ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

341–360 of 380 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mizuno, Kei, Watanabe, Yasuyoshi·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study examined how ME/CFS affects thinking and attention skills in children and teenagers. Researchers found that young people with ME/CFS have difficulty with tasks that require switching between activities or paying attention to multiple things at once. The brain regions responsible for these skills are still developing during childhood, and severe fatigue may slow down or disrupt this normal development.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Brain dysfunction as one cause of CFS symptoms including difficulty with attention and concentration.

Natelson, Benjamin H·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study suggests that ME/CFS is not one single disease but rather multiple conditions with different underlying causes. By grouping patients based on specific characteristics—like whether they have psychiatric diagnoses, fibromyalgia, or blood pressure problems when standing—researchers found that different groups showed different types of brain dysfunction. This approach could help explain why some patients experience trouble with concentration and attention in different ways.

Cognitive ImpairmentAutonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Postural neurocognitive and neuronal activated cerebral blood flow deficits in young chronic fatigue syndrome patients with postural tachycardia syndrome.

Stewart, Julian M, Medow, Marvin S, Messer, Zachary R et al.·American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2012

When people with ME/CFS try to stand upright or tilt backward, their brain doesn't get enough blood flow to think clearly, and their thinking problems get worse as their body position changes. In healthy people, brain blood flow increases during hard thinking tasks, but in ME/CFS patients, this normal response is broken—their brains don't increase blood flow when doing difficult mental tasks.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Increasing orthostatic stress impairs neurocognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome with postural tachycardia syndrome.

Ocon, Anthony J, Messer, Zachary R, Medow, Marvin S et al.·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·2012

This study tested whether standing at increasing angles on a tilt table—a procedure that stresses the body's ability to maintain blood flow while upright—makes 'brain fog' worse in people with ME/CFS who also have POTS (a condition causing rapid heartbeat when standing). Researchers found that when people with CFS/POTS stood at steeper angles while doing concentration and memory tests, their performance got worse compared to healthy people, suggesting that orthostatic stress (the challenge of staying upright) does interfere with thinking and memory.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Metacognitive factors in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Maher-Edwards, Lorraine, Fernie, Bruce A, Murphy, Gabrielle et al.·Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2012

This study explored how ME/CFS patients think about their thinking—specifically, their beliefs about analyzing and solving problems related to their symptoms. Researchers found that patients have both helpful and unhelpful thoughts about trying to understand their illness, and they often focus on either distracting themselves or monitoring their symptoms closely. The study suggests that these thought patterns may play a role in how ME/CFS symptoms develop or persist.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia syndrome: a discussion of the syndrome and pharmacotherapy.

Smith, Howard S, Barkin, Robert L·American journal of therapeutics·2010

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body, along with fatigue, sleep problems, brain fog, and mood changes. This article explains that fibromyalgia may share common features with ME/CFS and other conditions involving heightened pain sensitivity. While there is no cure, doctors can help manage symptoms through exercise, therapy, patient education, and specific medications.

Pain and SensitizationSleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

[Effect of electroacupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) on the event-related potentials of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Cheng, Ci-Song, Zhu, Yi-Hui, Liang, Fan-Rong et al.·Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion·2010

This small study observed brain electrical activity patterns (event-related potentials) in 20 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy controls, measuring responses at different times of day. Researchers reported that after electroacupuncture treatment at two acupuncture points, some measures of brain electrical timing appeared to shift toward patterns more similar to healthy controls, and circadian rhythm patterns that were absent in patients before treatment were observed afterward. However, this was an uncontrolled study with a small sample and no sham-treatment comparison, so it does not establish whether acupuncture itself caused these changes.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Memory and attention problems in children with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy.

Haig-Ferguson, A, Tucker, P, Eaton, N et al.·Archives of disease in childhood·2009

This study looked at 20 children with ME/CFS who had memory and attention problems. Researchers asked the children, their parents, and teachers about these difficulties, and then gave the children a series of tests to measure how well they could focus, remember things, and process information. The children's test scores showed they had real difficulties with attention and memory compared to healthy children their age.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Fixed belief in cognitive dysfunction despite normal neuropsychological scores: neurocognitive hypochondriasis?

Boone, Kyle Brauer·The Clinical neuropsychologist·2009

Some patients report significant cognitive problems in daily life but score normally on formal cognitive tests. This case study explores whether some people may be overly focused on or worried about cognitive difficulties that objective testing does not detect. Research cited in the paper suggests that in several conditions—including by analogy ME/CFS—there is often little correlation between what patients report about their cognitive function and what standardized tests show.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Diagnostic and treatment challenges of chronic fatigue syndrome: role of immediate-release methylphenidate.

Valdizán Usón, José Ramón, Idiazábal Alecha, María Angeles·Expert review of neurotherapeutics·2008

This 2008 review discusses how stimulant medications like methylphenidate (Ritalin) might help with cognitive symptoms in ME/CFS, such as concentration and memory problems. The authors point to one small study showing reported improvements and note that methylphenidate works in similar cognitive difficulties seen in ADHD. However, this is a perspective piece rather than a new clinical trial, and evidence for its use in ME/CFS remains very limited.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Possible links between behavioral and physiological indices of tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion in advanced cancer.

Olson, Karin, Turner, A Robert, Courneya, Kerry S et al.·Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer·2008

This paper proposes a new framework for understanding tiredness and fatigue in advanced cancer patients. The researchers suggest that cancer and its treatments stress the body, which then affects four key systems: thinking ability, sleep quality, nutrition, and muscle strength. They propose that problems in all four of these areas together—not just one alone—are what cause severe fatigue, and that studying how these systems interact could lead to better treatments.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Post concussion syndrome ebb and flow: longitudinal effects and management.

