ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2841–2860 of 6,160 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Impact of visual impairment on quality of life: a comparison with quality of life in the general population and with other chronic conditions.

Langelaan, Maaike, de Boer, Michiel R, van Nispen, Ruth M A et al.·Ophthalmic epidemiology·2007

This study looked at how visual impairment affects people's quality of life by comparing visually impaired patients with healthy people and those with other chronic conditions. Researchers found that visual impairment has a significant negative impact on quality of life, affecting people's daily functioning. Interestingly, only a few conditions—including chronic fatigue syndrome—impacted quality of life more severely than visual impairment.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Complementary and alternative medical therapy utilization by people with chronic fatiguing illnesses in the United States.

Jones, James F, Maloney, Elizabeth M, Boneva, Roumiana S et al.·BMC complementary and alternative medicine·2007

This study looked at how many people with ME/CFS and similar fatiguing illnesses use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies like massage, chiropractic care, prayer, and other non-conventional treatments. Researchers surveyed over 880 people across the United States and found that people with ME/CFS-like illness were more likely to use body-based therapies (like massage and chiropractic) and mind-body therapies than people without fatigue.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

beta-Alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hannestad, Ulf, Theodorsson, Elvar, Evengård, Birgitta·Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry·2007

Researchers measured two brain chemicals (GABA and beta-alanine) in the urine of ME/CFS patients and healthy people to see if abnormal levels might explain fatigue and sleep problems. They found no overall difference between patients and controls, but a small subgroup of ME/CFS patients (4 out of 33) had unusually high beta-alanine levels, suggesting this chemical imbalance might affect some—but not all—people with ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Alexithymia in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

van de Putte, Elise M, Engelbert, Raoul H H, Kuis, Wietse et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2007

This study looked at whether adolescents with ME/CFS have difficulty identifying and describing their emotions (a trait called alexithymia) more often than healthy teenagers. Researchers found that while some teens with ME/CFS did have this trait, it wasn't significantly different from healthy controls, and it didn't predict who would recover. The study suggests that difficulty with emotions is not a unique feature of ME/CFS in young people.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

A twin study of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome: the effects of sudden illness onset.

Claypoole, Keith H, Noonan, Carolyn, Mahurin, Roderick K et al.·Neuropsychology·2007

This study compared 22 pairs of identical twins where one had ME/CFS and the other was healthy. Researchers gave both twins thinking and memory tests to see if ME/CFS affects the brain. Twins with ME/CFS had slower processing speed, weaker verbal memory, slower motor responses, and more difficulty with complex thinking tasks, even though they had the same genetic background as their healthy twin.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Not in the mind of neurasthenic lazybones but in the cell nucleus: patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have increased production of nuclear factor kappa beta.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivana, Bosmans, Eugene·Neuro endocrinology letters·2007

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of a molecule called NF-kappa-beta in their white blood cells, both at rest and when stimulated by immune signals. This molecule controls inflammation and stress responses in cells. The higher the NF-kappa-beta levels, the more severe patients' symptoms—including fatigue, muscle pain, and feeling sick—were reported to be.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Cold pressor pain sensitivity in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ullrich, Philip M, Afari, Niloofar, Jacobsen, Clemma et al.·Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)·2007

This study compared identical twins where one had ME/CFS and one did not to understand pain sensitivity. Researchers tested how twins responded to cold pain and found that while people with ME/CFS reported significantly higher levels of pain and fatigue during the test, their actual physical pain thresholds were not substantially different from their unaffected twins. This suggests that the pain experience in ME/CFS may be more about how the brain perceives and processes pain rather than a difference in the body's basic pain detection system.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Longitudinal analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in severely fatigued adolescents.

ter Wolbeek, Maike, van Doornen, Lorenz J P, Kavelaars, Annemieke et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2007

This study compared immune system markers in severely fatigued teenagers, healthy teenagers, and a small group of ME/CFS patients over one year. While fatigued teenagers reported more depression, anxiety, and sleep problems similar to ME/CFS patients, their immune systems looked normal. Only the ME/CFS patients showed a distinct immune pattern with unusually high anti-inflammatory and low pro-inflammatory markers.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Assessment of vulvodynia symptoms in a sample of US women: a prevalence survey with a nested case control study.

Arnold, Lauren D, Bachmann, Gloria A, Rosen, Raymond et al.·American journal of obstetrics and gynecology·2007

This study looked at how common vulvodynia (chronic pain in the vulva) is among American women and found that about 4% currently experience it. Women with vulvodynia were more likely to also have other conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome. Many women reported that the pain significantly affected their sexual life and daily activities.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Twin analyses of fatigue.

Schur, Ellen, Afari, Niloofar, Goldberg, Jack et al.·Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies·2007

This study looked at whether fatigue and ME/CFS run in families by studying twins. Researchers asked over 1,000 pairs of identical twins and 800 pairs of fraternal twins about their fatigue symptoms. They found that in men, genetics played a bigger role in fatigue, while in women, life circumstances and personal experiences were more important.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria.

Njoku, Mary Gloriac C, Jason, Leonard A, Torres-Harding, Susan R·Journal of health psychology·2007

This study measured how common ME/CFS is in Nigeria and found it occurs more often there than in similar studies done in the United States. The researchers suggest that illnesses like malaria and typhoid, combined with limited access to healthcare and poverty, may make people more likely to develop chronic fatigue. This highlights that ME/CFS may affect different populations around the world in different ways.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Temporomandibular disorder is associated with a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism in the Japanese population.

