ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3441–3460 of 6,161 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Magnesium deficit in a sample of the Belgian population presenting with chronic fatigue.

Moorkens, G, Manuel y Keenoy, B, Vertommen, J et al.·Magnesium research·1997

This study tested whether people with chronic fatigue have low magnesium levels. Researchers gave 97 patients a special magnesium test and found that 44 had magnesium deficiency. After magnesium supplements, their bodies retained less magnesium, suggesting the treatment may have helped. However, the researchers did not find a clear link between low magnesium and chronic fatigue syndrome itself.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Patterns of utilization of medical care and perceptions of the relationship between doctor and patient with chronic illness including chronic fatigue syndrome.

Twemlow, S W, Bradshaw, S L, Coyne, L et al.·Psychological reports·1997

This study surveyed 609 people with ME/CFS to understand how their relationships with doctors differ from those of other patients with medical conditions. People with ME/CFS reported missing about 65 days of work per year due to illness, experienced more side effects from medical treatments, spent more money on healthcare, and visited more specialists than patients with typical medical conditions. The researchers found that doctors may need to pay more attention to how ME/CFS patients perceive their illness and their doctor-patient relationship, as these beliefs can affect how well treatments work.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High frequency of autoantibodies to insoluble cellular antigens in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

von Mikecz, A, Konstantinov, K, Buchwald, D S et al.·Arthritis and rheumatism·1997

Researchers tested blood samples from 60 ME/CFS patients and found that 83% had unusual antibodies (immune proteins) attacking their own cells—specifically targeting proteins that form the structural framework inside and around cell nuclei. These antibodies were rarely seen in healthy people (only 17%), suggesting this autoimmune pattern might be unique to ME/CFS and could potentially help doctors identify the disease.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The chronic fatigue syndrome and hyperventilation.

Bazelmans, E, Bleijenberg, G, Vercoulen, J H et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1997

This study looked at whether rapid, shallow breathing (hyperventilation) causes ME/CFS or makes it worse. Researchers compared ME/CFS patients with people who hyperventilate but don't have ME/CFS, and healthy people. While ME/CFS patients did show signs of hyperventilation more often than healthy controls, having hyperventilation didn't actually make their fatigue or other symptoms worse.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neuropsychological and psychological functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kane, R L, Gantz, N M, DiPino, R K·Neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, and behavioral neurology·1997

This study compared 17 people with ME/CFS to 17 healthy controls on thinking and memory tests, as well as psychological well-being. While ME/CFS patients reported feeling cognitively foggy, most formal test scores were similar between groups. However, ME/CFS patients showed significantly higher levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression compared to controls.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Coping and other predictors of outcome in chronic fatigue syndrome: a 1-year follow-up.

Ray, C, Jefferies, S, Weir, W R·Journal of psychosomatic research·1997

This study followed 137 ME/CFS patients for one year to see what factors predicted whether they improved or got worse. About two-thirds of patients reported some improvement over the year. The results showed that people with longer illness duration, cognitive difficulties, and multiple body symptoms tended to have worse outcomes, while mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression did not predict outcomes. Interestingly, patients who believed they could influence their condition through their own actions did better, even if they had to adjust their activities around their illness.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The relation of sleep difficulties to fatigue, mood and disability in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Morriss, R K, Wearden, A J, Battersby, L·Journal of psychosomatic research·1997

This study looked at sleep problems in 69 people with ME/CFS who had no mental health conditions and 58 with ME/CFS plus depression or anxiety. Researchers found that sleep difficulties are common in ME/CFS but are usually caused by the illness itself rather than depression. People with ME/CFS often took naps and woke up from pain, and when their sleep got worse, their ME/CFS symptoms often worsened too.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The effects of fatigue on neuropsychological performance in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and depression.

Johnson, S K, Lange, G, DeLuca, J et al.·Applied neuropsychology·1997

Researchers tested whether fatigue directly worsens brain performance on a specific attention test (PASAT) in people with ME/CFS, multiple sclerosis, and depression. They found that people with ME/CFS and depression performed worse overall on the test compared to healthy controls, but fatigue itself did not prevent people from improving with practice. This suggests that fatigue may not be the main factor directly causing the thinking difficulties some ME/CFS patients experience.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Markers of inflammation and immune activation in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Buchwald, D, Wener, M H, Pearlman, T et al.·The Journal of rheumatology·1997

Researchers tested blood samples from 153 patients with severe fatigue to see if certain immune markers were elevated, thinking that an overactive immune system might cause ME/CFS. They found that three markers (C-reactive protein, beta 2-microglobulin, and neopterin) were higher in fatigued patients compared to healthy controls, but these markers couldn't reliably distinguish between ME/CFS and other types of chronic fatigue. The results suggest that some patients have signs of immune activation, but it's unclear whether this is a temporary response to infection or part of the ongoing illness.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Immune responses associated with chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Mawle, A C, Nisenbaum, R, Dobbins, J G et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·1997

Researchers compared immune system measurements between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls to see if immune differences could reliably detect the illness. While previous studies reported many immune differences, this careful study found most standard immune tests showed no difference between patients and controls. However, when they looked at specific subgroups—such as patients whose illness started suddenly versus gradually—they did find some immune differences, suggesting that ME/CFS may not be a single uniform immune condition.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Does the chronic fatigue syndrome involve the autonomic nervous system?

