ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2881–2900 of 6,188 studies

Characteristics of the formation of chronic fatigue syndrome and approaches to its treatment in young patients with focal brain damage.

Boiko, A N, Batysheva, T T, Matvievskaya, O V et al.·Neuroscience and behavioral physiology·2007

This study looked at why people with brain injuries (from multiple sclerosis, stroke, infection, or trauma) develop severe fatigue. Researchers tested 50 patients and gave half of them a medication called Fezam to see if it would help. The medication reduced fatigue symptoms, especially in MS patients, with few side effects.

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 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Publication trends in chronic fatigue syndrome: comparisons with fibromyalgia and fatigue: 1995-2004.

Friedberg, Fred, Sohl, Stephanie, Schmeizer, Brett·Journal of psychosomatic research·2007

This study looked at how many scientific articles about ME/CFS were published between 1995 and 2004, and compared this to articles about fibromyalgia and fatigue. The researchers found that while articles about fibromyalgia and general fatigue increased significantly during this decade, the number of ME/CFS articles stayed relatively flat. This suggests that ME/CFS was not receiving growing research attention compared to similar conditions.

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 unclearCross-Sectional

The experience of cancer-related fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative and comparative study.

Bennett, Barbara, Goldstein, David, Friedlander, Michael et al.·Journal of pain and symptom management·2007

This study compared how fatigue affects women with cancer-related fatigue (after breast cancer treatment) versus women with ME/CFS. Both groups described very similar experiences: exhaustion, problems with thinking and memory, and mood changes. Women with ME/CFS also reported muscle pain and flu-like symptoms more often. The researchers found that these two conditions share a common set of disabling symptoms, suggesting they may involve similar underlying causes despite different triggers.

Cognitive Impairment

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

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 unclearCross-Sectional

Health status and health care utilization of multiple sclerosis in Canada.

Pohar, Sheri L, Jones, C Allyson, Warren, Sharon et al.·The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques·2007

This Canadian study compared people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to people without MS to understand how the disease affects their daily lives and health care needs. People with MS reported much worse overall health, were far more likely to experience fatigue and urinary problems, and had greater health care utilization. The study found that MS significantly burdens patients' quality of life and that their health care needs were often not being met.

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 not requiredCase-Control

Reduced levels of oestrogen receptor beta mRNA in Swedish patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gräns, Hanna, Nilsson, Maria, Dahlman-Wright, Karin et al.·Journal of clinical pathology·2007

This study looked at a protein called estrogen receptor beta in immune cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of this protein compared to healthy controls. Since estrogen plays a role in immune function and ME/CFS affects more women than men, this finding suggests hormone-related immune problems might be involved in the disease.

Immune 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 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

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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a prospective community study.

Rimes, Katharine A, Goodman, Robert, Hotopf, Matthew et al.·Pediatrics·2007

This study followed 842 British teenagers aged 11-15 for 4-6 months to see how common tiredness and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were and what factors might make them more likely. About 30% of teens developed new fatigue during the study, while less than 1% developed chronic fatigue or CFS. Importantly, most teens who had CFS at the start of the study felt better by the follow-up visit, suggesting that CFS in adolescents often improves over time. Teens with anxiety, depression, or behavior problems were more likely to develop fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Defining the occurrence and influence of alpha-delta sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Van Hoof, Elke, De Becker, Pascale, Lapp, Charles et al.·The American journal of the medical sciences·2007

This study looked at sleep patterns in 48 ME/CFS patients using overnight sleep recordings. Researchers found that patients had difficulty falling asleep, spent less time in deep restorative sleep, and showed an unusual pattern of brain waves (alpha-delta intrusion) during sleep. Interestingly, this abnormal sleep pattern was linked to anxiety rather than to immune system changes.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Cortisol and severe fatigue: a longitudinal study in adolescent girls.

Ter Wolbeek, Maike, van Doornen, Lorenz J P, Coffeng, Luc E et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2007

This study looked at whether girls with severe, ongoing fatigue have different stress hormone (cortisol) levels than girls without fatigue. Researchers tested cortisol levels at different times over a year and found that while fatigued girls reported much worse symptoms overall, their cortisol levels were actually normal and similar to non-fatigued girls. This suggests that severe fatigue in adolescents may not be caused by problems with how the body manages stress hormones.

Endocrine Disruption

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 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 unclearCase-Control

Not in the mind but in the cell: increased production of cyclo-oxygenase-2 and inducible NO synthase in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivana, Kubera, Marta et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2007

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of two inflammatory molecules (COX-2 and iNOS) in their white blood cells compared to healthy people. The levels of these inflammatory markers were directly linked to how severe their symptoms were, including fatigue, pain, brain fog, and feeling like they have an infection. This suggests ME/CFS involves real inflammation in the body, not just psychological factors.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Estimation of fatigue state in patient with CFS using actigraph and R-R interval power spectrum analysis].

Tajima, Seiki, Kuratsune, Hirohiko, Yamaguti, Kouzi et al.·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2007

This study measured activity levels and sleep patterns in people with ME/CFS using wearable devices and heart rate analysis. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had lower activity during waking hours, slept longer, experienced more frequent sleep disruptions, and showed abnormal nervous system activity during sleep compared to healthy people.

SleepAutonomic Nervous System

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Characteristics of the formation of chronic fatigue syndrome and approaches to its treatment in young patients with focal brain damage.

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

Publication trends in chronic fatigue syndrome: comparisons with fibromyalgia and fatigue: 1995-2004.

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

The experience of cancer-related fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative and comparative study.

Glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

Health status and health care utilization of multiple sclerosis in Canada.

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Nigeria.

Reduced levels of oestrogen receptor beta mRNA in Swedish patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

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.

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

Incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a prospective community study.

Defining the occurrence and influence of alpha-delta sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cortisol and severe fatigue: a longitudinal study in adolescent girls.

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

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

Not in the mind but in the cell: increased production of cyclo-oxygenase-2 and inducible NO synthase in chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Estimation of fatigue state in patient with CFS using actigraph and R-R interval power spectrum analysis].

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