ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2881–2900 of 6,160 studies

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

Sympathetic predominance of cardiovascular regulation during mild orthostatic stress in adolescents with chronic fatigue.

Wyller, Vegard B, Saul, J P, Amlie, Jan P et al.·Clinical physiology and functional imaging·2007

This study looked at how the nervous system controls the heart and blood vessels in teenagers with ME/CFS when their bodies experience mild stress (tilting on a bed). Researchers found that adolescents with ME/CFS showed an exaggerated sympathetic nervous system response—meaning their "fight or flight" system kicked in too strongly compared to healthy teenagers. This suggests the body's automatic control of heart rate and blood pressure may not work normally in ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Hematologic and urinary excretion anomalies in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Niblett, Suzanne H, King, Katrina E, Dunstan, R Hugh et al.·Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2007

Researchers compared blood and urine samples from 100 people with ME/CFS and 82 healthy controls to look for abnormalities. While standard blood tests appeared normal, closer examination found subtle differences in blood cell counts and patterns in how patients' bodies were processing and excreting amino acids (building blocks of protein) and other compounds in their urine.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rajeevan, M S, Smith, A K, Dimulescu, I et al.·Genes, brain, and behavior·2007

This study looked at whether differences in a specific gene (the glucocorticoid receptor gene) might affect who develops ME/CFS. Researchers compared 40 people with ME/CFS to people without the illness and found that certain genetic variations were more common in those with ME/CFS. This gene is involved in how the body manages stress through a system called the HPA axis, which may be disrupted in ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Low-resolution electromagnetic brain tomography (LORETA) of monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sherlin, Leslie, Budzynski, Thomas, Kogan Budzynski, Helen et al.·NeuroImage·2007

Researchers used a special brain scanning technique called LORETA to measure electrical activity in the brains of identical twins—one with ME/CFS and one without. They found that twins with ME/CFS had different patterns of brain activity in specific regions, particularly in areas related to mood, energy management, and the nervous system's stress response. This suggests that ME/CFS may involve measurable differences in how certain parts of the brain function.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Multiple chemical sensitivity: study of 52 cases].

Nogué, Santiago, Fernández-Solá, Joaquim, Rovira, Elisabet et al.·Medicina clinica·2007

This study looked at 52 patients with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)—a condition where people react badly to everyday chemicals like pesticides and cleaning products. Most patients were middle-aged women, and about 60% developed MCS after a workplace chemical exposure. The researchers found that people with MCS often have very similar symptoms to chronic fatigue syndrome, and while their condition stayed stable over time, it significantly reduced their quality of life.

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 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

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have reduced absolute cortical blood flow.

Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro, Farkas, Jeffrey, Natelson, Benjamin H·Clinical physiology and functional imaging·2006

This study used advanced brain imaging to measure blood flow in the brains of 25 ME/CFS patients and 7 healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had less blood flowing to parts of their brain compared to healthy controls, especially those without concurrent psychiatric conditions. This reduced blood flow might help explain some of the cognitive and physical symptoms ME/CFS patients experience.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Probing the working memory system in chronic fatigue syndrome: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study using the n-back task.

Caseras, Xavier, Mataix-Cols, David, Giampietro, Vincent et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2006

Researchers used brain imaging to study how people with ME/CFS perform memory tasks. Although patients and healthy people did equally well on the tasks, their brains used different patterns of activity—patients showed unusual activation in certain brain regions during easier tasks and reduced activity in key memory areas during harder tasks. This suggests that people with ME/CFS may need to work harder mentally to achieve the same results.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Mortality in a cohort of chronically fatigued patients.

Smith, Wayne R, Noonan, Carolyn, Buchwald, Dedra·Psychological medicine·2006

Researchers tracked 1,201 patients with chronic fatigue for up to 14 years to see if the condition was linked to higher death rates. They found that overall death rates were normal, but suicide rates were much higher than expected in the general population—especially among patients with chronic fatigue who did NOT meet the full criteria for ME/CFS, and particularly those with a history of depression.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Linear data mining the Wichita clinical matrix suggests sleep and allostatic load involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gurbaxani, Brian M, Jones, James F, Goertzel, Benjamin N et al.·Pharmacogenomics·2006

Researchers analyzed clinical data from 164 ME/CFS patients and controls to identify patterns that distinguish the condition from health. Using mathematical techniques to find which body measurements best separated the two groups, they found that sleep problems and markers of physical stress (allostatic load) were important—though no single measurement was strongly predictive on its own. The study suggests that ME/CFS may involve multiple interconnected biological changes rather than one simple cause.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load.