Freeman, R, Komaroff, A L·The American journal of medicine·1997

This study tested whether ME/CFS patients have problems with their autonomic nervous system—the part of the nervous system that controls automatic functions like heart rate and blood pressure. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had abnormal heart rate and blood pressure responses during standing and tilting tests, and their nervous system wasn't regulating these responses properly. The findings suggest that either deconditioning from reduced activity, a viral infection damaging the nervous system, or both could explain why many ME/CFS patients feel dizzy or faint when standing up.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in 4 family practices in Leiden].

Versluis, R G, de Waal, M W, Opmeer, C et al.·Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde·1997

Researchers in the Netherlands looked at how many people in general medical practices had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). They reviewed medical records from about 23,000 patients and found that at least 1-2 out of every 1,000 patients had CFS. Interestingly, they noticed that women were diagnosed with CFS about five times more often than men.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The quality of life of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Anderson, J S, Ferrans, C E·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·1997

This study asked 110 people with ME/CFS to rate their quality of life and interviewed 22 of them in depth about their daily experiences. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS reported significantly lower quality of life compared to people with other chronic illnesses, with the biggest problems in health and physical functioning. The detailed interviews helped explain why the numbers were so low and showed that ME/CFS uniquely disrupts many aspects of a person's life.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Screening for psychiatric disorders in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Buchwald, D, Pearlman, T, Kith, P et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1997

This study looked at how common mental health conditions are in people with chronic fatigue and ME/CFS, and tested whether a simple questionnaire could help identify these conditions. Researchers interviewed 281 patients and found that about one-third had a current mental health disorder, while over 80% had experienced one at some point in their lives. A screening tool called the General Health Questionnaire performed reasonably well at spotting current psychiatric conditions, though it wasn't perfect.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

The natural history of concurrent sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chester, A C, Levine, P H·Journal of psychiatric research·1997

This study followed 23 people who developed fatigue and other symptoms during an outbreak linked to a problem building environment. Four years later, about two-thirds of the group had improved significantly or felt much better, while about one-third remained quite ill and unable to work. People who improved tended to also see their respiratory symptoms, sore throats, and headaches get better over time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Sleep anomalies in the chronic fatigue syndrome. A comorbidity study.

Fischler, B, Le Bon, O, Hoffmann, G et al.·Neuropsychobiology·1997

This study examined sleep patterns in 49 ME/CFS patients compared to 20 healthy people using overnight sleep monitoring. Patients with ME/CFS had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and spent less time in deep, restorative stage 4 sleep. These sleep problems were distinctive enough that researchers could correctly identify who had ME/CFS based on sleep patterns alone.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome criteria in patients with other forms of unexplained chronic fatigue.

Chester, A C·Journal of psychiatric research·1997

This study looked at nearly 300 young people to see how many had symptoms similar to ME/CFS even though they didn't have a confirmed ME/CFS diagnosis. The researchers found that people with unexplained chronic fatigue shared many symptoms with ME/CFS patients, including fever, sore lymph nodes, muscle weakness, muscle pain, headaches, joint pain, brain fog, and sleep problems. This suggests that ME/CFS symptoms are common in people with other types of long-lasting, unexplained tiredness.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

[Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome and primary fibromyalgia syndrome in The Netherlands].

Bazelmans, E, Vercoulen, J H, Galama, J M et al.·Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde·1997

This study asked general doctors across the Netherlands how many ME/CFS and fibromyalgia patients they saw in their practices. Based on their responses, researchers estimated that about 112 out of every 100,000 people in the Netherlands have ME/CFS, and 157 out of every 100,000 have fibromyalgia. The study found that both conditions affect mostly women and tend to develop in early-to-middle adulthood.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Elevation of bioactive transforming growth factor-beta in serum from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bennett, A L, Chao, C C, Hu, S et al.·Journal of clinical immunology·1997

Researchers measured a protein called TGF-beta in the blood of ME/CFS patients and compared it to healthy people and patients with other diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. They found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher levels of this protein than all the other groups studied. This suggests that TGF-beta might play a role in ME/CFS, though more research is needed to understand exactly how.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Effect of noise stress on chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Beh, H C·The Journal of nervous and mental disease·1997

This study looked at how noise affects people with ME/CFS, examining whether environmental sounds make their symptoms worse. The research observed how patients responded to noise stress as part of understanding the condition better. This type of research helps identify triggers that may worsen fatigue and other ME/CFS symptoms.

Pain and Sensitization

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Evidence browser

Magnesium deficit in a sample of the Belgian population presenting with chronic fatigue.

Patterns of utilization of medical care and perceptions of the relationship between doctor and patient with chronic illness including chronic fatigue syndrome.

High frequency of autoantibodies to insoluble cellular antigens in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The chronic fatigue syndrome and hyperventilation.

Neuropsychological and psychological functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Coping and other predictors of outcome in chronic fatigue syndrome: a 1-year follow-up.

The relation of sleep difficulties to fatigue, mood and disability in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The effects of fatigue on neuropsychological performance in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and depression.

Markers of inflammation and immune activation in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immune responses associated with chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Does the chronic fatigue syndrome involve the autonomic nervous system?

[Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in 4 family practices in Leiden].

The quality of life of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Screening for psychiatric disorders in chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The natural history of concurrent sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sleep anomalies in the chronic fatigue syndrome. A comorbidity study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome criteria in patients with other forms of unexplained chronic fatigue.

[Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome and primary fibromyalgia syndrome in The Netherlands].

Elevation of bioactive transforming growth factor-beta in serum from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Effect of noise stress on chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

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Biomarkers

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