ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2601–2620 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Self-critical perfectionism, stress generation, and stress sensitivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: relationship with severity of depression.

Luyten, Patrick, Kempke, Stefan, Van Wambeke, Peter et al.·Psychiatry·2011

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS who are hard on themselves and set very high standards tend to create more stressful situations in daily life, and whether they react more strongly to stress. The researchers found that this pattern of self-criticism was linked to more daily hassles and greater sensitivity to stress, which in turn was connected to higher levels of depression. Understanding these patterns may help doctors develop better psychological treatments for ME/CFS.

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Psychopathology and physical activity as predictors of chronic fatigue syndrome in the 1958 british birth cohort: a replication study of the 1946 and 1970 birth cohorts.

Goodwin, Laura, White, Peter D, Hotopf, Matthew et al.·Annals of epidemiology·2011

This study followed over 11,000 people born in 1958 in Britain to see whether emotional or mental health problems, and physical activity levels before they got sick, were connected to developing ME/CFS later in life. Researchers found that people who had psychological difficulties in their twenties and thirties were more likely to later develop ME/CFS, but childhood emotional problems or exercise habits didn't show this connection.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety from adolescence up to young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

ter Wolbeek, Maike, van Doornen, Lorenz J P, Kavelaars, Annemieke et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2011

This study followed 633 teenage girls for 4.5 years to understand what causes fatigue and ME/CFS-like symptoms in young adulthood. Researchers found that fatigue, depression, and anxiety tend to rise and fall together over time, and that certain immune markers and emotional problems during teenage years could predict who would develop fatigue later. The study suggests that warning signs of future fatigue can sometimes be spotted years before symptoms become serious.

Immune System

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

Measuring substantial reductions in functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, Leonard, Brown, Molly, Evans, Meredyth et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2011

ME/CFS diagnosis requires showing that a person can do much less in work, school, social activities, or personal care than they could before becoming ill. However, doctors have struggled with how to measure this decline accurately. This study tested which questions from a standard health survey best identify real, substantial losses in functioning in ME/CFS patients, finding that questions about energy levels, physical activities, and social participation worked best.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Murine gammaretrovirus group G3 was not found in Swedish patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Elfaitouri, Amal, Shao, Xingwu, Mattsson Ulfstedt, Johan et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers tested whether a virus called XMRV (xenotropic murine retrovirus) was present in Swedish patients with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Using sensitive tests on blood samples from 78 ME/CFS patients and 168 healthy blood donors, they found no evidence that this virus was present in any of the samples. This study helps answer questions about whether XMRV plays a role in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Is the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF) valid for assessing physical activity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Meeus, Mira, Van Eupen, Inge, Willems, Joke et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2011

Researchers tested whether a common activity questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) could accurately measure physical activity in people with ME/CFS. Fifty-six patients filled out the questionnaire, wore activity monitors for a week, and kept activity diaries. The questionnaire's measurements didn't match what the activity monitors and diaries showed, and it wasn't good at capturing the low activity levels typical of ME/CFS patients.

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 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 requiredObservational

No evidence of murine-like gammaretroviruses in CFS patients previously identified as XMRV-infected.

Knox, Konstance, Carrigan, Donald, Simmons, Graham et al.·Science (New York, N.Y.)·2011

This study tested blood samples from 61 ME/CFS patients to look for viruses called XMRV and related mouse viruses that had been reported in earlier research. The researchers found no evidence of these viruses in the patients' blood, even in 43 patients who had previously tested positive. They concluded that earlier findings were likely due to contamination in the laboratory rather than actual infection.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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

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Evidence browser

Self-critical perfectionism, stress generation, and stress sensitivity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: relationship with severity of depression.

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.

Psychopathology and physical activity as predictors of chronic fatigue syndrome in the 1958 british birth cohort: a replication study of the 1946 and 1970 birth cohorts.

Fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety from adolescence up to young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

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

Measuring substantial reductions in functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Murine gammaretrovirus group G3 was not found in Swedish patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Is the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF) valid for assessing physical activity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

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.

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

No evidence of murine-like gammaretroviruses in CFS patients previously identified as XMRV-infected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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