ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3601–3620 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Abnormalities of carnitine metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Majeed, T, de Simone, C, Famularo, G et al.·European journal of neurology·1995

This study examined carnitine, a substance that helps cells produce energy, in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that while carnitine levels in the blood were normal, the levels inside immune cells were significantly lower in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. This finding suggests that ME/CFS patients might benefit from taking carnitine supplements to restore normal energy production.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Chronic fatigue: risk factors for symptom persistence in a 2 1/2-year follow-up study.

Clark, M R, Katon, W, Russo, J et al.·The American journal of medicine·1995

This study followed 78 patients with chronic fatigue for about 2.5 years to understand why some people recover while others continue to struggle. Researchers found that people were more likely to have ongoing symptoms if they had multiple unexplained physical symptoms, a history of depression-like mood disorder, longer-lasting fatigue, less formal education, and were older than 38. Importantly, standard blood tests and immune system measurements did not predict who would improve.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Vagal tone is reduced during paced breathing in patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sisto, S A, Tapp, W, Drastal, S et al.·Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·1995

This study looked at how the vagus nerve—which helps control heart rate and relaxation—works differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers had women with ME/CFS and healthy women breathe at different controlled rates while measuring their heart rate patterns. They found that people with ME/CFS had weaker vagal nerve activity overall, suggesting their nervous system may not be able to relax and recover as effectively as healthy people's.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Detection of human herpesvirus 6 in plasma of children with primary infection and immunosuppressed patients by polymerase chain reaction.

Secchiero, P, Carrigan, D R, Asano, Y et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·1995

Researchers developed a sensitive test to detect human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA in blood. They tested blood samples from children with a specific rash illness, bone marrow transplant patients, HIV-infected patients, people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and healthy adults. The test found HHV-6 DNA most often in children with the rash illness, less commonly in transplant and HIV patients, rarely in ME/CFS patients, and not at all in healthy people.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

Exercise responses and psychiatric disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lane, R J, Burgess, A P, Flint, J et al.·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1995

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS respond to exercise and whether they experience psychiatric problems like depression or anxiety. Researchers examined whether exercise responses and psychiatric symptoms are connected in ME/CFS patients. The study helps clarify the relationship between physical symptoms and mental health in this condition.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Life-events and the course of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ray, C, Jefferies, S, Weir, W R·The British journal of medical psychology·1995

This study looked at whether major life events affect how ME/CFS progresses in patients. Researchers asked 130 patients about positive and negative events they experienced over a year and compared these to their fatigue, disability, anxiety, and depression levels. They found that positive life events were linked to less fatigue and better emotional wellbeing, while negative events were mainly associated with increased anxiety.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The impact of catastrophic beliefs on functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Petrie, K, Moss-Morris, R, Weinman, J·Journal of psychosomatic research·1995

This study looked at whether how people think about ME/CFS affects how disabled they become. Researchers asked 282 people with ME/CFS what they thought would happen if they pushed themselves too hard, and sorted their answers into catastrophic (very negative) or non-catastrophic thinking. People who had catastrophic thoughts about pushing themselves were significantly more fatigued and more disabled in work, household tasks, sleep, socializing, and hobbies—even though they had been sick for similar lengths of time as others.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Neuraesthenia revisited: ICD-10 and DSM-III-R psychiatric syndromes in chronic fatigue patients and comparison subjects.

Farmer, A, Jones, I, Hillier, J et al.·The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·1995

This study examined psychiatric conditions in people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) using standardized diagnostic interviews. Most CFS patients met criteria for a condition called neuraesthenia (an older term for nerve exhaustion) and had higher rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems compared to healthy people. Interestingly, when researchers followed patients over about 11 months without giving specific treatment, some psychiatric symptoms improved on their own, while the core fatigue condition remained.

SleepDiagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Estimating rates of chronic fatigue syndrome from a community-based sample: a pilot study.

Jason, L A, Taylor, R, Wagner, L et al.·American journal of community psychology·1995

This study looked at how many people in the general community have ME/CFS by calling over 1,000 randomly selected households by telephone. Instead of relying on patients referred by doctors (which may miss people who can't afford care or distrust doctors), the researchers directly asked community members about their symptoms. They found that ME/CFS may be more common than previously thought, affecting about 0.2% of the population.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

P300 assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Polich, J, Moore, A P, Wiederhold, M D·Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·1995

This study measured electrical activity in the brains of people with ME/CFS and healthy controls using a simple listening task where they had to identify specific sounds. Researchers found no differences in brain wave patterns (called P300) between the two groups, even though many ME/CFS patients report problems with memory and attention. This suggests that brain electrical activity measured this way may not be a reliable marker for ME/CFS.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the community. Prevalence and associations.

Lawrie, S M, Pelosi, A J·The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·1995

This study surveyed over 1,000 people in a community to understand how common ME/CFS is and what it's associated with. Researchers found that about 0.56% of people met the criteria for ME/CFS, and they discovered a strong connection between fatigue and psychological distress. However, the authors concluded that ME/CFS should not be dismissed as purely a psychiatric disorder.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew.

