ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2761–2780 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lower plasma Coenzyme Q10 in depression: a marker for treatment resistance and chronic fatigue in depression and a risk factor to cardiovascular disorder in that illness.

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

This study found that people with depression have lower levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a natural substance in the body that helps protect cells from damage, compared to healthy people. The researchers discovered that people with depression who don't respond well to treatment and those with chronic fatigue had even lower CoQ10 levels. This suggests that CoQ10 might play a role in why some people with depression feel persistently tired and why depression can increase heart disease risk.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Reduced complexity of activity patterns in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a case control study.

Burton, Christopher, Knoop, Hans, Popovic, Nikola et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2009

This study measured how people with ME/CFS move and rest over a 12-day period compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have activity patterns that are more repetitive and predictable—like a broken record—whereas healthy people's activity patterns are more varied and flexible. This difference held true even when accounting for the fact that ME/CFS patients were less active overall.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diurnal pattern of cortisol output in postnatal depression.

Taylor, Alyx, Glover, Vivette, Marks, Maureen et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2009

This study looked at how stress hormone (cortisol) levels change throughout the day in women with depression after having a baby, compared to women without postpartum depression and non-pregnant women. The researchers found that depressed women had unusually high cortisol levels when they woke up and didn't show the normal increase in cortisol that typically happens 30 minutes after waking, which is similar to patterns seen in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

The impact of energy modulation on physical functioning and fatigue severity among patients with ME/CFS.

Jason, Leonard, Benton, Mary, Torres-Harding, Susan et al.·Patient education and counseling·2009

This study looked at whether ME/CFS patients could improve by carefully managing their daily energy use to match their available energy. Researchers tracked patients who tried to stay within their "energy envelope"—basically not spending more energy than they have. Patients who were able to do this successfully reported feeling less tired and being more physically able to do daily activities.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychiatric comorbidity in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome identified from the Georgia population.

Nater, Urs M, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2009

This study looked at how often people with ME/CFS also have psychiatric conditions like depression or anxiety. Researchers called random people in Georgia and invited those who were unwell to participate. They found that 57% of people with ME/CFS had at least one current psychiatric diagnosis, compared to 45% of people with similar but milder symptoms. Importantly, most people with ME/CFS who had these psychiatric conditions hadn't seen a mental health specialist in the past 6 months.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Plasma cytokines in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fletcher, Mary Ann, Zeng, Xiao Rong, Barnes, Zachary et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2009

Researchers tested blood samples from women with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy women to look for immune system differences. They measured 16 different immune substances called cytokines and found that 10 of them were abnormal in ME/CFS patients—some were higher and some were lower than in healthy controls. While these differences suggest immune activation in ME/CFS, the pattern wasn't specific enough to use as a diagnostic test on its own.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Unexplained chronic fatigue and interpersonal problems: a study in a primary care population.

Vandenbergen, Jan, Vanheule, Stijn, Desmet, Mattias et al.·International journal of psychiatry in medicine·2009

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS experience more social withdrawal and interpersonal difficulties than people with other health conditions. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients reported much higher fatigue levels and were more likely to withdraw from social activities compared to people with minor illnesses. Interestingly, doctors and patients often disagreed about how motivated patients were, which may contribute to patients feeling misunderstood and isolated.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

An evaluation of exclusionary medical/psychiatric conditions in the definition of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jones, James F, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·BMC medicine·2009

This study looked at whether people diagnosed with ME/CFS who also have other medical or psychiatric conditions (like depression or thyroid disease) are actually sicker than those with ME/CFS alone. Researchers surveyed over 5,600 people in Georgia and clinically evaluated 781 of them. They found that about one-third of people had additional conditions, but surprisingly, people with and without these extra conditions reported similar levels of fatigue and disability.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Antecedent nonbladder syndromes in case-control study of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Warren, John W, Howard, Fred M, Cross, Raymond K et al.·Urology·2009

This study compared women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) to women without the condition to see which other illnesses appeared more often before IC/PBS developed. The researchers found that people with IC/PBS were much more likely to have had multiple other chronic conditions beforehand, particularly fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, dry mouth/eyes syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. These conditions often clustered together, suggesting that IC/PBS might be part of a broader whole-body syndrome rather than just a bladder problem.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Exploratory analysis of the relationships between aerobic capacity and self-reported fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Weinstein, Ali A, Drinkard, Bart M, Diao, Guoqing et al.·PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation·2009

This study looked at whether feeling tired (fatigue) matches up with how well the body can use oxygen during exercise in people with three different conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and ME/CFS. Researchers tested 29 patients total and found that people who reported doing more physical activity had better oxygen capacity, but surprisingly, how fatigued people *said* they felt didn't match their actual aerobic fitness levels.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Electroencephalographic correlates of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Decker, Michael J, Tabassum, Humyra, Lin, Jin-Mann S et al.·Behavioral and brain functions : BBF·2009

This study looked at brain wave patterns during sleep in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls using a sleep study test. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had abnormal brain wave activity during different sleep stages, particularly weaker delta waves during deep sleep and weaker alpha waves during REM sleep. These findings suggest that the problem in ME/CFS may not be the structure of sleep itself, but rather how the brain regulates and maintains restorative sleep.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Barriers to healthcare utilization in fatiguing illness: a population-based study in Georgia.

