ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

321–340 of 397 studies

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Forming a consensus opinion to inform long COVID support mechanisms and interventions: a modified Delphi approach.

Owen, Rebecca, Ashton, Ruth E M, Ferraro, Francesco V et al.·EClinicalMedicine·2023

Researchers gathered opinions from doctors, physiotherapists, patients with Long COVID, and scientists across multiple countries to agree on the best ways to support and treat Long COVID. Using three rounds of surveys, they found strong agreement that Long COVID needs specialized, personalized care plans that address individual symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and breathing problems, with emphasis on pacing and gradually returning to daily activities.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Clinical effects of wasabi extract containing 6-MSITC on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an open-label trial.

Oka, Takakazu, Yamada, Yu, Lkhagvasuren, Battuvshin et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2022

Researchers tested whether wasabi extract—specifically a compound called 6-MSITC that has anti-inflammatory properties—could help people with ME/CFS. Fifteen patients took the supplement daily for 12 weeks, and many reported improvements in headaches, muscle pain, brain fog, and cognitive problems like word-finding difficulties. The study found measurable improvements in pain sensitivity and thinking speed, though overall fatigue scores did not change significantly.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Study on the active components and mechanism of Suanzaoren decoction in improving cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation.

Cheng, Li, Wang, Fei, Li, Zi-Heng et al.·Journal of ethnopharmacology·2022

This study examined how an ancient Chinese herbal remedy called Suanzaoren Decoction (SZRD) might help improve thinking and memory problems caused by poor sleep. Researchers used computer analysis and laboratory experiments to identify the active ingredients in the herbs and understand how they work in the body, finding that the remedy may work through pathways related to estrogen in the brain.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Possible Application of Melatonin in Long COVID.

Cardinali, Daniel P, Brown, Gregory M, Pandi-Perumal, Seithikurippu R·Biomolecules·2022

This review examines whether melatonin, a natural hormone that regulates sleep, might help people with long COVID who experience symptoms similar to ME/CFS—such as brain fog, fatigue, and muscle pain. Melatonin has several properties that could potentially help: it reduces inflammation, fights harmful molecules in the body, supports immune function, and protects nerve cells. The authors suggest melatonin might be worth studying further as a treatment for the lingering cognitive and pain symptoms some long COVID patients experience.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Assessment of Hearing and Vestibular Functions in a Post-COVID-19 Patient: A Clinical Case Study.

Andreeva, Irina Germanovna, Gvozdeva, Alisa, Pimenova, Vera et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2022

This study examined one patient who had both long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors tested their hearing and balance systems, and found problems with how the brain processes sounds—particularly difficulty with rapid sound changes and understanding speech. Interestingly, the nerve fibers in the skin and eyes were normal, suggesting the problem is in how the brain handles auditory information rather than in damaged nerves. The researchers suggest that this auditory processing difficulty may add extra strain to the nervous system and worsen fatigue during daily activities.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Review of the Midbrain Ascending Arousal Network Nuclei and Implications for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Postexertional Malaise (PEM).

Baraniuk, James N·Brain sciences·2022

This review examines a brain region called the midbrain and how it might contribute to post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms after activity that happens in ME/CFS. When ME/CFS patients did exercise in a study, their midbrain showed increased activity during mental tasks, while Gulf War Illness patients showed the opposite pattern. The authors suggest that problems in this brain region could explain why ME/CFS patients have trouble with energy, sleep, mood, pain, and temperature control, especially after exertion.

Cognitive ImpairmentPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Stress, asthenia and cognitive disorders].

Vasenina, E E, Gankina, O A, Levin, O S·Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova·2022

This article examines how extreme tiredness (asthenia) relates to ME/CFS and other conditions affecting mood and thinking. The authors explain that severe fatigue can start as the body's warning signal that energy is running out, but it can develop into a serious, disabling disease on its own. They discuss how fatigue often occurs together with depression, anxiety, and problems with memory or concentration, which can make it harder for doctors to figure out what's really causing a patient's symptoms.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Stress, Asthenia, and Cognitive Disorders.