Ojima, Kiyomi, Watanabe, Nagaoki, Narita, Naoko et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2007

This study looked at a specific genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene in people with temporomandibular disorder (TMD)—a condition affecting the jaw joint. Researchers compared the genes of 36 patients with TMD to healthy controls and found that people with TMD were more likely to carry certain genetic variants related to serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain. Since serotonin problems have been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and similar conditions, this finding suggests genetics may play a role in TMD development.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome treated by acupuncture and moxibustion in combination with psychological approaches in 310 cases.

Guo, Junhua·Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan·2007

This study examined whether a combination of acupuncture, moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine technique using heat), and psychological support could help people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers treated 310 patients with this combined approach and found that most patients reported significant improvement in their symptoms. The results suggest this traditional medicine approach may be helpful for managing ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Endometriosis is associated with prevalence of comorbid conditions in migraine.

Tietjen, Gretchen E, Bushnell, Cheryl D, Herial, Nabeel A et al.·Headache·2007

This study found that women with migraines who also have endometriosis (a painful condition affecting the uterus) experience more frequent and severe headaches than women with migraines alone. Women with both conditions were also more likely to have other related conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, and bladder pain. The findings suggest these conditions may share common underlying factors, possibly related to hormones.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Newton, J L, Okonkwo, O, Sutcliffe, K et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2007

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have problems with their autonomic nervous system (the part that controls automatic body functions like heart rate and blood pressure). Researchers used a questionnaire called COMPASS to measure autonomic symptoms in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls. They found that autonomic dysfunction symptoms were significantly more common in ME/CFS patients and were linked to how severe their fatigue was.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Alexithymia in chronic fatigue syndrome: associations with momentary, recall, and retrospective measures of somatic complaints and emotions.

Friedberg, Fred, Quick, Joyce·Psychosomatic medicine·2007

This study looked at whether difficulty identifying and expressing emotions (a trait called alexithymia) is linked to fatigue and pain in ME/CFS patients. Researchers asked 111 people with ME/CFS to report their symptoms three ways: in real-time through daily diaries, in weekly recall, and in overall retrospective ratings over 6 months. The results showed that day-to-day emotional difficulty was not connected to how patients experienced symptoms moment-to-moment, but there was a weak connection to how they remembered pain over longer periods.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Decreased expression of CD69 in chronic fatigue syndrome in relation to inflammatory markers: evidence for a severe disorder in the early activation of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells.

Mihaylova, Ivana, DeRuyter, Marcel, Rummens, Jean-Luc et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2007

This study looked at immune cell activation in people with ME/CFS by measuring a protein called CD69 on the surface of immune cells. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had significantly lower levels of this activation marker on their T cells and natural killer cells compared to healthy people, even though the total number of immune cells was normal. This suggests that immune cells in ME/CFS may have trouble becoming activated properly in response to challenges.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Increased serum IgA and IgM against LPS of enterobacteria in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): indication for the involvement of gram-negative enterobacteria in the etiology of CFS and for the presence of an increased gut-intestinal permeability.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivana, Leunis, Jean-Claude·Journal of affective disorders·2007

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of immune antibodies (IgA and IgM) that react against bacteria normally found in the gut. The researchers suggest this indicates the gut barrier may be more permeable (leaky), allowing bacterial products to enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response. The study suggests testing for these antibodies might help identify and treat this potential gut problem in ME/CFS patients.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Hypocapnia is a biological marker for orthostatic intolerance in some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Intriligator, Roxann, Cherniack, Neil S et al.·Dynamic medicine : DM·2007

This study compared how ME/CFS patients and healthy volunteers responded to standing up for 8 minutes. Researchers measured blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. ME/CFS patients were more likely than healthy people to have abnormal responses, particularly low carbon dioxide levels (hypocapnia), which was linked to feeling more ill and short of breath.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

A real-time assessment of the effect of exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro, Cook, Dane B, Ohashi, Kyoko et al.·Physiology & behavior·2007

This study looked at what happens to people with ME/CFS after they exercise, tracking their symptoms in real-time using a watch-like computer for a week before and two weeks after exercise. The main finding was that physical symptoms like pain and fatigue got worse in ME/CFS patients, but this didn't happen right away—it took about five days to appear. Interestingly, mental symptoms and thinking abilities didn't show the same delayed worsening pattern that physical symptoms did.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Impact of visual impairment on quality of life: a comparison with quality of life in the general population and with other chronic conditions.

Complementary and alternative medical therapy utilization by people with chronic fatiguing illnesses in the United States.

beta-Alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Alexithymia in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A twin study of cognitive function in chronic fatigue syndrome: the effects of sudden illness onset.

Not in the mind of neurasthenic lazybones but in the cell nucleus: patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have increased production of nuclear factor kappa beta.

Cold pressor pain sensitivity in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Longitudinal analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in severely fatigued adolescents.

Assessment of vulvodynia symptoms in a sample of US women: a prevalence survey with a nested case control study.

Twin analyses of fatigue.

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria.

Temporomandibular disorder is associated with a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism in the Japanese population.

Chronic fatigue syndrome treated by acupuncture and moxibustion in combination with psychological approaches in 310 cases.

Endometriosis is associated with prevalence of comorbid conditions in migraine.

Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Alexithymia in chronic fatigue syndrome: associations with momentary, recall, and retrospective measures of somatic complaints and emotions.

Decreased expression of CD69 in chronic fatigue syndrome in relation to inflammatory markers: evidence for a severe disorder in the early activation of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells.

Increased serum IgA and IgM against LPS of enterobacteria in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): indication for the involvement of gram-negative enterobacteria in the etiology of CFS and for the presence of an increased gut-intestinal permeability.

Hypocapnia is a biological marker for orthostatic intolerance in some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A real-time assessment of the effect of exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

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