ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3381–3400 of 6,209 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Brain MRI abnormalities exist in a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lange, G, DeLuca, J, Maldjian, J A et al.·Journal of the neurological sciences·1999

Researchers used brain MRI scans to look for abnormalities in people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy controls. They found that some ME/CFS patients—specifically those without a separate psychiatric diagnosis—had small spots of unusual tissue in the white matter of their brains, mostly in the frontal lobes (the front part of the brain). These brain changes were not found in healthy people or in ME/CFS patients who also had psychiatric diagnoses.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearLongitudinal

Prognostic factors for persons with idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Hartz, A J, Kuhn, E M, Bentler, S E et al.·Archives of family medicine·1999

This study followed 199 people with chronic fatigue for 2 years to understand which factors predicted who would improve. Researchers found that people who had clearer thinking, fewer additional symptoms, better sleep patterns, and were married tended to show the most improvement in fatigue. Interestingly, when patients improved in other symptoms like depression, muscle pain, or sleep problems, their fatigue also tended to improve together.

SleepCognitive Impairment

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

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Acute fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Smith, A P, Borysiewicz, L, Pollock, J et al.·Psychological medicine·1999

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS get tired more quickly during mental tasks than healthy people. Researchers compared 67 ME/CFS patients with 126 healthy controls while they performed attention tests over a long session. ME/CFS patients performed worse than healthy people, and the gap widened as fatigue set in, suggesting they struggle more with mental tiredness.

Cognitive Impairment

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 requiredObservational

Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man.

Stejskal, Vera DM, Danersund, Antero, Lindvall, Anders et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·1999

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS-like symptoms had immune reactions to metals in their dental fillings and other restorations. Researchers found that many patients had immune cells that reacted to metals like mercury, nickel, and gold, and that 76% of patients who replaced their metal restorations with non-metal alternatives reported feeling better. The study suggests that metal sensitivity might trigger inflammatory responses that contribute to chronic fatigue and related conditions.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychological states and neuropsychological performances in chronic Lyme disease.

Elkins, L E, Pollina, D A, Scheffer, S R et al.·Applied neuropsychology·1999

This study looked at mood and thinking abilities in 30 people with post-Lyme syndrome (a condition that can develop after Lyme disease). Researchers found that these patients had lower levels of positive feelings (like happiness or hopefulness) compared to the general population, but their actual thinking and memory skills tested normally. The study suggests that reduced positive mood, rather than depression or other psychiatric conditions, may be the most important psychological marker of this illness.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome as recognized by GPs.

Bazelmans, E, Vercoulen, J H, Swanink, C M et al.·Family practice·1999

This Dutch study surveyed general practitioners (GPs) to understand how often they see patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in their practices. About 60% of GPs responded, and most reported seeing patients with these conditions. The study estimated that roughly 112 out of every 100,000 people have CFS and 157 have FMS, though these numbers are likely underestimates since some cases may go unrecognized.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Personality dimensions in chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.

Buckley, L, MacHale, S M, Cavanagh, J T et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1999

This study looked at personality traits in people with ME/CFS, people with depression, and healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients tended to be less outgoing and more anxious/worried compared to healthy people, but less anxious than those with depression. Interestingly, ME/CFS patients reported they felt less outgoing and more anxious when they were sick compared to when they were well, suggesting illness itself may change how people experience their personality.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Chronic fatigue syndrome:objective criteria of metabolic defects].

Gil'miiarova, F N, Radomskaia, V M, Kretova, I G et al.·Klinicheskaia laboratornaia diagnostika·1999

This study looked at blood protein levels in people who worked at chemical plants in polluted areas and compared them to people living in clean environments. Researchers found that workers in polluted areas had lower levels of protective proteins in their blood and higher levels of waste products, suggesting that exposure to chemical pollution may interfere with the body's natural defense systems and contribute to chronic fatigue.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prediction of peak oxygen uptake in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mullis, R, Campbell, I T, Wearden, A J et al.·British journal of sports medicine·1999

Researchers tested 130 ME/CFS patients on exercise bikes to measure their peak oxygen uptake (fitness capacity). They found a simple formula could accurately predict oxygen uptake from how hard patients could work during the test, with only a 10.7% average error. Importantly, almost all patients (97%) reported no worsening of symptoms after this maximal exercise test.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Patterns of orthostatic intolerance: the orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and adolescent chronic fatigue.