Vasenina, E E, Gankina, O A, Levin, O S·Neuroscience and behavioral physiology·2022

This article explores the connection between extreme tiredness (asthenia), chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and problems with thinking and mood. The authors explain that fatigue can start as your body's way of protecting itself when energy is running low, but it can develop into a serious condition that affects quality of life. They discuss how ME/CFS often appears alongside cognitive difficulties and mood changes, which can make diagnosis confusing.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryPEM not required

An Unexpected Journey: The Lived Experiences of Patients with Long-Term Cognitive Sequelae After Recovering from COVID-19.

Loft, Mia I, Foged, Eva M, Koreska, Mai·Qualitative health research·2022

This study listened to people who experienced long-lasting thinking and memory problems after recovering from COVID-19. Patients described how these cognitive symptoms disrupted their daily lives, work, and relationships, and left them feeling anxious and uncertain about their future. The researchers suggest that doctors and researchers could learn from how people with similar conditions—like ME/CFS—manage their symptoms while waiting for treatments.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Experiences of occupational disruption for adults in Australia.

Bartlett, Chelsea, Hughes, Julie L, Miller, Laura·The British journal of occupational therapy·2022

This Australian study interviewed five people with ME/CFS about how the illness affected their ability to work and participate in daily activities. Participants described losing the ability to do the things that mattered to them—first hobbies and leisure activities, then work, and eventually basic self-care tasks. They also faced challenges from lack of understanding about ME/CFS, financial difficulties, and limited healthcare support.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue.

Teitelbaum, Jacob, Goudie, Sarah·Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

This study tested a special form of red ginseng called HRG80 in people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and post-COVID fatigue. Over one month, 188 patients took daily ginseng supplements and reported their symptoms. About 60% of participants felt better, with improvements in energy, mental clarity, sleep, and stamina.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Wirth, Klaus J, Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Paul, Friedemann·Journal of translational medicine·2021

This paper proposes an explanation for why ME/CFS patients experience brain fog, cognitive problems, headaches, and other neurological symptoms. The authors suggest that blood vessels in the brain may not be working properly, reducing blood flow to the brain and increasing pressure inside the skull. They argue this could also cause an overactive stress response in the nervous system, leading to the wide range of symptoms patients experience.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Changes in the Allostatic Response to Whole-Body Cryotherapy and Static-Stretching Exercises in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients vs. Healthy Individuals.

Kujawski, Sławomir, Bach, Anna M, Słomko, Joanna et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2021

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients and healthy people respond to cold therapy combined with stretching exercises. Researchers measured fatigue, thinking ability, heart function, and nervous system activity before and after 10 sessions of treatment. They found that ME/CFS patients showed more disrupted connections between these body systems compared to healthy controls, suggesting their bodies struggle more to maintain balance under stress.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Central sensitivity and fibromyalgia.

Mezhov, Veronica, Guymer, Emma, Littlejohn, Geoffrey·Internal medicine journal·2021

Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are conditions where the nervous system becomes oversensitive, causing widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and brain fog. These conditions often occur together and share similar underlying problems with how the brain and spinal cord process pain and other signals. This review explains what causes these conditions and how doctors can recognize and treat them using a combination of education, exercise, stress management, and medications.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Post-COVID-19 syndrome: epidemiology, diagnostic criteria and pathogenic mechanisms involved.

Carod-Artal, F J·Revista de neurologia·2021

Many people who have had COVID-19, even mild cases, don't fully recover and experience long-lasting symptoms for months afterward. This article reviews what we know about post-COVID-19 syndrome, including who gets it, what symptoms they have, and what might be causing it. Common symptoms include fatigue, breathing problems, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and depression. The exact biological reasons why this happens are still unknown, though experts think abnormal immune and inflammatory responses may play a role.

DiagnosticsCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

Is Cognitive Change Necessary to Alleviate Symptoms in Patients With Functional Somatic Syndrome?

