ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3421–3440 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Core body temperature is normal in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hamilos, D L, Nutter, D, Gershtenson, J et al.·Biological psychiatry·1998

Many people with ME/CFS report feeling like they have a low body temperature or mild fever, but this study found that their actual core body temperature is normal. Researchers continuously measured body temperature every 5 minutes for 24 hours in people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people, those with allergies, and those with depression. All groups had similar normal temperatures and similar daily temperature patterns.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

A study of the immunology of the chronic fatigue syndrome: correlation of immunologic parameters to health dysfunction.

Hassan, I S, Bannister, B A, Akbar, A et al.·Clinical immunology and immunopathology·1998

This study examined immune system markers in 44 people with ME/CFS to see how these markers related to symptom severity and mental health. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had unusual patterns in their immune cells—specifically, signs of increased immune activation and changes in how lymphocytes (white blood cells) behave. These immune changes correlated with worse physical function, pain, and mental health symptoms.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Detection of Mycoplasma genus and Mycoplasma fermentans by PCR in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Vojdani, A, Choppa, P C, Tagle, C et al.·FEMS immunology and medical microbiology·1998

Researchers tested blood samples from 100 ME/CFS patients and 50 healthy people to see if a bacterium called Mycoplasma fermentans was present. They found this bacterium's genetic material in more than a third of ME/CFS patients compared to only 8% of healthy controls. Patients with higher amounts of the bacterium also had stronger immune responses against it, suggesting their bodies were reacting to the infection.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[31P-mr spectroscopy of peripheral skeletal musculature under load: demonstration of normal energy metabolites compared with metabolic muscle diseases].

Block, W, Träber, F, Kuhl, C K et al.·RoFo : Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Rontgenstrahlen und der Nuklearmedizin·1998

Researchers used a special MRI scanner to measure how muscles use energy during exercise by looking at chemical changes in the calf. They found that healthy people used two different types of energy pathways during exercise, while people with ME/CFS showed unusual resting energy levels but normal recovery after exercise—unlike patients with genetic metabolic disorders, whose muscles recovered very slowly.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Muscle fibre characteristics and lactate responses to exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lane, R J, Barrett, M C, Woodrow, D et al.·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·1998

Researchers examined muscle samples from 105 ME/CFS patients to understand why they have abnormal responses to exercise, particularly high lactate levels. They found that patients with high lactate responses had fewer type 1 muscle fibres (which are energy-efficient), but this wasn't because they were inactive—it appeared to be a specific muscle problem related to ME/CFS itself.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The epidemiology of chronic fatigue in San Francisco.

Steele, L, Dobbins, J G, Fukuda, K et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

Researchers surveyed nearly 17,000 people in San Francisco to understand how common ME/CFS and related chronic fatigue conditions are. They found that about 2% of adults reported unexplained chronic fatigue, with only 0.2% meeting criteria for ME/CFS-like illness. The conditions were more common in women, people with lower incomes, and certain racial groups, but did not run in families.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Exploring the validity of the Chalder Fatigue scale in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Morriss, R K, Wearden, A J, Mullis, R·Journal of psychosomatic research·1998

This study tested whether the Chalder Fatigue Scale—a common questionnaire used to measure tiredness in ME/CFS patients—actually measures what it claims to measure. Researchers analyzed responses from 136 ME/CFS patients and found that fatigue has four distinct components: mental tiredness (linked to thinking problems), sleep difficulties, physical weakness (linked to low fitness), and depression. The results suggest the 11-item version of the scale works better than the original 14-item version for measuring fatigue in ME/CFS.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

[Incidence and clinical relevance of antibodies to phospholipids, serotonin and ganglioside in patients with sudden deafness and progressive inner ear hearing loss].

Heller, U, Becker, E W, Zenner, H P et al.·HNO·1998

This study looked at whether certain antibodies (proteins the immune system makes) are found more often in people with sudden or progressive hearing loss. Researchers found that about half of hearing loss patients had antibodies against phospholipids and about half to two-thirds had antibodies against serotonin and gangliosides. Interestingly, some patients with hearing loss also had symptoms of ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, suggesting these conditions may be connected through shared immune system abnormalities.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Nasal secretion analysis in allergic rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and nonallergic fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome subjects.

Baraniuk, J N, Clauw, D, Yuta, A et al.·American journal of rhinology·1998

Many people with ME/CFS experience nasal congestion and rhinitis symptoms, but don't test positive for allergies. This study analyzed nasal fluid from ME/CFS patients and compared it to people with allergies, cystic fibrosis, and healthy controls to understand what might be causing these symptoms. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients' nasal fluid looked similar to healthy controls, suggesting that the constant baseline secretion processes in the nose are not abnormal in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Reproductive correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Harlow, B L, Signorello, L B, Hall, J E et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

This study compared reproductive and menstrual histories in women with ME/CFS to healthy women without the condition. Women with ME/CFS reported more gynecologic problems and irregular menstrual cycles, and researchers found signs suggesting ovarian dysfunction—such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—occurred more often in the ME/CFS group. The authors propose that hormonal imbalances affecting egg release may contribute to ME/CFS by reducing protective immune effects from certain hormones.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Predictors of a medical-offset effect among patients receiving antidepressant therapy.

