ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2701–2720 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Treatment of the narcoleptiform sleep disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia with sodium oxybate.

Spitzer, A Robert, Broadman, Melissa·Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain·2010

Researchers looked at 118 patients with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia who had sleep problems similar to narcolepsy. When these patients were treated with a medication called sodium oxybate, 75% reported significant improvement in fatigue and 60% reported significant improvement in pain. This suggests that fixing the underlying sleep disorder might help relieve both conditions.

Sleep

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearLongitudinal

An investigation of victimization and the clinical course of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Johnson, Susan K, Schmaling, Karen B, Dmochowski, Jacek et al.·Journal of health psychology·2010

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS who experienced trauma or abuse—either as children or adults—had worse symptoms or outcomes. Researchers followed 93 patients over time and found that childhood abuse and neglect were more strongly connected to illness severity than adult experiences. However, the connections were modest, and past trauma did not predict whether the illness would get worse over time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Functional impairment in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivity.

Lavergne, M Ruth, Cole, Donald C, Kerr, Kathleen et al.·Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2010

This study looked at 128 patients with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or multiple chemical sensitivity seen at a Toronto clinic to understand how much these illnesses affect daily life. Compared to healthy Canadians, these patients had significantly lower ability to work, care for themselves, and function in their homes—with 69% having stopped working an average of 3 years after becoming ill. The study found that having fibromyalgia, becoming ill at a younger age, and lower income were linked to worse functional outcomes.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Impaired sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: how is it best measured?

Creti, Laura, Libman, Eva, Baltzan, Marcel et al.·Journal of health psychology·2010

This study compared three different ways of measuring sleep in people with ME/CFS: overnight hospital testing (polysomnography), wrist-worn activity monitors (actigraphy), and patients reporting on their own sleep. Researchers found that while objective measurements matched what patients reported about total sleep time, the objective tests didn't capture daytime symptoms like non-refreshing sleep, fatigue, or sleepiness that patients actually experience.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearLongitudinal

Illness trajectories in the chronic fatigue syndrome: a longitudinal study of improvers versus non-improvers.

Ciccone, Donald S, Chandler, Helena K, Natelson, Benjamin H·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·2010

This study followed 94 women with ME/CFS for 2.5 years to see who improved and who didn't. Researchers found that people who got better had less fatigue, pain, and disability over time, while those who didn't improve stayed relatively unchanged. Importantly, people who had both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia at the start were much less likely to improve.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comorbid health conditions in women with syncope.

Ulas, Umit H, Chelimsky, Thomas C, Chelimsky, Gisela et al.·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·2010

This study looked at hospital records of over 305,000 patients admitted for fainting (syncope) to see which health conditions were more common in women versus men. Researchers found that women were more likely to have several conditions related to nervous system problems that control blood pressure and heart rate, including chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, and postural tachycardia syndrome (a condition where heart rate increases abnormally when standing). These autonomic conditions were especially common in women of reproductive age.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Classification of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome by types of fatigue.

Jason, Leonard A, Boulton, Aaron, Porter, Nicole S et al.·Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)·2010

This study looked at 100 people with ME/CFS to see if they experience fatigue in different ways. Researchers used a questionnaire to measure five different types of fatigue and found that patients naturally fell into distinct groups based on their fatigue patterns. The results show that ME/CFS affects people differently—some experience mostly one type of fatigue heavily, while others have combinations of different fatigue types.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Biochemical and vascular aspects of pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kennedy, Gwen, Khan, Faisel, Hill, Alexander et al.·Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine·2010

This study compared 25 children with ME/CFS to 23 healthy children to understand what happens in their bodies at a chemical and blood vessel level. The researchers found that children with ME/CFS had signs of increased oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) and more dying white blood cells, similar to what has been seen in adults with ME/CFS. However, unlike adults, the children's blood vessel stiffness appeared normal.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The increase of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Shishioh-Ikejima, Nobue, Ogawa, Tokiko, Yamaguti, Kouzi et al.·BMC neurology·2010

Researchers measured a hormone called alpha-MSH in the blood of 55 ME/CFS patients and compared it to 30 healthy people. They found that patients diagnosed within the last 5 years had significantly higher alpha-MSH levels than healthy controls, but this difference disappeared in patients who had been ill longer. This suggests alpha-MSH might be a useful blood test for identifying ME/CFS in newly diagnosed patients.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Microbial infections in eight genomic subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Zhang, Lihan, Gough, John, Christmas, David et al.·Journal of clinical pathology·2010

This study looked at blood samples from ME/CFS patients to identify different genetic subtypes based on how 88 genes were turned on or off. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had distinct genetic patterns that were different from healthy people and those with depression. They also discovered that different viral infections—particularly Epstein-Barr virus and enterovirus—were linked to different genetic subtypes of ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Physical and psychosocial correlates of severe fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.

van Hoogmoed, Dewy, Fransen, Jaap, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al.·Rheumatology (Oxford, England)·2010

This study looked at severe fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition that causes joint inflammation. Researchers found that 42% of RA patients experienced severe fatigue that felt frustrating and exhausting. Importantly, this severe fatigue was more closely linked to pain, mood, sleep quality, and how patients thought about their fatigue—rather than to inflammation markers alone.