Stewart, J M, Gewitz, M H, Weldon, A et al.·The Journal of pediatrics·1999

This study looked at how the hearts and blood pressure of adolescents with ME/CFS and a related condition called orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (OTS) respond when they stand up or are tilted upright. Researchers found that adolescents with ME/CFS had more severe problems with standing (like dizziness and fainting) than those with OTS, but the underlying patterns were quite similar. The study suggests that OTS may be a milder version of the same blood pressure and heart rate problems seen in ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychiatric adjustment in adolescents with a history of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Garralda, E, Rangel, L, Levin, M et al.·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·1999

This study looked at mental health in teenagers who had ME/CFS, comparing them to healthy peers. Researchers found that teenagers with a history of ME/CFS were more likely to experience anxiety and depression, had more emotional symptoms, and felt worse about themselves—especially regarding how they fit in socially. Interestingly, those who had recovered from ME/CFS actually showed more anxiety disorders than those still experiencing active illness.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic fatigue, and psychiatric disorders: predictors of functional status in a national nursing sample.

Wagner-Raphael, Lynne I, Jason, Leonard A, Ferrari, Joseph R·Journal of occupational health psychology·1999

This study looked at nurses with severe tiredness to understand how fatigue affects their daily lives and well-being. Researchers found that as fatigue got worse, people had more trouble with physical activities, work tasks, social interactions, and overall quality of life. Nurses who had ME/CFS experienced greater difficulties than those with fatigue from other causes.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Domestic violence and sexual abuse in women physicians: associated medical, psychiatric, and professional difficulties.

Doyle, J P, Frank, E, Saltzman, L E et al.·Journal of women's health & gender-based medicine·1999

This study looked at how common domestic violence and sexual abuse are among women doctors and what health problems they experience afterward. Researchers surveyed over 4,500 women physicians and found that those who had experienced domestic violence or sexual abuse were more likely to report depression, substance abuse, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The study suggests these traumatic experiences can have lasting effects on doctors' physical and mental health.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A community-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, L A, Richman, J A, Rademaker, A W et al.·Archives of internal medicine·1999

Researchers in Chicago called nearly 29,000 adults to find out how many people have ME/CFS. They found that about 0.42% of the general population has the condition—roughly 1 in 240 people. The study showed that ME/CFS affects women, minority groups, and people with lower education levels more often than previously thought, challenging the old idea that it mainly affected white middle-class people.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Desmopressin augments pituitary-adrenal responsivity to corticotropin-releasing hormone in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome and in healthy volunteers.

Scott, L V, Medbak, S, Dinan, T G·Biological psychiatry·1999

This study tested whether a synthetic hormone called desmopressin could improve how the pituitary gland responds to stress signals in people with ME/CFS. Researchers gave ME/CFS patients and healthy volunteers different hormone combinations and measured their stress hormone responses. When desmopressin was added to another hormone (CRH), it boosted the pituitary gland's response in both groups, but especially in people with ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Human herpesviruses in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wallace, H L, Natelson, B, Gause, W et al.·Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·1999

Researchers tested whether common viruses (HHV6, HHV7, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus) are more active or present in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. They examined blood samples from ME/CFS patients and matched healthy controls, looking for both the viruses themselves and antibodies (immune markers) against these viruses. They found no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting these particular viruses may not be a primary driver of ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Detection of borna disease virus-reactive antibodies from patients with psychiatric disorders and from horses by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

Yamaguchi, K, Sawada, T, Naraki, T et al.·Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·1999

Researchers developed a new blood test to detect antibodies against Borna disease virus (BDV), a virus found in animals. They tested thousands of blood samples from people with various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, and found that people with schizophrenia and mood disorders had higher rates of BDV antibodies compared to healthy blood donors. However, people with chronic fatigue syndrome did not show elevated BDV antibodies in this study.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cardiovascular response during head-up tilt in chronic fatigue syndrome.

LaManca, J J, Peckerman, A, Walker, J et al.·Clinical physiology (Oxford, England)·1999

This study tested how the hearts of ME/CFS patients respond to positional changes using a tilt table test, where participants lie flat then are gradually tilted upward for 45 minutes. While ME/CFS patients showed different baseline heart rates and heart pumping patterns compared to healthy controls, the overall frequency of fainting-like responses was similar between the two groups.

Autonomic Nervous System

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Brain MRI abnormalities exist in a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prognostic factors for persons with idiopathic chronic fatigue.

Natural history of severe chronic fatigue syndrome.

Acute fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

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.

Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man.

Psychological states and neuropsychological performances in chronic Lyme disease.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome as recognized by GPs.

Personality dimensions in chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome:objective criteria of metabolic defects].

Prediction of peak oxygen uptake in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Patterns of orthostatic intolerance: the orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and adolescent chronic fatigue.

Psychiatric adjustment in adolescents with a history of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic fatigue, and psychiatric disorders: predictors of functional status in a national nursing sample.

Domestic violence and sexual abuse in women physicians: associated medical, psychiatric, and professional difficulties.

A community-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Desmopressin augments pituitary-adrenal responsivity to corticotropin-releasing hormone in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome and in healthy volunteers.

Human herpesviruses in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of borna disease virus-reactive antibodies from patients with psychiatric disorders and from horses by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

Cardiovascular response during head-up tilt in chronic fatigue syndrome.

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