ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2781–2800 of 6,160 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neuropsychological performance in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results from a population-based study.

Majer, Matthias, Welberg, Leonie A M, Capuron, Lucile et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2008

This study compared thinking and motor skills in people with ME/CFS to healthy controls using computerized tests. People with ME/CFS showed slower reaction times and had more difficulty with memory tasks that involve holding and manipulating information in mind. These differences held up even after excluding people with psychiatric conditions or those taking medications that affect thinking.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Factors associated with depression among individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome: findings from a nationally representative survey.

Fuller-Thomson, Esme, Nimigon, Jodie·Family practice·2008

This study looked at how often depression occurs in people with ME/CFS and what factors make depression more likely. Researchers surveyed over 1,000 Canadians with ME/CFS and found that about 1 in 3 people with the condition also had depression. Depression was more common in women, younger people, those with lower incomes, and those who experienced significant pain.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Small heart syndrome in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Miwa, Kunihisa, Fujita, Masatoshi·Clinical cardiology·2008

This study found that people with ME/CFS are more likely to have a smaller heart than healthy people. Researchers used chest X-rays and heart ultrasounds to measure heart size in 56 ME/CFS patients under age 50 and compared them to 38 healthy controls. Patients with both ME/CFS and a small heart also experienced more symptoms like dizziness when standing, cold feet, and heart rhythm irregularities.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Reduced plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels are significantly correlated with fatigue severity in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Ahboucha, Samir, Pomier-Layrargues, Gilles, Vincent, Catherine et al.·Neurochemistry international·2008

This study looked at a hormone called DHEAS in patients with a liver disease called primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The researchers found that patients with PBC who experienced fatigue had lower DHEAS levels than healthy people, and the lower the DHEAS, the more severe their fatigue was. This suggests that low DHEAS might be one reason why some liver patients feel exhausted, and raising DHEAS levels might help reduce their fatigue.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Are patients with chronic fatigue syndrome just 'tired' or also 'sleepy'?

Neu, Daniel, Hoffmann, Guy, Moutrier, Robert et al.·Journal of sleep research·2008

This study asked whether ME/CFS patients experience daytime sleepiness (like wanting to nap) or mainly fatigue (exhaustion that doesn't improve with rest). Researchers tested 16 ME/CFS patients, 13 sleep apnea patients, and 12 healthy people using both objective sleep tests and questionnaires. They found that ME/CFS patients reported much higher fatigue than sleepiness, while sleep apnea patients showed the opposite pattern—suggesting fatigue and sleepiness are different problems.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Enhanced vagal withdrawal during mild orthostatic stress in adolescents with chronic fatigue.

Wyller, Vegard Bruun, Barbieri, Riccardo, Thaulow, Erik et al.·Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc·2008

This study looked at how the nervous system controls heart rate in adolescents with ME/CFS, particularly during mild physical stress (tilting on a table). Researchers found that teenagers with ME/CFS showed an unusual heart rate pattern—their bodies shifted too quickly toward stress-mode responses compared to healthy teens. This suggests their autonomic nervous system, which normally helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure, may not be working properly.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Longitudinal risk factors for persistent fatigue in adolescents.

Viner, Russell M, Clark, Charlotte, Taylor, Stephanie J C et al.·Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine·2008

This study followed nearly 1,900 young people in London over two years to see what factors might lead to persistent tiredness. Researchers found that teenagers who were either very inactive (sitting more than 4 hours daily) or very active, along with those experiencing depression symptoms, were more likely to report extreme tiredness occurring twice a week or more. Importantly, only 3 young people in the entire study met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting persistent fatigue and ME/CFS may be different conditions.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Symptoms, impairment and illness intrusiveness--their relationship with depression in women with CFS/ME.

Dancey, Christine P, Friend, Julie·Psychology & health·2008

This study looked at how ME/CFS symptoms and daily limitations affect depression in women with the illness. The researchers found that ME/CFS is particularly intrusive—it disrupts many areas of life more than other chronic illnesses do. How much the illness disrupts daily life turned out to be the strongest predictor of whether someone develops depression, more so than the symptoms or impairments alone.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sleep structure and sleepiness in chronic fatigue syndrome with or without coexisting fibromyalgia.

Togo, Fumiharu, Natelson, Benjamin H, Cherniack, Neil S et al.·Arthritis research & therapy·2008

This study looked at sleep patterns in people with ME/CFS, comparing those with and without fibromyalgia to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had worse sleep quality and felt more tired and sleepy after sleeping than healthy controls. The key finding was that some ME/CFS patients experienced frequent sleep interruptions—their sleep kept getting broken up—which made their sleep feel unrefreshing even though they didn't have diagnosable sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome and related disorders in UK veterans of the Gulf War 1990-1991: results from a two-phase cohort study.

Ismail, K, Kent, K, Sherwood, R et al.·Psychological medicine·2008

This study looked at whether Gulf War veterans had higher rates of ME/CFS and related conditions compared to other military personnel. Researchers surveyed over 10,000 military personnel and then closely examined disabled Gulf War veterans and similarly disabled veterans who served elsewhere. They found that Gulf War veterans were about 8 times more likely to meet the criteria for ME/CFS than veterans who were not deployed to the Gulf.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Deficits of interference control in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

van de Putte, Elise M, Böcker, Koen B, Buitelaar, Jan et al.·Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine·2008

This study looked at how well teenagers with ME/CFS could focus and filter out distractions compared to healthy teenagers. Researchers used brain activity tests to see if adolescents with ME/CFS had difficulty with tasks requiring concentration and filtering out irrelevant information. The findings suggest that ME/CFS in teenagers may affect how the brain controls attention and handles competing information.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

The relationship between prior psychiatric disorder and chronic fatigue: evidence from a national birth cohort study.