Thompson, D, Hylan, T R, McMullen, W et al.·The American journal of psychiatry·1998

This study looked at insurance records from nearly 1,700 people who started taking antidepressants for depression in the early 1990s. The researchers wanted to understand whether treating depression could also reduce overall healthcare costs. They found that patients with certain conditions—including chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, heart disease, and cancer—who stayed on antidepressants for at least 6 months tended to have lower medical bills overall.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attention and verbal learning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Michiels, V, Cluydts, R, Fischler, B·Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS·1998

This study tested thinking and memory skills in 20 people with ME/CFS and compared them to 22 healthy people. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS had difficulty with attention tasks that required handling multiple pieces of information at once, and they performed worse on remembering spoken information. However, their ability to focus on a single thing while ignoring distractions appeared to work normally.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

The effects of nutritional supplements on the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dykman, K D, Tone, C, Ford, C et al.·Integrative physiological and behavioral science : the official journal of the Pavlovian Society·1998

This study looked at whether nutritional supplements might help reduce symptoms in 50 people with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers asked people about their symptoms when they started taking supplements and again nine months later. The people taking supplements reported significant improvement in their symptoms, with continued progress over the nine-month period.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Diurnal variation of adrenocortical activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

MacHale, S M, Cavanagh, J T, Bennie, J et al.·Neuropsychobiology·1998

This study measured stress hormone (cortisol) levels in 30 ME/CFS patients and 15 healthy controls at different times of day. The researchers found that while individual cortisol measurements were similar between groups, ME/CFS patients showed a flattened pattern—their cortisol levels didn't drop as much in the evening as they should. Higher evening cortisol levels were connected to worse overall health and physical functioning in ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Brain positron emission tomography (PET) in chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary data.

Tirelli, U, Chierichetti, F, Tavio, M et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

Researchers used a brain imaging technique called PET scans to measure energy use in the brains of 18 people with ME/CFS. They found that people with ME/CFS had lower energy use in a specific part of the brain (the brainstem) and part of the front of the brain compared to healthy people. Importantly, this pattern was different from what they saw in people with depression, suggesting ME/CFS may have its own distinct brain signature.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The low dose ACTH test in chronic fatigue syndrome and in health.

Scott, L V, Medbak, S, Dinan, T G·Clinical endocrinology·1998

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have a subtle problem with their stress hormone system, specifically the pituitary gland's ability to signal the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Using a sensitive test with a very small dose of ACTH (a hormone that triggers cortisol release), researchers found that people with ME/CFS showed a weaker cortisol response than healthy people, suggesting their adrenal system may not be functioning optimally.

Endocrine Disruption

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The role of delayed orthostatic hypotension in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue.

Streeten, D H, Anderson, G H·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·1998

This study looked at whether problems with blood pressure regulation—specifically a delayed drop in blood pressure when standing up—might explain why some people with chronic fatigue syndrome feel so exhausted. Researchers surveyed 431 patients with various neurological and hormonal disorders and found that fatigue was very common in people with delayed blood pressure drops and low cortisol levels (70-83%), but much less common in people with other conditions like multiple system atrophy (7-33%). This suggests a possible connection between blood pressure regulation problems and severe fatigue.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Autonomic testing in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

De Becker, P, Dendale, P, De Meirleir, K et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

This study tested how the nervous system that controls heart rate and blood pressure works in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had higher heart rates and stronger stress responses when standing up, suggesting their bodies may be overactive in certain stress situations. However, these findings did not fully explain why ME/CFS patients experience fatigue and problems with exercise.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Estimating the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome among nurses.

Jason, L A, Wagner, L, Rosenthal, S et al.·The American journal of medicine·1998

This study looked at how many nurses have ME/CFS by sending questionnaires to two groups of nurses and then doing more detailed evaluations on those with CFS-like symptoms. The researchers found that nurses may get ME/CFS at higher rates than the general population, possibly because of job-related stress such as shift work, virus exposure, and workplace hazards. This suggests nurses might be at special risk for developing this illness.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Phosphate diabetes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

De Lorenzo, F, Hargreaves, J, Kakkar, V V·Postgraduate medical journal·1998

This study explored whether some ME/CFS patients might actually have a rare kidney condition called phosphate diabetes, which prevents the kidneys from properly reabsorbing phosphate. Phosphate is important for muscle and nerve function, and low levels can cause fatigue, muscle pain, and depression—symptoms that overlap with ME/CFS. The researchers tested 87 ME/CFS patients and found that 9 of them also had phosphate diabetes.

Energy Metabolism

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Core body temperature is normal in chronic fatigue syndrome.

A study of the immunology of the chronic fatigue syndrome: correlation of immunologic parameters to health dysfunction.

Detection of Mycoplasma genus and Mycoplasma fermentans by PCR in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

[31P-mr spectroscopy of peripheral skeletal musculature under load: demonstration of normal energy metabolites compared with metabolic muscle diseases].

Muscle fibre characteristics and lactate responses to exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The epidemiology of chronic fatigue in San Francisco.

Exploring the validity of the Chalder Fatigue scale in chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Incidence and clinical relevance of antibodies to phospholipids, serotonin and ganglioside in patients with sudden deafness and progressive inner ear hearing loss].

Nasal secretion analysis in allergic rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and nonallergic fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome subjects.

Reproductive correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Predictors of a medical-offset effect among patients receiving antidepressant therapy.

Attention and verbal learning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The effects of nutritional supplements on the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Diurnal variation of adrenocortical activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brain positron emission tomography (PET) in chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary data.

The low dose ACTH test in chronic fatigue syndrome and in health.

The role of delayed orthostatic hypotension in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue.

Autonomic testing in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Estimating the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome among nurses.

Phosphate diabetes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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