Maloney, Elizabeth M, Gurbaxani, Brian M, Jones, James F et al.·Pharmacogenomics·2006

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have higher "allostatic load"—a measure of how much physical stress the body is under based on things like blood pressure, cortisol levels, and waist-to-hip ratio. Researchers compared 43 ME/CFS patients to 60 healthy people and found that ME/CFS patients were about twice as likely to have high allostatic load. This suggests that ME/CFS may involve ongoing physical stress on the body's systems.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evaluation of maximal exercise performance, fatigue, and depression in athletes with acquired chronic training intolerance.

St Clair Gibson, A, Grobler, L A, Collins, M et al.·Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine·2006

This study looked at athletes who reported unusual tiredness and couldn't train like they normally could, even though their bodies seemed to work normally during fitness tests. Researchers found that these athletes' muscles and heart/lung capacity were just as strong as athletes without fatigue problems, but they had higher scores for depression and mood problems. The study suggests that the excessive tiredness these athletes felt might be connected to depression rather than a physical problem with their muscles or fitness.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Linkages between goal attainment and quality of life for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Query, Michelle, Taylor, Renée R·Occupational therapy in health care·2006

This study looked at whether setting and achieving personal goals could improve quality of life for people with ME/CFS. Forty-seven participants attended eight group sessions where they set goals and tracked their progress. The researchers found that people who made progress toward their goals reported better quality of life, regardless of how severe their fatigue or other symptoms were.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Activation of human herpesviruses 6 and 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chapenko, S, Krumina, A, Kozireva, S et al.·Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology·2006

This study looked at whether two common viruses (HHV-6 and HHV-7) that usually stay dormant in the body might be reactivating in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS were more likely to have both viruses active at the same time, and when both were active, their immune cells showed signs of stress. This suggests these viruses might play a role in ME/CFS, though the study cannot prove they cause the disease.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Influence of melatonin on fatigue severity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and late melatonin secretion.

van Heukelom, R O, Prins, J B, Smits, M G et al.·European journal of neurology·2006

This study tested whether melatonin could help reduce fatigue in ME/CFS patients who have a delayed internal body clock. Twenty-nine patients took 5 mg of melatonin for 3 months timed to their natural sleep-wake rhythm, and researchers measured changes in their fatigue using a validated questionnaire. The treatment improved fatigue, concentration, motivation, and activity levels, with the biggest improvements seen in patients whose body clocks were most delayed.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diurnal excretion of urinary cortisol, cortisone, and cortisol metabolites in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jerjes, Walid K, Peters, Timothy J, Taylor, Norman F et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2006

This study measured stress hormone levels in urine samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people throughout the day. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of certain stress hormones (cortisol and cortisone) compared to healthy controls, though the daily pattern of these hormones was normal. Interestingly, when they looked at other related hormone measurements, they didn't see the same difference, which suggests the stress response system may not be working as hard in ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

[The peculiarities of formation and approaches to the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome in young patients with focal brain damage].

Boĭko, A N, Batysheva, T T, Matvievskaia, O V et al.·Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova·2006

This study looked at chronic fatigue (tiredness that doesn't go away) in young patients who had brain injuries or diseases like multiple sclerosis or other brain conditions. Researchers tested whether a medication called Fezam (made from piracetam and cinnarizin) could help reduce this fatigue. The medication did help reduce fatigue severity, particularly in MS patients, though some patients experienced mild side effects like sleep problems.

Interventions

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

Sympathetic predominance of cardiovascular regulation during mild orthostatic stress in adolescents with chronic fatigue.

Hematologic and urinary excretion anomalies in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Low-resolution electromagnetic brain tomography (LORETA) of monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Multiple chemical sensitivity: study of 52 cases].

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

Endometriosis is associated with prevalence of comorbid conditions in migraine.

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have reduced absolute cortical blood flow.

Probing the working memory system in chronic fatigue syndrome: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study using the n-back task.

Mortality in a cohort of chronically fatigued patients.

Linear data mining the Wichita clinical matrix suggests sleep and allostatic load involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and high allostatic load.

Evaluation of maximal exercise performance, fatigue, and depression in athletes with acquired chronic training intolerance.

Linkages between goal attainment and quality of life for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Activation of human herpesviruses 6 and 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Influence of melatonin on fatigue severity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and late melatonin secretion.

Diurnal excretion of urinary cortisol, cortisone, and cortisol metabolites in chronic fatigue syndrome.

[The peculiarities of formation and approaches to the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome in young patients with focal brain damage].

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