ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

361–380 of 742 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Recovery of upper limb muscle function in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.

Ickmans, Kelly, Meeus, Mira, De Kooning, Margot et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·2014

This study looked at how quickly upper arm muscles recover after exercise in people with ME/CFS. Researchers compared three groups: people with ME/CFS alone, people with ME/CFS plus fibromyalgia, and healthy controls. They found that people with both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia had slower muscle recovery than healthy people, but those with ME/CFS alone did not show this difference. This suggests ME/CFS may affect people differently depending on whether they also have fibromyalgia.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Can recovery of peripheral muscle function predict cognitive task performance in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without fibromyalgia?

Ickmans, Kelly, Meeus, Mira, De Kooning, Margot et al.·Physical therapy·2014

This study looked at whether better physical recovery after exercise could predict better thinking skills in people with ME/CFS, with and without fibromyalgia. Researchers tested 78 people—some with ME/CFS only, some with both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, and healthy controls—measuring their attention, focus, and memory, then their muscle recovery after an arm exercise test. They found that in ME/CFS patients, better physical recovery was linked to better cognitive performance, and the group with both conditions showed more thinking problems than healthy controls.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Short-term effect of aerobic exercise on symptoms in multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.

Learmonth, Yvonne C, Paul, Lorna, McFadyen, Angus K et al.·International journal of MS care·2014

Researchers wanted to see if 15 minutes of moderate cycling exercise would worsen symptoms in people with ME/CFS or MS. They compared 8 people with each condition to 8 healthy volunteers, measuring pain, fatigue, and physical function before exercise and at several time points up to 24 hours after. The good news: a single 15-minute cycling session did not cause lasting increases in pain or worsening of physical function in either patient group.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Use of an online survey to explore positive and negative outcomes of rehabilitation for people with CFS/ME.

Gladwell, Peter William, Pheby, Derek, Rodriguez, Tristana et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2014

This study asked 76 people with ME/CFS about their experiences with rehabilitation therapies like graded exercise. Researchers found that people had both positive and negative experiences. Good experiences happened when therapists communicated well, helped patients set realistic goals, and worked at a sustainable pace. Bad experiences occurred when therapists pushed patients too hard, didn't listen to their concerns, or blamed patients when symptoms got worse.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Decreased oxygen extraction during cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vermeulen, Ruud C W, Vermeulen van Eck, Ineke W G·Journal of translational medicine·2014

This study looked at how well the body uses oxygen during exercise in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS extract less oxygen from their blood during exercise than healthy people do, suggesting their muscles aren't using oxygen efficiently. Interestingly, their hearts have to pump much harder to deliver oxygen, which argues against the idea that ME/CFS is simply caused by deconditioning (being out of shape).

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining case definition criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jason, Leonard A, Sunnquist, Madison, Brown, Abigail et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2014

This study looked at different ways doctors define ME/CFS by comparing symptoms in 236 patients and 86 healthy people. The researchers found that simply looking for the presence of symptoms isn't enough—the frequency and severity matter greatly. Three key symptoms stood out as the best way to identify ME/CFS patients: extreme fatigue, difficulty focusing on multiple things at once, and feeling heavy or exhausted after exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Hall, Daniel L, Lattie, Emily G, Antoni, Michael H et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2014

This study looked at whether learning better stress management skills could help reduce post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the exhaustion that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS. Researchers measured stress hormones called cortisol in saliva samples from 117 people with ME/CFS and found that those who reported better stress management skills had healthier cortisol patterns and less severe PEM symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Influence of symptom expectancies on stair-climbing performance in chronic fatigue syndrome: effect of study context.

Heins, Marianne, Knoop, Hans, Nijs, Jo et al.·International journal of behavioral medicine·2013

This study looked at how ME/CFS patients' expectations about getting worse after physical activity affect how they actually perform during that activity. Researchers had 49 patients climb stairs while measuring how long it took and how their heart rate changed. They found that patients who expected to feel more fatigued after climbing took longer to complete the task, even after accounting for their initial fatigue level. Worry about symptoms and catastrophic thinking about their condition appeared to play a role in these expectations.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredObservational

Exercise challenge in Gulf War Illness reveals two subgroups with altered brain structure and function.

Rayhan, Rakib U, Stevens, Benson W, Raksit, Megna P et al.·PloS one·2013

This study looked at Gulf War veterans who experience post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a worsening of symptoms after physical activity—and compared them to healthy controls. Researchers used brain imaging before and after exercise tests and found that Gulf War Illness patients fell into two distinct groups: one with heart rate problems and one with increased pain sensitivity. Both groups showed different patterns of brain structure changes and how their brains responded to exercise, while healthy controls showed no such changes.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Examining the energy envelope and associated symptom patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome: does coping matter?

Brown, Abigail A, Evans, Meredyth A, Jason, Leonard A·Chronic illness·2013

This study looked at whether different groups of ME/CFS patients manage their energy differently and whether coping strategies help them feel better. Researchers found three distinct groups of patients: two groups that fit the energy envelope theory (where staying within your energy limits helps you function better), and one group that was severely limited even though they were trying to stay within their energy limits. Surprisingly, using positive coping strategies didn't improve outcomes for the most impaired group, suggesting that coping alone cannot overcome the severity of ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

White, Andrea T, Light, Alan R, Hughen, Ronald W et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2012

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and healthy people respond to moderate exercise by measuring changes in specific genes in blood cells. ME/CFS patients experienced much larger increases in fatigue and pain after exercise, and showed distinctive patterns of gene activity related to pain sensing and stress hormones that were different from MS patients and healthy controls.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Association of active human herpesvirus-6, -7 and parvovirus b19 infection with clinical outcomes in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chapenko, Svetlana, Krumina, Angelika, Logina, Inara et al.·Advances in virology·2012

This study tested 108 ME/CFS patients and 90 healthy people for three viruses: HHV-6, HHV-7, and parvovirus B19. The researchers found that about 65% of ME/CFS patients had active viral infections compared to only 13% of healthy people. Patients with active viral infections showed higher levels of inflammatory markers and experienced more severe symptoms, especially when infected with multiple viruses at once.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredLongitudinal

Adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome; a follow-up study displays concurrent improvement of circulatory abnormalities and clinical symptoms.