Lutgendorf, S K, Antoni, M H, Ironson, G et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·1995

This study looked at how a major natural disaster (Hurricane Andrew in 1992) affected people with ME/CFS living in Florida. Patients who experienced the most hurricane damage had worse ME/CFS symptoms and greater difficulty with daily activities compared to those in less-affected areas. Interestingly, how stressed people felt about the hurricane and whether they had social support mattered more than the actual damage itself.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

High incidence of antibodies to 5-hydroxytryptamine, gangliosides and phospholipids in patients with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndrome and their relatives: evidence for a clinical entity of both disorders.

Klein, R, Berg, P A·European journal of medical research·1995

Researchers found that patients with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) often have similar antibodies in their blood—proteins the immune system produces that may attack the body's own tissues. About 62% of ME/CFS patients and 73% of FMS patients had antibodies against serotonin, a chemical important for mood and pain regulation. Interestingly, these antibodies were also found in family members of affected patients, suggesting a genetic component may play a role.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sleep disturbances and fatigue in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schaefer, K M·Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN·1995

This study looked at sleep problems in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Researchers found that both groups had significant sleep difficulties, and that trouble staying asleep was the most common sleep problem reported. There was a clear link between poor sleep and fatigue—women who slept poorly felt more tired.

Sleep

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Postinfectious fatigue: prospective cohort study in primary care.

Wessely, S, Chalder, T, Hirsch, S et al.·Lancet (London, England)·1995

This study followed over 2,000 people in the UK to see whether common infections like colds and flu lead to chronic fatigue or ME/CFS. Researchers compared people who had recent infections with those who didn't, and checked them again 6 months later. They found no evidence that routine infections trigger ME/CFS—instead, people who were already tired or stressed before getting sick were more likely to experience fatigue afterward.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

A clinical study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Shanks, M F, Ho-Yen, D O·The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·1995

This study looked at 64 ME/CFS patients to understand whether psychiatric conditions (like depression or anxiety) are part of ME/CFS itself or develop separately. Researchers found that patients without pre-existing psychiatric disorders had milder illness overall, suggesting that ME/CFS can occur on its own. Most patients improved with counseling and by staying within their energy limits.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

High titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase are found in patients with severe fatiguing illness.

Natelson, B H, Ye, N, Moul, D E et al.·Journal of medical virology·1994

This study looked for specific antibodies (proteins the immune system makes) against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that abnormal levels of these antibodies were twice as common in ME/CFS patients, and the effect was even stronger in sicker patients. This suggests these antibodies might help doctors identify which ME/CFS patients have more severe illness.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Single fibre EMG studies in chronic fatigue syndrome: a reappraisal.

Roberts, L, Byrne, E·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·1994

Researchers used a specialized test called single fibre EMG to examine how well the muscles and nerves work together in people with ME/CFS. They tested 30 patients with ME/CFS and compared them to 30 healthy controls. While they found some minor differences, the differences were so small that the researchers concluded problems with nerve-muscle communication are unlikely to be a main cause of ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Buchwald, D, Pearlman, T, Kith, P et al.·Journal of general internal medicine·1994

This study looked at whether ME/CFS affects men and women differently by comparing 348 patients seen at a specialized clinic. While women more often had swollen lymph nodes and fibromyalgia alongside ME/CFS, and men more often had sore throats, the researchers found that overall, men and women with ME/CFS are quite similar in most ways, including their symptoms, psychological well-being, and how the illness affects their daily functioning.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychosocial correlates of illness burden in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Antoni, M H, Brickman, A, Lutgendorf, S et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study looked at how thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies affect how sick ME/CFS patients feel and function day-to-day. Researchers found that negative thinking patterns and avoidance-based coping (like denial) were linked to worse symptoms and lower quality of life, while active problem-solving strategies did not improve outcomes. These relationships held true whether or not patients also had depression.

Cognitive Impairment

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Abnormalities of carnitine metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue: risk factors for symptom persistence in a 2 1/2-year follow-up study.

Vagal tone is reduced during paced breathing in patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of human herpesvirus 6 in plasma of children with primary infection and immunosuppressed patients by polymerase chain reaction.

Exercise responses and psychiatric disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Life-events and the course of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The impact of catastrophic beliefs on functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuraesthenia revisited: ICD-10 and DSM-III-R psychiatric syndromes in chronic fatigue patients and comparison subjects.

Estimating rates of chronic fatigue syndrome from a community-based sample: a pilot study.

P300 assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the community. Prevalence and associations.

Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew.

High incidence of antibodies to 5-hydroxytryptamine, gangliosides and phospholipids in patients with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndrome and their relatives: evidence for a clinical entity of both disorders.

Sleep disturbances and fatigue in women with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Postinfectious fatigue: prospective cohort study in primary care.

A clinical study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

High titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase are found in patients with severe fatiguing illness.

Single fibre EMG studies in chronic fatigue syndrome: a reappraisal.

Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psychosocial correlates of illness burden in chronic fatigue syndrome.

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