

How to explain central sensitization to patients with 'unexplained' chronic musculoskeletal pain: practice guidelines.

Measuring disability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: reliability and validity of the Work and Social Adjustment Scale.

Investigation into the presence of and serological response to XMRV in CFS patients.

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

Cognitive dysfunction and mental fatigue in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome--a 6-month follow-up study.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Failure to Detect XMRV-Specific Antibodies in the Plasma of CFS Patients Using Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescence Immunoassays.

Lower whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in depression, but not in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome: another pathway that may be associated with coronary artery disease and neuroprogression in depression.

Social support needs for equity in health and social care: a thematic analysis of experiences of people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, incidence, and morbidity.

Reliability and validity of Short Form 36 Version 2 to measure health perceptions in a sub-group of individuals with fatigue.

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

Cumulative life stress in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome in a rehabilitation setting: effectiveness and predictors of outcome.

Unraveling the role of perfectionism in chronic fatigue syndrome: is there a distinction between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism?

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