Maroti, Daniel, Johansson, Robert·Frontiers in psychiatry·2021

This study examined whether changing how patients think about their symptoms (cognitive change) is necessary to improve symptoms in people with functional somatic syndromes like ME/CFS. The researchers explored the relationship between psychological thinking patterns and symptom improvement to understand better which approaches might help patients feel better.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryPEM not required

Building-related illness (BRI) in all family members caused by mold infestation after dampness damage of the building.

Kramer, Axel, Wichelhaus, Thomas A, Kempf, Volkhard et al.·GMS hygiene and infection control·2021

A family of five living in a house with severe mold damage all developed health problems. The mother developed symptoms very similar to ME/CFS, including extreme fatigue, cognitive problems, sleep issues, and respiratory complaints. After the family moved out, symptoms improved gradually—the father recovered in 2 weeks, the children in 6 months, and the mother took 18 months to fully recover.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Understanding Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Emerging Osteopathic Approach: A Narrative Review.

Larrimore, Christopher, Ramnot, Amanda, Jaghab, Annmarie et al.·The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association·2019

This article reviews what scientists know about ME/CFS, including its symptoms, how it affects the body, and why it's hard to diagnose. The authors discuss both traditional medical approaches and osteopathic treatment (a type of hands-on therapy that focuses on the body's structure and function) as possible ways to help people with ME/CFS feel better. The review emphasizes that ME/CFS is a real, serious illness that deserves more awareness among doctors and better treatment options.

Immune SystemCognitive ImpairmentPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredMechanistic

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Watanabe, Kyosuke, Sasaki, Akihiro T, Tajima, Kanako et al.·Scientific reports·2019

When healthy people become mentally tired from doing difficult thinking tasks, their brains start paying more attention to sad and negative images. This study used computer tasks to measure how people's attention shifts before and after mental exhaustion. The findings suggest that fatigue changes how our brains process sad information, which may help explain why ME/CFS patients often struggle with mood-related challenges.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Treatment for Gulf War Illness (GWI) with KPAX002 (methylphenidate hydrochloride + GWI nutrient formula) in subjects meeting the Kansas case definition: A prospective, open-label trial.

Holodniy, Mark, Kaiser, Jon D·Journal of psychiatric research·2019

Researchers tested a combination treatment called KPAX002—containing a stimulant medication (methylphenidate) plus vitamins and nutrients meant to support energy production in cells—in 17 people with Gulf War Illness. After 12 weeks, patients reported about 25% improvement in their overall symptoms, including better fatigue, brain fog, sleep, and pain. The treatment was generally safe and well-tolerated, though a larger, more rigorous study is needed to confirm these results.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

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Forming a consensus opinion to inform long COVID support mechanisms and interventions: a modified Delphi approach.

Clinical effects of wasabi extract containing 6-MSITC on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an open-label trial.

Study on the active components and mechanism of Suanzaoren decoction in improving cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation.

Possible Application of Melatonin in Long COVID.

Assessment of Hearing and Vestibular Functions in a Post-COVID-19 Patient: A Clinical Case Study.

Review of the Midbrain Ascending Arousal Network Nuclei and Implications for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Postexertional Malaise (PEM).

[Stress, asthenia and cognitive disorders].

Stress, Asthenia, and Cognitive Disorders.

An Unexpected Journey: The Lived Experiences of Patients with Long-Term Cognitive Sequelae After Recovering from COVID-19.

Living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Experiences of occupational disruption for adults in Australia.

An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue.

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Changes in the Allostatic Response to Whole-Body Cryotherapy and Static-Stretching Exercises in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients vs. Healthy Individuals.

Central sensitivity and fibromyalgia.

Post-COVID-19 syndrome: epidemiology, diagnostic criteria and pathogenic mechanisms involved.

Is Cognitive Change Necessary to Alleviate Symptoms in Patients With Functional Somatic Syndrome?

Building-related illness (BRI) in all family members caused by mold infestation after dampness damage of the building.

Understanding Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Emerging Osteopathic Approach: A Narrative Review.

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Treatment for Gulf War Illness (GWI) with KPAX002 (methylphenidate hydrochloride + GWI nutrient formula) in subjects meeting the Kansas case definition: A prospective, open-label trial.

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