ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3041–3060 of 6,161 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue and indicators of long-term employment disability in psychosomatic inpatients.

Tritt, Karin, Nickel, Marius, Mitterlehner, Ferdinand et al.·Wiener klinische Wochenschrift·2004

This study looked at 1,000 patients at a hospital clinic to understand why some people with severe, persistent exhaustion become unable to work. The researchers found that patients who couldn't work had stronger focus on physical symptoms, difficulty recognizing their own feelings, and trouble getting along with coworkers—not necessarily because they were sicker, but because of how they coped with their condition.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The specificity of the CDC-1994 criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of health status in three groups of patients who fulfill the criteria.

Kennedy, Gwen, Abbot, Neil C, Spence, Vance et al.·Annals of epidemiology·2004

This study looked at whether the standard definition of ME/CFS is specific enough to identify a single disease. Researchers compared three groups of patients who all met the official diagnostic criteria but got sick in different ways: some had gradual onset, some developed symptoms after Gulf War service, and some after pesticide exposure. They found important differences between these groups in their physical symptoms and emotional health, suggesting the current definition may be catching different conditions.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a follow-up study.

Gill, Anna C, Dosen, Ana, Ziegler, John B·Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine·2004

This study followed teenagers with severe fatigue for up to 8 years to see how many got better. Teenagers who had been fatigued for less than 6 months all recovered completely. Those diagnosed with ME/CFS had worse outcomes, with less than a quarter showing near-complete improvement, though some did get partially better. Being admitted to the hospital did not change whether teenagers recovered or not.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cortisol and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones in follicular-phase women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and effect of depressive symptoms on these hormones.

Gur, Ali, Cevik, Remzi, Nas, Kemal et al.·Arthritis research & therapy·2004

This study examined hormone levels in women with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, comparing them to healthy women. Researchers found that women with both conditions had lower cortisol (a stress hormone) than healthy controls, but other reproductive hormones were similar across groups. Depression symptoms appeared to be connected to even lower cortisol levels, though it's unclear whether depression causes low cortisol or low cortisol contributes to depression.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: matching exercise to symptom fluctuations.

Skinner, James S·The Physician and sportsmedicine·2004

People with ME/CFS often feel extremely tired and experience worsening fatigue after physical activity, leading many to stop exercising altogether and become weaker. This review suggests that gentle, intermittent exercise at low to moderate intensity may actually help improve how much activity patients can do and reduce their fatigue and other symptoms. The good news is that standard exercise testing doesn't make ME/CFS symptoms worse, and matching exercise type to daily symptom changes appears to be a practical approach.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

[Biologically active food additives for correction of the chronic fatigue syndrome].

Dotsenko, V A, Mosiĭchuk, L V, Paramonov, A E·Voprosy pitaniia·2004

This study looked at whether a nutritional supplement made from beer yeast called 'Nagipol' might help people with ME/CFS. Researchers gave the supplement to patients and found improvements in fatigue, thinking ability, mood symptoms, and some blood markers. The authors suggest it could be useful as part of dietary treatment for ME/CFS, especially for patients who are overweight.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Association of medically unexplained fatigue with ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism in Gulf War veterans.

Vladutiu, Georgirene D, Natelson, Benjamin H·Muscle & nerve·2004

This study looked at a specific gene called ACE that helps control muscle function and found that Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue had different versions of this gene compared to healthy veterans. Specifically, veterans with a certain genetic pattern (called DD) were much more likely to develop severe, long-lasting fatigue that doctors couldn't easily explain. This suggests that genetics may play a role in who develops ME/CFS, at least in this group of veterans.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diminished central activation during maximal voluntary contraction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schillings, M L, Kalkman, J S, van der Werf, S P et al.·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2004

This study compared how the brains and muscles of ME/CFS patients and healthy people control muscle strength during a sustained squeeze test. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had weaker voluntary control from their brain to their muscles at the start of the task, even though their muscles themselves were less fatigued afterward. This suggests that in ME/CFS, the problem may originate from reduced brain-to-muscle signaling rather than muscle weakness itself.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Outpatient rehabilitative treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME).

Viner, R, Gregorowski, A, Wine, C et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2004

This study looked at whether a combination of graded exercise, family counseling, and supportive care helped young people with ME/CFS get better compared to supportive care alone. Over 3-24 months, young people who received the full treatment program were more likely to return to school and report feeling better, with 43% fully recovering compared to only 4.5% in the supportive care alone group.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

General practitioners' perceptions of chronic fatigue syndrome and beliefs about its management, compared with irritable bowel syndrome: qualitative study.

Raine, Rosalind, Carter, Simon, Sensky, Tom et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2004

This study asked 46 general practitioners (GPs) in England about their views on ME/CFS and compared these with their views on irritable bowel syndrome. The researchers found that many GPs held negative stereotypes about ME/CFS patients, viewing them unfavorably because the condition has no clear physical marker, changes how it's classified over time, and conflicts with traditional ideas about work and illness. These negative attitudes made it harder for GPs to provide effective care.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Increased neutrophil apoptosis in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kennedy, G, Spence, V, Underwood, C et al.·Journal of clinical pathology·2004

This study found that people with ME/CFS have more dying white blood cells (neutrophils) and fewer healthy ones compared to people without the condition. The researchers also discovered that ME/CFS patients have higher levels of a chemical called TGF-beta1 that can trigger cell death. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves measurable problems with the immune system that can be detected in a blood test.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Gastric emptying is slow in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Burnet, Richard B, Chatterton, Barry E·BMC gastroenterology·2004

This study found that people with ME/CFS often have stomach problems that can be measured with special imaging tests. Researchers compared 32 ME/CFS patients with 45 healthy people and discovered that most ME/CFS patients had slower movement of food through their stomachs, particularly liquids. These measured stomach delays matched up with how severe patients' digestive symptoms were.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Posttraumatic stress disorder and physical illness: results from clinical and epidemiologic studies.