Lin, Jin-Mann S, Brimmer, Dana J, Boneva, Roumiana S et al.·BMC health services research·2009

This study looked at why people with ME/CFS and other fatiguing illnesses skip or delay needed medical care. Researchers surveyed 780 people, including 112 with CFS, and found that 55% of those with CFS faced barriers to getting healthcare. The main barriers fell into three categories: trouble accessing care (like travel or scheduling), healthcare providers' attitudes and knowledge gaps, and problems with how the healthcare system itself works.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome: illness severity, sedentary lifestyle, blood volume and evidence of diminished cardiac function.

Hurwitz, Barry E, Coryell, Virginia T, Parker, Meela et al.·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·2009

This study found that people with severe ME/CFS have smaller hearts and significantly less blood volume compared to healthy controls. The reduced heart size appears to be caused by having less blood circulating in their bodies, not by weak heart muscle. The researchers suggest this blood volume deficit—a condition where the body has less circulating blood than normal—may be an important factor in ME/CFS symptoms.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load: results from a population-based case-control study in Georgia.

Maloney, Elizabeth M, Boneva, Roumiana, Nater, Urs M et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2009

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have higher levels of 'allostatic load'—a measure of how much stress and wear-and-tear their bodies have accumulated over time. Researchers compared 83 people with ME/CFS, 202 people with some symptoms but not full ME/CFS, and 109 healthy controls in Georgia. They found that people with ME/CFS did have significantly higher allostatic load than healthy people, suggesting their bodies may be under greater physiological stress.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Transcription profile analysis of vastus lateralis muscle from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Pietrangelo, T, Mancinelli, R, Toniolo, L et al.·International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology·2009

Researchers examined muscle tissue from ME/CFS patients and found abnormalities in how genes are expressed—essentially, certain genetic instructions were turned up or down compared to healthy people. The biggest changes involved genes related to energy production in cells, muscle structure, and communication between nerves and muscles. These findings suggest that problems at the cellular level may explain why ME/CFS patients experience muscle weakness and fatigue.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The role of coping in the relationship between depression and illness severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Walker, Karen, Lindner, Helen, Noonan, Michelle·Journal of allied health·2009

This study looked at how depression and coping strategies affect how severely people with ME/CFS feel their illness impacts them. Researchers surveyed 156 ME/CFS patients about their mood, how they cope with their condition, and how they perceive their illness severity. They found that how patients cope—especially seeking social support and finding positive ways to think about their situation—may be just as important as treating depression when it comes to how sick people feel.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Salivary cortisol output before and after cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roberts, Amanda D L, Papadopoulos, Andrew S, Wessely, Simon et al.·Journal of affective disorders·2009

This study looked at whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)—a type of talk therapy—could help fix a hormone imbalance found in ME/CFS patients. Researchers measured a stress hormone called cortisol in the saliva of 41 patients before and after 15 sessions of CBT. They found that cortisol levels increased after therapy, suggesting that CBT may help restore this hormone to healthier levels.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Neuropsychological functioning, illness perception, mood and quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease and healthy participants.

Dickson, A, Toft, A, O'Carroll, R E·Psychological medicine·2009

This study compared thinking and memory skills, mood, and quality of life in people with ME/CFS, people with thyroid disease, and healthy people. People with ME/CFS showed more problems with memory, attention, and concentration, plus higher levels of anxiety and depression. Importantly, the attention problems stayed even after researchers accounted for mood issues, suggesting cognitive problems are a core feature of ME/CFS rather than just a result of feeling depressed or anxious.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Use of medications by people with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy persons: a population-based study of fatiguing illness in Georgia.

Boneva, Roumiana S, Lin, Jin-Mann S, Maloney, Elizabeth M et al.·Health and quality of life outcomes·2009

This study looked at what medications and supplements people with ME/CFS were taking compared to healthy people and those with other chronic illnesses. Researchers found that over 90% of people with ME/CFS used at least one medication or supplement, and they used significantly more drugs overall—an average of 5.8 compared to 3.7 in healthy people. People with ME/CFS were more likely to take antidepressants, sleep aids, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Allodynia in migraine: association with comorbid pain conditions.

Tietjen, Gretchen E, Brandes, Jan L, Peterlin, B Lee et al.·Headache·2009

This study looked at how often migraine patients experience allodynia—pain or discomfort from things that normally wouldn't hurt, like light touch on the skin. The researchers found that 60% of migraine patients had at least one allodynic symptom, and those with allodynia were much more likely to also have other chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as depression and anxiety.

Pain and Sensitization

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Lower plasma Coenzyme Q10 in depression: a marker for treatment resistance and chronic fatigue in depression and a risk factor to cardiovascular disorder in that illness.

Reduced complexity of activity patterns in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a case control study.

Diurnal pattern of cortisol output in postnatal depression.

The impact of energy modulation on physical functioning and fatigue severity among patients with ME/CFS.

Psychiatric comorbidity in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome identified from the Georgia population.

Plasma cytokines in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Unexplained chronic fatigue and interpersonal problems: a study in a primary care population.

An evaluation of exclusionary medical/psychiatric conditions in the definition of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Antecedent nonbladder syndromes in case-control study of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Exploratory analysis of the relationships between aerobic capacity and self-reported fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Electroencephalographic correlates of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Barriers to healthcare utilization in fatiguing illness: a population-based study in Georgia.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: illness severity, sedentary lifestyle, blood volume and evidence of diminished cardiac function.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load: results from a population-based case-control study in Georgia.

Transcription profile analysis of vastus lateralis muscle from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The role of coping in the relationship between depression and illness severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Salivary cortisol output before and after cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuropsychological functioning, illness perception, mood and quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease and healthy participants.

Use of medications by people with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy persons: a population-based study of fatiguing illness in Georgia.

Allodynia in migraine: association with comorbid pain conditions.

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