Harvey, S B, Wadsworth, M, Wessely, S et al.·Psychological medicine·2008

This study followed over 5,000 people from birth into their 50s to understand whether psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety occur before ME/CFS develops. Researchers found that people who experienced depression or anxiety between ages 15-36 were about 2.5 times more likely to develop ME/CFS later in life. The more severe the psychiatric symptoms were, the higher the risk of developing ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach.

Chia, J K S, Chia, A Y·Journal of clinical pathology·2008

This study examined stomach biopsies from 165 ME/CFS patients to look for enterovirus (a type of virus) because many patients report stomach problems. Researchers found that 82% of ME/CFS patients had signs of enterovirus in their stomach cells, compared to only 20% of healthy control patients. Some patients tested positive for the virus years apart, suggesting a persistent infection rather than a one-time illness.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

A matched case control study of orthostatic intolerance in children/adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Galland, Barbara C, Jackson, Pamela M, Sayers, Rachel M et al.·Pediatric research·2008

This study looked at how the hearts and blood vessels of children and teenagers with ME/CFS respond when they stand up or are tilted upright. Researchers compared 26 young people with ME/CFS to similar healthy controls using a tilt table test. They found that children with ME/CFS were much more likely to experience dizziness and abnormal heart rate responses during the test, suggesting their bodies struggle to regulate blood pressure and heart function when upright.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome after human parvovirus B19 infection without persistent viremia.

Seishima, Mariko, Mizutani, Yoko, Shibuya, Yoshinao et al.·Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)·2008

This study looked at 210 patients who had parvovirus B19 infection to see how many developed ME/CFS afterward. Researchers found that the virus cleared from the bloodstream within 4-5 months in all patients tested, and having the virus stick around longer was not connected to developing CFS. However, patients who developed lasting symptoms did show persistently low immune protein (complement) levels, suggesting that ME/CFS after B19 may involve immune system changes rather than ongoing viral presence.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The associations between basal salivary cortisol and illness symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Torres-Harding, Susan, Sorenson, Matthew, Jason, Leonard et al.·Journal of applied biobehavioral research·2008

This study looked at cortisol, a stress hormone, in 108 people with ME/CFS to see if abnormal cortisol levels were connected to symptoms like fatigue and pain. The researchers found that people with unusual cortisol patterns—especially those who didn't show the normal daily rise and fall—reported higher levels of fatigue. While abnormal cortisol appears linked to some ME/CFS symptoms, scientists still aren't sure whether this hormonal change causes the illness or results from it.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Alterations in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in a population-based sample of cases with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nater, Urs M, Youngblood, Laura Solomon, Jones, James F et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2008

This study measured stress hormone (cortisol) levels and immune markers in saliva and blood from people with ME/CFS, people with significant fatigue who don't meet full CFS criteria, and healthy controls. People with ME/CFS showed an abnormal pattern: lower cortisol in the morning and higher in the evening (the opposite of what's healthy), suggesting their stress-response system may not be working normally.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in children aged 11 years old and younger.

Davies, S, Crawley, E·Archives of disease in childhood·2008

This study looked at young children under age 12 with ME/CFS at a specialist clinic in Bath, UK. The researchers found that even very young children (including one as young as 2 years old) can have ME/CFS and experience severe disability, with symptoms almost identical to those seen in teenagers. Children in this age group attended school only about 40% of the time on average and reported high levels of fatigue and pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sympathetic cardiovascular control during orthostatic stress and isometric exercise in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wyller, Vegard Bruun, Saul, J Philip, Walløe, Lars et al.·European journal of applied physiology·2008

This study looked at how the bodies of adolescents with ME/CFS respond to physical stress, specifically when lying down while pressure is applied to the legs and while squeezing a hand grip. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had higher heart rates and stress hormone levels even at rest, and their cardiovascular system overreacted to the leg pressure test but underreacted during the hand grip exercise compared to healthy teenagers.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in male Gulf war veterans and civilians: a further test of the single syndrome hypothesis.

Ciccone, Donald S, Weissman, Lois, Natelson, Benjamin H·Journal of health psychology·2008

This study looked at whether ME/CFS is the same disease in everyone or if it might be different depending on how it starts. Researchers compared 45 male veterans with ME/CFS to 84 male civilians with ME/CFS and found some interesting differences: civilians were more likely to get ME/CFS suddenly (like after the flu), while veterans developed it differently. Civilians also had more fibromyalgia alongside their ME/CFS. These differences suggest that ME/CFS might not be one single disease affecting everyone the same way.

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Neuropsychological performance in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results from a population-based study.

Factors associated with depression among individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome: findings from a nationally representative survey.

Small heart syndrome in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Reduced plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels are significantly correlated with fatigue severity in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Are patients with chronic fatigue syndrome just 'tired' or also 'sleepy'?

Enhanced vagal withdrawal during mild orthostatic stress in adolescents with chronic fatigue.

Longitudinal risk factors for persistent fatigue in adolescents.

Symptoms, impairment and illness intrusiveness--their relationship with depression in women with CFS/ME.

Sleep structure and sleepiness in chronic fatigue syndrome with or without coexisting fibromyalgia.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and related disorders in UK veterans of the Gulf War 1990-1991: results from a two-phase cohort study.

Deficits of interference control in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The relationship between prior psychiatric disorder and chronic fatigue: evidence from a national birth cohort study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach.

A matched case control study of orthostatic intolerance in children/adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome after human parvovirus B19 infection without persistent viremia.

The associations between basal salivary cortisol and illness symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Alterations in diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in a population-based sample of cases with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in children aged 11 years old and younger.

Sympathetic cardiovascular control during orthostatic stress and isometric exercise in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in male Gulf war veterans and civilians: a further test of the single syndrome hypothesis.

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