Pain and SensitizationSleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

EEG source analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Flor-Henry, Pierre, Lind, John C, Koles, Zoltan J·Psychiatry research·2010

Researchers used a specialized brain-wave test (EEG) to compare 61 women with ME/CFS to 80 healthy women. The brain activity patterns were different between the two groups, especially when the women were doing mental tasks. The computer could correctly identify who had ME/CFS based on these brain patterns about 72-83% of the time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Failure to detect the novel retrovirus XMRV in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Erlwein, Otto, Kaye, Steve, McClure, Myra O et al.·PloS one·2010

In 2009, researchers reported finding a virus called XMRV in about two-thirds of ME/CFS patients in the US, raising hopes for a breakthrough in understanding the disease. This UK study tested blood samples from 186 ME/CFS patients to see if they also carried this virus, but found no evidence of XMRV in any of them. The results suggest the virus may not be common in ME/CFS patients in Europe, or that earlier findings may have been specific to certain populations.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus prevalence in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or chronic immunomodulatory conditions.

Henrich, Timothy J, Li, Jonathan Z, Felsenstein, Donna et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·2010

Researchers tested whether a virus called XMRV was present in people with ME/CFS and other conditions affecting the immune system. They collected samples from 293 patients, including 32 with ME/CFS, and looked for XMRV DNA. They found no evidence of this virus in any of the samples tested.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Increased d-lactic Acid intestinal bacteria in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sheedy, John R, Wettenhall, Richard E H, Scanlon, Denis et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2009

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of specific bacteria in their gut that produce a substance called D-lactic acid. These bacteria were found in much larger quantities in stool samples from ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. The researchers suggest this excess D-lactic acid might help explain why some ME/CFS patients experience brain fog and cognitive problems.

Gut MicrobiomeEnergy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Coenzyme Q10 deficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is related to fatigue, autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms and is another risk factor explaining the early mortality in ME/CFS due to cardiovascular disorder.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivanka, Kubera, Marta et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2009

This study found that people with ME/CFS have significantly lower levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a substance that helps cells produce energy, compared to healthy people. Nearly 45% of ME/CFS patients had CoQ10 levels below what was found in any of the healthy control group. Low CoQ10 was connected to worse fatigue, problems with heart and blood pressure regulation, and difficulty with thinking and memory.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome combines increased exercise-induced oxidative stress and reduced cytokine and Hsp responses.

Jammes, Y, Steinberg, J G, Delliaux, S et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2009

This study found that people with ME/CFS experience unusual stress on their cells during exercise, particularly involving harmful molecules called free radicals. Their bodies also fail to mount normal protective responses—both in terms of producing protective proteins (heat shock proteins) and inflammatory markers that healthy people produce during exertion. This combination of excessive cellular damage and insufficient protective response may explain why exercise is so difficult for people with ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Lower ambulatory blood pressure in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Newton, Julia L, Sheth, Amish, Shin, Jane et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2009

This study measured blood pressure patterns over 24 hours in people with ME/CFS, healthy volunteers, and people with a liver disease that also causes fatigue. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower blood pressure than healthy people and their blood pressure did not drop as much during sleep as it normally should. Higher fatigue levels were linked to these abnormal blood pressure patterns.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Further validation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a US adult population sample.

Lin, Jin-Mann S, Brimmer, Dana J, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·Population health metrics·2009

This study tested whether a 20-question fatigue measurement tool (the MFI-20) works well for people with ME/CFS and other chronic illnesses. Researchers gave the questionnaire to 783 people in Georgia—some with ME/CFS-like illness, some with chronic unwellness, and some who were healthy—and found that the tool reliably distinguished between these groups and accurately measured different types of fatigue.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

"Functional" or "psychosomatic" symptoms, e.g. a flu-like malaise, aches and pain and fatigue, are major features of major and in particular of melancholic depression.

Maes, Michael·Neuro endocrinology letters·2009

This study looked at whether depression and ME/CFS share similar physical symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, and feeling like you have an infection. Researchers found that people with severe depression often experience these "body-centered" symptoms as a major part of their illness. The findings suggest that doctors should pay more attention to these physical symptoms when diagnosing and treating depression.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

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Treatment of the narcoleptiform sleep disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia with sodium oxybate.

An investigation of victimization and the clinical course of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Functional impairment in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivity.

Impaired sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: how is it best measured?

Illness trajectories in the chronic fatigue syndrome: a longitudinal study of improvers versus non-improvers.

Comorbid health conditions in women with syncope.

Classification of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome by types of fatigue.

Biochemical and vascular aspects of pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome.

The increase of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Microbial infections in eight genomic subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Physical and psychosocial correlates of severe fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.

EEG source analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Failure to detect the novel retrovirus XMRV in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus prevalence in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or chronic immunomodulatory conditions.

Increased d-lactic Acid intestinal bacteria in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Coenzyme Q10 deficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is related to fatigue, autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms and is another risk factor explaining the early mortality in ME/CFS due to cardiovascular disorder.

Chronic fatigue syndrome combines increased exercise-induced oxidative stress and reduced cytokine and Hsp responses.

Lower ambulatory blood pressure in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Further validation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a US adult population sample.

"Functional" or "psychosomatic" symptoms, e.g. a flu-like malaise, aches and pain and fatigue, are major features of major and in particular of melancholic depression.

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