ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3301–3320 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Use of alternative treatments by chronic fatigue syndrome discordant twins.

Afari, N, Eisenberg, DM, Herrell, R et al.·Integrative medicine : integrating conventional and alternative medicine·2000

This study looked at how often people with ME/CFS use alternative treatments compared to their identical twins who don't have the illness. Researchers surveyed 63 twin pairs and found that 91% of people with ME/CFS had tried at least one alternative therapy (such as herbs, vitamins, massage, or meditation), compared to 71% of their healthy twins. While many people found these treatments helpful, most didn't tell their doctors they were using them.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Odor perception: multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, and asthma.

Caccappolo, E, Kipen, H, Kelly-McNeil, K et al.·Journal of occupational and environmental medicine·2000

This study tested whether people with chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, and asthma have unusually sensitive noses. Researchers measured how well different groups could smell odors and identify them. While people with chemical sensitivities didn't actually detect odors at lower levels than others, they did report feeling more physical symptoms and found certain smells more unpleasant than other groups did.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Significant other responses are associated with fatigue and functional status among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schmaling, K B, Smith, W R, Buchwald, D S·Psychosomatic medicine·2000

This study looked at how partners' responses to ME/CFS symptoms affect patients' outcomes. Researchers found that when partners were very helpful and supportive (called 'solicitous' responses), patients actually reported worse fatigue and disability—especially in relationships that were otherwise satisfying. The study couldn't determine whether supportive partners inadvertently discourage activity, or whether sicker patients simply receive more support.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Antibodies to parvovirus B19 non-structural protein are associated with chronic but not acute arthritis following B19 infection.

Kerr, J R, Cunniffe, V S·Rheumatology (Oxford, England)·2000

This study tracked people who had parvovirus B19 infection to see if certain antibodies (immune proteins) in their blood were linked to lasting joint pain and arthritis. Researchers found that antibodies to a specific viral protein called NS1 were more common in people who developed chronic arthritis months or years after the infection, but were not associated with arthritis during the acute illness itself.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychiatric morbidity and illness experience of primary care patients with chronic fatigue in Hong Kong.

Lee, S, Yu, H, Wing, Y et al.·The American journal of psychiatry·2000

This study looked at 100 people in Hong Kong who had severe tiredness lasting at least 6 months to understand how common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety were in this group. Researchers found that over half of these patients had experienced depression or anxiety at some point in their lives, and about a quarter had these conditions at the time of the study. Interestingly, patients' main complaints were often pain, sleep problems, and worry—not just fatigue—and most believed their illness started from stressful life events.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Personality in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rangel, L, Garralda, E, Levin, M et al.·European child & adolescent psychiatry·2000

This study looked at personality traits in teenagers with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy teenagers. Researchers found that adolescents with ME/CFS were more likely to show certain personality features like being very conscientious, feeling vulnerable, experiencing worthlessness, and having unstable emotions. While personality difficulties were linked to worse social skills and more psychological symptoms, the study suggests these traits are separate from having psychiatric disorders.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attributions in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome in tertiary care.

Neerinckx, E, Van Houdenhove, B, Lysens, R et al.·The Journal of rheumatology·2000

This study looked at what 192 patients with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain believed was causing their illness. Most patients thought their condition had both physical causes (like a virus or chemical imbalance) and emotional causes (like stress). The researchers found that patients' beliefs about what caused their illness were quite varied, and these beliefs did not differ much based on their specific diagnosis.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: occupation, medical utilization, and subtypes in a community-based sample.

Jason, L A, Taylor, R R, Kennedy, C L et al.·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·2000

This study looked at people with ME/CFS living in the Chicago community to understand how the condition affects their work, healthcare use, and daily life. Researchers randomly surveyed over 18,000 people, identified those with ME/CFS symptoms, and had doctors confirm their diagnosis. They found that people with ME/CFS differed significantly from each other in how sick they were, when their illness started, and whether a stressful event triggered it.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Longitudinal analysis of symptoms reported by patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nisenbaum, R, Jones, A, Jones, J et al.·Annals of epidemiology·2000

This study followed 74 ME/CFS patients over two years to track how their symptoms changed over time. Researchers found that symptoms fluctuated throughout the illness, but most symptoms stayed about the same whether someone had been sick for 1 year or 20 years. The only exception was stomach pain, which became more common as illness duration increased.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

How significant are primary sleep disorders and sleepiness in the chronic fatigue syndrome?

Le Bon, O, Fischler, B, Hoffmann, G et al.·Sleep research online : SRO·2000

This study looked at whether sleep problems might explain ME/CFS symptoms in 46 patients. Researchers found that many CFS patients did have sleep disorders like sleep apnea, but these sleep problems were not connected to how severe their CFS was or their other symptoms. Importantly, over half of the CFS patients had no sleep disorders at all, suggesting that ME/CFS is a distinct condition separate from typical sleep problems.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Characterization of pituitary function with emphasis on GH secretion in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Moorkens, G, Berwaerts, J, Wynants, H et al.·Clinical endocrinology·2000

This study examined hormone levels in 73 people with ME/CFS compared to 21 healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower growth hormone (GH) levels, especially at night and when their body was stressed by low blood sugar. They also had higher levels of prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), suggesting their brain chemistry may be imbalanced. These hormone changes were associated with increased belly fat in ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: sociodemographic subtypes in a community-based sample.