Rees, Roger J, Bellon, Michelle L·NeuroRehabilitation·2007

This study followed 20 adults who had lasting symptoms after a head injury (concussion) for an average of 3.35 years. Participants experienced fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and sensitivity to noise. When they received counseling and therapy over two years, some symptoms like irritability improved, but many people still felt fundamentally changed and struggled with feelings of helplessness.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Violence, stress, and somatic syndromes.

Crofford, Leslie J·Trauma, violence & abuse·2007

This review article examines how experiences of violence and stress may trigger or worsen conditions like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome—illnesses that involve pain, exhaustion, mood changes, memory problems, and sleep issues. The authors explain that stress affects the brain and body's hormone and nervous system function, which may make people more vulnerable to developing these conditions. Understanding this connection could help us recognize how violence exposure affects long-term health.

SleepCognitive ImpairmentPain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Fibromylagia, chronic fatigue, and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the adult: a case study.

Young, Joel L, Redmond, Judith C·Psychopharmacology bulletin·2007

This study looked at patients who came to a psychiatry clinic with ADHD symptoms and also had unexplained tiredness and widespread pain—conditions similar to ME/CFS or fibromyalgia. When doctors treated the ADHD with medication, some patients noticed their fatigue and pain improved along with their attention problems. The researchers suggest this might mean these conditions involve how the brain processes information rather than problems in muscles and joints.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Effects of elevated plasma tryptophan on brain activation associated with the Stroop task.

Morgan, Rhian M, Parry, Allyson M M, Arida, Ricardo M et al.·Psychopharmacology·2007

This study looked at how a dietary supplement called tryptophan affects the brain's activity during mental tasks in people experiencing central fatigue (like in ME/CFS). Researchers used brain imaging to watch what happens when people take tryptophan versus a placebo while doing a challenging attention test. They found that tryptophan slowed down responses and changed brain activity patterns in several regions, particularly in areas related to awareness and processing information.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Functional neuroimaging correlates of mental fatigue induced by cognition among chronic fatigue syndrome patients and controls.

Cook, Dane B, O'Connor, Patrick J, Lange, Gudrun et al.·NeuroImage·2007

This study used brain imaging to see how the brains of ME/CFS patients and healthy people respond during mentally tiring tasks. Researchers found that feelings of mental fatigue were linked to activity in specific brain regions during a difficult memory task, and that ME/CFS patients showed greater brain activity in these areas compared to healthy controls, even though they were doing the same task.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[School phobia and childhood chronic fatigue syndrome (CCFS)].

Tomoda, Akemi·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2007

This review examines childhood chronic fatigue syndrome (CCFS), a serious condition where children experience extreme tiredness that cannot be explained by other medical or mental health problems. Children with CCFS often struggle with memory and concentration, sleep problems, and symptoms related to their nervous system. The authors suggest that CCFS may involve changes in how the brain functions, which could explain why patients experience fatigue, thinking difficulties, and memory problems.

Cognitive ImpairmentAutonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Clinical features of chronic fatigue syndrome--symptoms].

Ban, Nobutaro, Saiki, Takuya, Ko, Gyoshin et al.·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2007

This review article summarizes the most common symptoms experienced by people with ME/CFS. The researchers identified and described the top 10 symptoms in detail, including severe fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, muscle pain, poor sleep, and headaches. Understanding these symptom patterns can help doctors recognize and diagnose ME/CFS more accurately.

Cognitive ImpairmentPain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Reduced responsiveness is an essential feature of chronic fatigue syndrome: a fMRI study.

Tanaka, Masaaki, Sadato, Norihiro, Okada, Tomohisa et al.·BMC neurology·2006

Researchers used brain imaging to compare how the brains of ME/CFS patients and healthy people responded to sounds while doing a tiring visual task. They found that healthy people's brains stayed responsive to sounds during the task, but ME/CFS patients' brains showed reduced responses to sounds—and this reduction matched how fatigued the patients felt. This suggests that ME/CFS may involve the brain becoming less able to process information that isn't directly related to the main task at hand.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Cognitive dysfunction in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: new trends and future directions.

Glass, Jennifer M·Current rheumatology reports·2006

Many people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome report problems with memory and thinking clearly. When researchers tested these patients' cognitive abilities, they found real difficulties with memory and how quickly patients process information. Brain imaging studies showed that patients' brains work differently during thinking tasks, requiring more activation than expected.

Cognitive Impairment

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Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brain dysfunction as one cause of CFS symptoms including difficulty with attention and concentration.

Postural neurocognitive and neuronal activated cerebral blood flow deficits in young chronic fatigue syndrome patients with postural tachycardia syndrome.

Increasing orthostatic stress impairs neurocognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome with postural tachycardia syndrome.

Metacognitive factors in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fibromyalgia syndrome: a discussion of the syndrome and pharmacotherapy.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) on the event-related potentials of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Memory and attention problems in children with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy.

Fixed belief in cognitive dysfunction despite normal neuropsychological scores: neurocognitive hypochondriasis?

Diagnostic and treatment challenges of chronic fatigue syndrome: role of immediate-release methylphenidate.

Possible links between behavioral and physiological indices of tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion in advanced cancer.

Post concussion syndrome ebb and flow: longitudinal effects and management.

Violence, stress, and somatic syndromes.

Fibromylagia, chronic fatigue, and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the adult: a case study.

Effects of elevated plasma tryptophan on brain activation associated with the Stroop task.

Functional neuroimaging correlates of mental fatigue induced by cognition among chronic fatigue syndrome patients and controls.

[School phobia and childhood chronic fatigue syndrome (CCFS)].

[Clinical features of chronic fatigue syndrome--symptoms].

Reduced responsiveness is an essential feature of chronic fatigue syndrome: a fMRI study.

Cognitive dysfunction in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: new trends and future directions.

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