Sulheim, Dag, Hurum, Harald, Helland, Ingrid B et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2012

This study followed 47 teenagers with ME/CFS over several months to see how they changed over time. Researchers found that most teens improved in their symptoms—including fatigue, pain, and brain fog—and these improvements happened at the same time their heart and nervous system function also improved. This suggests that problems with how the body regulates heart rate and blood pressure may be connected to ME/CFS symptoms.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Loss of capacity to recover from acidosis on repeat exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Jones, David E J, Hollingsworth, Kieren G, Jakovljevic, Djordje G et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·2012

This study looked at how muscles produce and use energy during exercise in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients' muscles became more acidic (like buildup of lactic acid) during exercise and took much longer to recover back to normal levels, even after repeated exercise sessions. This abnormal response to exercise may explain why some ME/CFS patients feel worse after exertion rather than better.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Responses to exercise differ for chronic fatigue syndrome patients with fibromyalgia.

Cook, Dane B, Stegner, Aaron J, Nagelkirk, Paul R et al.·Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2012

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients respond to moderate exercise on a stationary bike. Researchers found that patients who have both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia (a condition causing widespread pain) showed different heart and breathing responses during exercise compared to healthy people, including higher perceived effort and different blood pressure patterns.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome: acute infection and history of physical activity affect resting levels and response to exercise of plasma oxidant/antioxidant status and heat shock proteins.

Jammes, Y, Steinberg, J G, Delliaux, S·Journal of internal medicine·2012

This study examined whether a history of intense exercise or serious infections in ME/CFS patients affects how their bodies handle oxidative stress (cellular damage) and produce protective heat shock proteins. Researchers compared 43 ME/CFS patients with different backgrounds to 23 healthy controls, measuring stress markers and protective proteins both at rest and after exercise. They found that ME/CFS patients with a history of high-level sports or infections showed signs of greater cellular damage and weaker protective responses to exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Kinesiophobia, catastrophizing and anticipated symptoms before stair climbing in chronic fatigue syndrome: an experimental study.

Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira, Heins, Marianne et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2012

This study looked at whether fear of movement and worried thoughts about symptoms affect how well people with ME/CFS can climb stairs. Researchers found that people with higher fear of movement and catastrophic thinking took longer to complete the stair task. However, these fears did not predict how much physical activity people did in their daily lives over the following week.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank N M, Johnson, Cort·Psychiatry research·2012

This study looked at whether ME, CFS, and chronic fatigue are truly different conditions or if they overlap too much to distinguish. Researchers tested 144 patients and found that post-exertional malaise (PEM)—where symptoms worsen after activity—is a key feature that separates ME from CFS. They also found that ME and CFS patients had higher levels of certain inflammatory markers in their blood compared to people with simple chronic fatigue.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: study of a consecutive series of 824 cases assessed in two specialized units].

Ruiz, E, Alegre, J, García Quintana, A M et al.·Revista clinica espanola·2011

This study looked at 824 people with ME/CFS (91% women, average age 48) seen at two specialized clinics between 2008 and 2010. The researchers found that most people had severe fatigue that worsened with activity, sleep problems, and memory/concentration difficulties. Many also had anxiety, dry eyes (sicca syndrome), and fibromyalgia. On average, it took over 9 years for people to get a diagnosis after their symptoms started.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms characterising chronic fatigue syndrome.

Davenport, Todd E, Stevens, Staci R, Baroni, Katie et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2011

This study looked at which symptoms best identify people with ME/CFS by comparing 16 patients with the condition to 14 healthy controls. The researchers found that failure to recover within one day after intense exercise was the strongest single indicator of ME/CFS, and combining three symptoms—immune problems, sleep disturbance, and pain—could accurately identify most patients. The findings suggest that fewer symptoms may be needed to diagnose ME/CFS than current guidelines require.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

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Recovery of upper limb muscle function in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.

Can recovery of peripheral muscle function predict cognitive task performance in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without fibromyalgia?

Short-term effect of aerobic exercise on symptoms in multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.

Use of an online survey to explore positive and negative outcomes of rehabilitation for people with CFS/ME.

Decreased oxygen extraction during cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Examining case definition criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Influence of symptom expectancies on stair-climbing performance in chronic fatigue syndrome: effect of study context.

Exercise challenge in Gulf War Illness reveals two subgroups with altered brain structure and function.

Examining the energy envelope and associated symptom patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome: does coping matter?

Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.

Association of active human herpesvirus-6, -7 and parvovirus b19 infection with clinical outcomes in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome; a follow-up study displays concurrent improvement of circulatory abnormalities and clinical symptoms.

Loss of capacity to recover from acidosis on repeat exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study.

Responses to exercise differ for chronic fatigue syndrome patients with fibromyalgia.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: acute infection and history of physical activity affect resting levels and response to exercise of plasma oxidant/antioxidant status and heat shock proteins.

Kinesiophobia, catastrophizing and anticipated symptoms before stair climbing in chronic fatigue syndrome: an experimental study.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Chronic Fatigue (CF) are distinguished accurately: results of supervised learning techniques applied on clinical and inflammatory data.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome: study of a consecutive series of 824 cases assessed in two specialized units].

Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms characterising chronic fatigue syndrome.

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