Jason, L A, Taylor, R R, Kennedy, C L et al.·Evaluation & the health professions·2000

This study looked at people with ME/CFS living in Chicago to understand how their backgrounds affected their illness. Researchers found that women, people of color, and those unable to work experienced more severe symptoms, greater disability, and more emotional stress than men, white patients, and those who could still work. This suggests that social factors and circumstances may play a role in how badly ME/CFS affects different groups of people.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Overlapping conditions among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular disorder.

Aaron, L A, Burke, M M, Buchwald, D·Archives of internal medicine·2000

This study found that ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) often occur together in the same patients and share similar symptoms like pain, fatigue, and sleep problems. The researchers also discovered that patients with these conditions frequently experience other illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome and headaches—much more often than healthy people do. The study suggests these conditions may be connected in some way we don't yet fully understand.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities in a community-based sample of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome-like symptoms.

Jason, L A, Taylor, R R, Kennedy, C L·Psychosomatic medicine·2000

This study looked at how often people with ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) also have fibromyalgia or chemical sensitivities, and how these conditions affect daily functioning. Researchers interviewed nearly 19,000 people in Chicago and then examined those with CFS-like symptoms in more detail. They found that people with multiple conditions experienced worse fatigue and disability than those with just one condition.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Blood parameters indicative of oxidative stress are associated with symptom expression in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Richards, R S, Roberts, T K, McGregor, N R et al.·Redox report : communications in free radical research·2000

Researchers compared blood samples from 33 people with ME/CFS and 27 healthy people, looking for signs of oxidative stress—a type of cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals. They found that people with ME/CFS had higher levels of certain markers of this damage, particularly a substance called methaemoglobin. The levels of these damage markers were strongly linked to how severe patients' symptoms were, including fatigue, pain, sleep problems, and cognitive difficulties.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an examination of the phases.

Jason, L A, Fricano, G, Taylor, R R et al.·Journal of clinical psychology·2000

This study tested a tool called the Fennell Phase Inventory, which measures four distinct phases that people with ME/CFS typically go through: Crisis, Stabilization, Resolution, and Integration. Researchers gave 65 patients diagnosed by doctors the inventory along with other questionnaires about their symptoms, daily functioning, and coping strategies. The results supported the theory that ME/CFS patients progress through these predictable phases, with each phase showing different levels of disability and different ways of coping.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Magnesium status and parameters of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with chronic fatigue: effects of supplementation with magnesium.

Manuel y Keenoy, B, Moorkens, G, Vertommen, J et al.·Journal of the American College of Nutrition·2000

This study looked at whether magnesium deficiency and oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) are connected in people with chronic fatigue. Researchers tested 93 patients, about half of whom had CFS, and found that people lacking magnesium had lower antioxidant protection in their blood. When these patients took magnesium supplements, some improved antioxidant markers and vitamin E levels, suggesting magnesium may help protect cells from damage.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High nocturnal melatonin in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Knook, L, Kavelaars, A, Sinnema, G et al.·The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·2000

Researchers measured melatonin (a natural hormone that helps control sleep) in saliva samples from 13 teenagers with ME/CFS and 15 healthy teenagers. They found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher melatonin levels during the night, yet paradoxically, all the ME/CFS patients reported their sleep felt unrefreshing and unrestorative. Based on this finding, the researchers suggested that giving melatonin supplements to teenagers with ME/CFS may not be helpful.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diagnosis of psychiatric disorder in clinical evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Deale, A, Wessely, S·Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine·2000

This study looked at how often ME/CFS patients are incorrectly diagnosed with psychiatric conditions like depression. Researchers found that about two-thirds of patients who had been labeled with a psychiatric diagnosis actually didn't have one, while about one-third of patients without a psychiatric diagnosis did have a treatable mental health condition. The study shows that distinguishing between ME/CFS and psychiatric disorders can be difficult, and doctors need better tools and training to get the diagnosis right.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

General practitioners' beliefs, attitudes and reported actions towards chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steven, I D, McGrath, B, Qureshi, F et al.·Australian family physician·2000

This study surveyed Australian doctors about what they think and do regarding ME/CFS. Most doctors who diagnose ME/CFS agreed on six key symptoms, including long-lasting fatigue that doesn't improve with rest and exhaustion after minor activity. However, nearly one-third of doctors didn't believe ME/CFS was a real condition and thought depression was the actual cause instead.

Diagnostics

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Use of alternative treatments by chronic fatigue syndrome discordant twins.

Odor perception: multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, and asthma.

Significant other responses are associated with fatigue and functional status among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Antibodies to parvovirus B19 non-structural protein are associated with chronic but not acute arthritis following B19 infection.

Psychiatric morbidity and illness experience of primary care patients with chronic fatigue in Hong Kong.

Personality in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Attributions in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome in tertiary care.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: occupation, medical utilization, and subtypes in a community-based sample.

Longitudinal analysis of symptoms reported by patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

How significant are primary sleep disorders and sleepiness in the chronic fatigue syndrome?

Characterization of pituitary function with emphasis on GH secretion in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: sociodemographic subtypes in a community-based sample.

Overlapping conditions among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular disorder.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities in a community-based sample of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome-like symptoms.

Blood parameters indicative of oxidative stress are associated with symptom expression in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an examination of the phases.

Magnesium status and parameters of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with chronic fatigue: effects of supplementation with magnesium.

High nocturnal melatonin in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Diagnosis of psychiatric disorder in clinical evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome.

General practitioners' beliefs, attitudes and reported actions towards chronic fatigue syndrome.

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