ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3341–3360 of 6,161 studies

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Associations between perfectionism, mood, and fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.

Blenkiron, P, Edwards, R, Lynch, S·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·1999

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS who tend to be perfectionists experience different levels of fatigue, anxiety, or depression compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS actually had lower perfectionism scores than healthy controls, and were less likely to set high standards for others. Interestingly, this lower expectation of others was linked to less physical fatigue.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Psychiatric diagnoses in Gulf War veterans with fatiguing illness.

Lange, G, Tiersky, L, DeLuca, J et al.·Psychiatry research·1999

Researchers studied Gulf War veterans with severe fatigue to see whether psychiatric disorders could explain their illness. About half of the veterans with Gulf War Illness had similar rates of psychiatric diagnoses as healthy veterans, while the other half had more psychiatric problems. The study found that psychiatric conditions alone cannot account for the fatiguing illness these veterans experience.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

The role of depression in pain, psychophysiological syndromes and medically unexplained symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Morriss, R K, Ahmed, M, Wearden, A J et al.·Journal of affective disorders·1999

This study looked at whether depression makes ME/CFS symptoms worse. Researchers compared three groups: ME/CFS patients without depression, ME/CFS patients with depression, and people with depression alone. They found that depression did not increase pain, headaches, or other unexplained symptoms in ME/CFS patients, but it did make their social life more difficult.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Autonomic function in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Soetekouw, P M, Lenders, J W, Bleijenberg, G et al.·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·1999

Researchers tested whether ME/CFS patients have problems with the part of the nervous system that automatically controls heart rate and blood pressure. They compared 37 ME/CFS patients to 38 healthy people using several tests (like standing up quickly, holding their breath, and doing mental math). The study found only minor differences, suggesting that major autonomic problems may not be the primary issue in ME/CFS, though some specific responses to stress were reduced.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and nickel allergy.

Marcusson, J A, Lindh, G, Evengård, B·Contact dermatitis·1999

This study tested 50 patients with ME/CFS and 73 healthy people for allergic reactions to eight different metals. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS were more likely to be allergic to nickel—36% of ME/CFS patients had nickel allergies compared to only 19% of healthy people. This difference was especially pronounced in women with ME/CFS, where over half (52%) showed nickel allergy. The researchers suggest that nickel exposure might somehow trigger or contribute to ME/CFS in some people.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Is depression associated with immune activation?

Natelson, B H, Denny, T, Zhou, X D et al.·Journal of affective disorders·1999

Researchers tested whether depression and ME/CFS are caused by an overactive immune system. They compared immune cell counts and immune signaling molecules in people with depression, people with ME/CFS who later developed depression, and healthy controls. Surprisingly, they found no signs of immune activation in either patient group—instead, the data suggested the immune system was actually downregulated (less active) in people with depression.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Critical life events, infections, and symptoms during the year preceding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): an examination of CFS patients and subjects with a nonspecific life crisis.

Theorell, T, Blomkvist, V, Lindh, G et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·1999

This study looked at whether stressful life events and infections in the months before ME/CFS develops might play a role in triggering the illness. Researchers interviewed 46 people with ME/CFS and 46 matched control subjects without the illness, asking them to recall what happened and how they felt month-by-month for a year. They found that people who developed ME/CFS experienced more infections and stressful events—especially in the 3 months right before onset—and their fatigue, pain, and fever symptoms stayed very high even after diagnosis, unlike the control group who recovered.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Melatonin levels in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Korszun, A, Sackett-Lundeen, L, Papadopoulos, E et al.·The Journal of rheumatology·1999

This study looked at melatonin—a hormone that helps control sleep and daily rhythms—in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers collected blood samples every 10 minutes over 24 hours and found that women with fibromyalgia had higher melatonin levels at night compared to healthy controls, but women with chronic fatigue syndrome did not. The authors concluded there is no evidence that taking melatonin supplements would help these patients.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Patients with fatigue in family practice: prevalence and treatment].

Kenter, E G, Okkes, I M·Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde·1999

This study looked at how often people visit their doctor complaining of fatigue and what doctors do about it. Researchers tracked visits from general practitioners across the Netherlands over 10 years, involving over 93,000 patient visits. They found that about 92 out of every 1,000 patients saw their doctor each year because of fatigue, but only about 4% had fatigue lasting 6 months or longer.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Increased postwar symptoms and psychological morbidity among U.S. Navy Gulf War veterans.

