ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3101–3120 of 6,209 studies

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 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 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 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

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 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 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 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 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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome-like caseness in the working population: results from the Maastricht cohort study.

Huibers, M J H, Kant, I J, Swaen, G M H et al.·Occupational and environmental medicine·2004

This study looked at how common ME/CFS-like illness is among working people in the Netherlands. Researchers followed nearly 5,500 employees over about 3 years and 8 months and found that 3.6% met the medical criteria for ME/CFS, even though only 0.36% had actually been diagnosed by a doctor. This suggests that ME/CFS may be going unrecognized and undiagnosed in many working people.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Elevated levels of some neuroactive progesterone metabolites, particularly isopregnanolone, in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Murphy, B E Pearson, Abbott, F V, Allison, C M et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2004

Researchers measured hormone breakdown products in the blood of women with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy women. They found that women with ME/CFS had significantly higher levels of a specific progesterone metabolite called isopregnanolone—more than twice as high as controls. This suggests that abnormal hormone metabolism may be involved in ME/CFS, and that depression alone cannot explain these chemical differences.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses in adolescents: a population-based study.

Jones, James F, Nisenbaum, Rosane, Solomon, Laura et al.·The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·2004

Researchers surveyed families in Kansas to see how many adolescents (ages 12-17) had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or other long-term fatigue illnesses. They found that CFS is much less common in teenagers than in adults. When both teens and their parents were carefully evaluated by doctors, none of the participating teenagers actually met the full definition of CFS, though some had prolonged fatigue from other causes.

Diagnostics

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 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sociodemographic and symptom correlates of fatigue in an adolescent primary care sample.

Mears, Cynthia J, Taylor, Renee R, Jordan, Karen M et al.·The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·2004

This study looked at how common fatigue lasting more than one month is in teenagers visiting primary care clinics. Researchers found that about 8% of teens had prolonged fatigue and 4.4% had symptoms matching CFS-like illness. Teens with prolonged fatigue were more likely to also experience headaches, muscle pain, fever, and fatigue that worsened with exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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 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 ModerateMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Reduction of serotonin transporters of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yamamoto, Shigeyuki, Ouchi, Yasuomi, Onoe, Hirotaka et al.·Neuroreport·2004

Researchers used brain imaging (PET scans) to study a chemical messenger in the brain called serotonin in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients had lower levels of serotonin transporters—the proteins that carry serotonin—in a specific brain region called the rostral anterior cingulate. This suggests that serotonin system dysfunction may be involved in ME/CFS symptoms.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Illness and disability in Danish Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients at diagnosis and 5-year follow-up.

Andersen, M M, Permin, H, Albrecht, F·Journal of psychosomatic research·2004

This study followed 33 people with ME/CFS for 5 years to see how their illness affected their daily lives. Researchers found that most people remained severely disabled, with very few experiencing meaningful recovery. While emotional well-being sometimes improved over time, problems like difficulty reading and allergies often got worse.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Regional distribution of fatiguing illnesses in the United States: a pilot study.

Bierl, Cynthia, Nisenbaum, Rosane, Hoaglin, David C et al.·Population health metrics·2004

Researchers called people across the United States and asked about chronic fatigue lasting at least 6 months. They estimated that about 2.2 million American adults have a condition that looks like ME/CFS based on symptoms alone, without medical testing. The study found that fatiguing illnesses were slightly more common in rural areas than cities, but there were no major differences between different regions of the country.

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

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

Increased neutrophil apoptosis in chronic fatigue syndrome.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Gastric emptying is slow in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome-like caseness in the working population: results from the Maastricht cohort study.

Elevated levels of some neuroactive progesterone metabolites, particularly isopregnanolone, in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses in adolescents: a population-based study.

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

Sociodemographic and symptom correlates of fatigue in an adolescent primary care sample.

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

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

Reduction of serotonin transporters of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Illness and disability in Danish Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients at diagnosis and 5-year follow-up.

Regional distribution of fatiguing illnesses in the United States: a pilot study.

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

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