Boscarino, Joseph A·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2004

This study looked at whether people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) are more likely to develop physical illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers examined nearly 2,500 Vietnam veterans and found that those with chronic PTSD had higher rates of autoimmune diseases and showed immune system changes that could explain why trauma survivors develop long-lasting health problems.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Electrodermal dissociation of chronic fatigue and depression: evidence for distinct physiological mechanisms.

Pazderka-Robinson, Hannah, Morrison, James W, Flor-Henry, Pierre·International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2004

This study looked at how the bodies of people with ME/CFS and people with depression respond differently to their surroundings. Researchers measured skin conductance (how easily electricity travels across the skin) and skin temperature while participants performed a task. They found that people with ME/CFS had notably lower skin conductance levels and higher skin temperature compared to people with depression and healthy controls, suggesting these are two different conditions with different underlying biology.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Development of the chronic fatigue syndrome in severely fatigued employees: predictors of outcome in the Maastricht cohort study.

Huibers, Marcus J H, Kant, I Jmert, Knottnerus, J André et al.·Journal of epidemiology and community health·2004

This study followed over 1,100 Dutch workers who reported unexplained fatigue for 3.7 years to see who would develop ME/CFS and who would recover. About 8% developed ME/CFS-like illness, 40% continued to have fatigue without meeting ME/CFS criteria, and 52% recovered completely. The study found that people at higher risk of developing ME/CFS tended to be older, female, less educated, and reported feeling exhausted and in poor health.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Predictors of outcome in fatigued employees on sick leave: results from a randomised trial.

Huibers, Marcus J H, Bleijenberg, Gijs, van Amelsvoort, Ludovic G P M et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2004

This study followed 151 tired employees on sick leave for one year to see who recovered and who returned to work. The researchers found that about 43% of people stopped having persistent fatigue, and 62% went back to work. Interestingly, getting better from fatigue and returning to work were driven by different factors—people who recovered from fatigue tended to view their condition differently psychologically, while those who returned to work tended to be younger, male, and have fewer thinking/memory problems.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Subjective and objective sleepiness in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Watson, Nathaniel F, Jacobsen, Clemma, Goldberg, Jack et al.·Sleep·2004

This study compared sleepiness in identical twins where one had ME/CFS and one did not. People with ME/CFS reported feeling much more sleepy on questionnaires, but when researchers measured how quickly they fell asleep in a lab test, both groups fell asleep at similar speeds. The researchers suggest that people with ME/CFS may be confusing their chronic exhaustion with sleepiness.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Prevalence of abnormal cardiac wall motion in the cardiomyopathy associated with incomplete multiplication of Epstein-barr Virus and/or cytomegalovirus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lerner, A Martin, Dworkin, Howard J, Sayyed, Tawfeeq et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2004

This study examined whether certain ME/CFS patients have heart problems caused by incomplete viral infections with Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients with specific viral antibodies in their blood were more likely to show abnormal heart wall movement compared to control patients without ME/CFS. Some ME/CFS patients even showed heart tissue damage (cardiomyopathy) on biopsy.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Use of time-frequency analysis to investigate temporal patterns of cardiac autonomic response during head-up tilt in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro, Quigley, Karen S, Ohashi, Kyoko et al.·Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical·2004

This study looked at how the nervous system that controls heart rate and blood pressure responds when people stand up from lying down. Researchers tested people with ME/CFS (with and without a condition called POTS), and compared them to healthy volunteers. They found that even ME/CFS patients without POTS showed subtle differences in how their heart rate changed during the standing test, suggesting their autonomic nervous system may not work quite normally.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The feeling of fatigue--fatigue severity by unidimensional versus composite questionnaires.

Naschitz, Jochanan E, Rozenbaum, Michael, Shaviv, Nomi et al.·Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)·2004

This study compared two different questionnaires used to measure fatigue in ME/CFS patients and other groups with fatigue. Researchers found that a simple one-question fatigue scale and a more detailed multi-part fatigue scale gave very similar results, suggesting the simpler tool works just as well for tracking how severe someone's fatigue is.

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Chronic fatigue and indicators of long-term employment disability in psychosomatic inpatients.

The specificity of the CDC-1994 criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of health status in three groups of patients who fulfill the criteria.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a follow-up study.

Cortisol and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones in follicular-phase women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and effect of depressive symptoms on these hormones.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: matching exercise to symptom fluctuations.

[Biologically active food additives for correction of the chronic fatigue syndrome].

Association of medically unexplained fatigue with ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism in Gulf War veterans.

Diminished central activation during maximal voluntary contraction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Outpatient rehabilitative treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME).

General practitioners' perceptions of chronic fatigue syndrome and beliefs about its management, compared with irritable bowel syndrome: qualitative study.

Increased neutrophil apoptosis in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gastric emptying is slow in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and physical illness: results from clinical and epidemiologic studies.

Electrodermal dissociation of chronic fatigue and depression: evidence for distinct physiological mechanisms.

Development of the chronic fatigue syndrome in severely fatigued employees: predictors of outcome in the Maastricht cohort study.

Predictors of outcome in fatigued employees on sick leave: results from a randomised trial.

Subjective and objective sleepiness in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prevalence of abnormal cardiac wall motion in the cardiomyopathy associated with incomplete multiplication of Epstein-barr Virus and/or cytomegalovirus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Use of time-frequency analysis to investigate temporal patterns of cardiac autonomic response during head-up tilt in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The feeling of fatigue--fatigue severity by unidimensional versus composite questionnaires.

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