Gray, G C, Kaiser, K S, Hawksworth, A W et al.·The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·1999

This study compared Navy veterans who served in the Gulf War to those who did not, looking for differences in health symptoms and physical condition. Gulf War veterans reported significantly more health problems, psychological difficulties, and lower physical strength than non-deployed veterans. The researchers found higher levels of certain inflammatory markers in blood tests, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what caused these differences.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attention and information processing efficiency in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Michiels, V, de Gucht, V, Cluydts, R et al.·Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·1999

This study tested thinking and memory skills in 29 people with ME/CFS and compared them to 22 healthy people of similar age and education. The results showed that people with ME/CFS had slower thinking speed and difficulty processing information efficiently, but their ability to shift attention or focus on specific visual tasks was not notably impaired. Interestingly, memory problems appeared to stem from difficulty storing new information initially, rather than trouble recalling it later.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comparison of Euroqol EQ-5D and SF-36 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myers, C, Wilks, D·Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·1999

This study compared two common questionnaires that measure quality of life and health status in people with ME/CFS. Researchers gave both questionnaires to 85 patients and found that the results from the two tests were very similar to each other. The study found that people with ME/CFS reported high levels of physical disability and moderate emotional or psychological problems.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Can we predict recovery in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Pheley, A M, Melby, D, Schenck, C et al.·Minnesota medicine·1999

Researchers followed up with people who had ME/CFS for many years to see who recovered and what factors might predict recovery. Only 12% of patients reported recovery. Patients who had better physical and social functioning and lower anxiety at the start were more likely to recover, but there was so much overlap between those who recovered and those who didn't that doctors cannot reliably predict who will recover.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Multiple mycoplasmal infections detected in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia syndrome.

Nasralla, M, Haier, J, Nicolson, G L·European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology·1999

Researchers tested blood samples from 91 patients with ME/CFS and/or fibromyalgia who already tested positive for mycoplasma bacteria. They found that most patients carried multiple types of mycoplasma—particularly Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma fermentans—and some patients had two or even three different mycoplasma species at the same time. Patients with multiple infections tended to have been sick longer, suggesting they may have picked up additional infections over time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivities in Gulf Registry Veterans.

Kipen, H M, Hallman, W, Kang, H et al.·Archives of environmental health·1999

This study looked at symptoms reported by Gulf War veterans to see how many experienced chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivities. Researchers found that about 16% of veterans met the standard criteria for ME/CFS, about 13% had multiple chemical sensitivities, and a small percentage had both conditions. The findings suggest these conditions were common among Gulf War veterans, though the study was based only on questionnaire responses rather than medical exams.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Examination of Cloninger's basic dimensions of personality in fatiguing illness: chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

Christodoulou, C, Deluca, J, Johnson, S K et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1999

This study looked at personality traits in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people and those with multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers used a personality framework that measures how people respond to harm, seek rewards, and persist with goals. Both ME/CFS and MS patients showed similar patterns: they were more cautious about potential harm and less focused on social rewards than healthy controls.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The 1microg short Synacthen test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hudson, M, Cleare, A J·Clinical endocrinology·1999

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) or weaker adrenal gland responses compared to healthy people. Researchers gave small doses of a hormone called Synacthen to 20 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy controls, then measured cortisol levels over an hour. They found no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting that reduced adrenal reserve may not explain ME/CFS symptoms.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Idiopathic chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison of two case-definitions.

Arpino, C, Carrieri, M P, Valesini, G et al.·Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita·1999

This study compared how many patients were diagnosed with ME/CFS using two different diagnostic definitions from 1988 and 1994. The researchers found that the 1994 definition diagnosed more patients as having CFS, but these additional patients were less likely to have had a sudden onset of illness or signs suggesting an infectious trigger like fever or sore throat. This suggests the two definitions captured somewhat different groups of people.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Self-reported depression and suicide attempts among U.S. women physicians.

Frank, E, Dingle, A D·The American journal of psychiatry·1999

This study surveyed over 4,500 U.S. women doctors to understand how often they experience depression and attempt suicide. The researchers found that about 1 in 5 women physicians have experienced depression at some point in their lives, and about 1.5% have attempted suicide. Several factors increased the risk, including a history of abuse, substance use, chronic fatigue syndrome, and work-related stress.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Natural history of severe chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hill, N F, Tiersky, L A, Scavalla, V R et al.·Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation·1999

This study followed 23 people with severe ME/CFS over approximately 4 years to see how their illness changed over time. The researchers found that most patients stayed severely ill or showed only modest improvement, with just one person (4%) fully recovering. The study suggests that severe ME/CFS has a very poor outlook for recovery in most patients.

Severe ME

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Associations between perfectionism, mood, and fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.

Psychiatric diagnoses in Gulf War veterans with fatiguing illness.

The role of depression in pain, psychophysiological syndromes and medically unexplained symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Autonomic function in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and nickel allergy.

Is depression associated with immune activation?

Critical life events, infections, and symptoms during the year preceding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): an examination of CFS patients and subjects with a nonspecific life crisis.

Melatonin levels in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Patients with fatigue in family practice: prevalence and treatment].

Increased postwar symptoms and psychological morbidity among U.S. Navy Gulf War veterans.

Attention and information processing efficiency in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Comparison of Euroqol EQ-5D and SF-36 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Can we predict recovery in chronic fatigue syndrome?

Multiple mycoplasmal infections detected in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia syndrome.

Prevalence of chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivities in Gulf Registry Veterans.

Examination of Cloninger's basic dimensions of personality in fatiguing illness: chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

The 1microg short Synacthen test in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Idiopathic chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison of two case-definitions.

Self-reported depression and suicide attempts among U.S. women physicians.

Natural history of severe chronic fatigue syndrome.

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