ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3621–3640 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Immunological abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tirelli, U, Marotta, G, Improta, S et al.·Scandinavian journal of immunology·1994

Researchers studied 265 ME/CFS patients and found unusual patterns in their immune cells compared to healthy people. They discovered that certain types of white blood cells called natural killer (NK) cells and B cells were abnormally increased, and these cells showed signs of being overly activated. These immune abnormalities appeared consistent with what other researchers had found in different countries.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Detection of intracranial abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of MR imaging and SPECT.

Schwartz, R B, Garada, B M, Komaroff, A L et al.·AJR. American journal of roentgenology·1994

Researchers used two different brain imaging techniques—MRI and SPECT—to look for abnormalities in the brains of ME/CFS patients. They found that SPECT scans detected significantly more brain abnormalities in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls, while MRI scans showed fewer differences. Importantly, SPECT abnormalities appeared to change with clinical status, suggesting they might be useful for tracking disease progression.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

SPECT imaging of the brain: comparison of findings in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, AIDS dementia complex, and major unipolar depression.

Schwartz, R B, Komaroff, A L, Garada, B M et al.·AJR. American journal of roentgenology·1994

Researchers used a type of brain imaging called SPECT scans to compare brain blood flow patterns in people with ME/CFS, AIDS-related dementia, depression, and healthy people. People with ME/CFS and AIDS dementia showed similar patterns of reduced blood flow in certain brain areas, while people with depression showed different patterns. These findings suggest ME/CFS may involve brain inflammation similar to a chronic viral infection rather than being purely psychological.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Immunologic abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Barker, E, Fujimura, S F, Fadem, M B et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study examined immune cells in the blood of ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had normal numbers of immune cells overall, but the cells showed signs of being overactive and tired. Most notably, patients had significantly reduced natural killer cell activity—these are immune cells that normally help fight infections and abnormal cells.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Psychobehavioral and immunological characteristics of adult people with chronic fatigue and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Masuda, A, Nozoe, S I, Matsuyama, T et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·1994

This study compared immune system function and psychological stress levels in three groups: healthy people, those with chronic fatigue (but not ME/CFS), and patients with ME/CFS. All three groups showed differences in how stressed they felt, their activity levels, and how well their immune cells (specifically natural killer cells) worked. Importantly, the chronic fatigue group fell somewhere between healthy people and ME/CFS patients in terms of both psychological stress and immune function.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a follow up study.

Bonner, D, Ron, M, Chalder, T et al.·Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·1994

Researchers followed up with 46 ME/CFS patients four years after their initial diagnosis to see how they were doing. Patients who had improved with treatment generally stayed better, while those who didn't benefit from treatment were unlikely to recover on their own. Patients who still had ME/CFS symptoms four years later tended to have had more physical health problems, greater fatigue levels, and a history of mental health conditions when first diagnosed.

Interventions

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Prevalence of human herpesvirus 6 variants A and B in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yalcin, S, Kuratsune, H, Yamaguchi, K et al.·Microbiology and immunology·1994

Researchers tested blood samples from 13 ME/CFS patients and 13 healthy people to see if they carried human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a common virus that most people encounter in childhood. They found that over half of the ME/CFS patients had active HHV-6 in their blood, while none of the healthy controls did. The patients also had higher antibody levels, suggesting their immune systems were actively fighting the virus.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Normal red cell magnesium concentrations and magnesium loading tests in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hinds, G, Bell, N P, McMaster, D et al.·Annals of clinical biochemistry·1994

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS have low magnesium levels, since some people believed magnesium supplements might help with fatigue. Researchers measured magnesium in red blood cells from 89 ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people, then did additional tests on six patients. They found no difference in magnesium levels between the two groups.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Concurrent sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome: epidemic neuromyasthenia revisited.

Chester, A C, Levine, P H·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study looked at three groups of people in different buildings who reported feeling sick, and found that some developed symptoms beyond what's typically expected from poor indoor air quality. While many had the usual complaints like respiratory irritation and headaches from their building environments, others developed more serious symptoms like extreme fatigue and neurological problems that match ME/CFS. The researchers concluded that ME/CFS may often occur alongside or be connected to sick building syndrome.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neuropsychology and psychology of MCS.

Fiedler, N, Kipen, H, Deluca, J et al.·Toxicology and industrial health·1994

This study looked at whether people with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have psychiatric issues or thinking problems. Researchers found that both groups reported more psychiatric diagnoses than healthy people, and both groups tended to report physical symptoms rather than emotional ones. Surprisingly, the study did not find significant cognitive impairment in MCS patients, except for a small difference in visual memory.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities.

Buchwald, D, Garrity, D·Archives of internal medicine·1994

This study compared 90 patients with three conditions that cause fatigue and other symptoms: ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities. The researchers found that these three conditions are very similar in many ways—patients often report overlapping symptoms, and many people meet the criteria for more than one condition. All three groups used a lot of healthcare services, visiting doctors about 22-40 times per year on average.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

[Epidemiologic study of chronic fatigue in primary care (general practice)].

Mann, A H, Mc Donald, E, Cope, H et al.·L'Encephale·1994

Researchers studied fatigue in patients visiting regular doctors' offices to understand how common it is and what causes it. They found that some patients had long-lasting, disabling fatigue, but these patients were very different from each other in why they thought they were tired. Most of these patients also had depression or other mental health conditions alongside their fatigue.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a controlled cross sectional study.

Rasmussen, A K, Nielsen, H, Andersen, V et al.·The Journal of rheumatology·1994

Researchers compared immune system markers in 21 people with ME/CFS to 21 healthy controls to see if immune problems might cause the illness. They found that people with ME/CFS produced higher levels of certain immune signaling molecules and had slightly different antibody patterns, but overall immune system differences between the groups were small. The study suggests the immune system may be out of balance in ME/CFS, but doesn't prove this imbalance actually causes the disease.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Fatigue secondary to chronic illness: postpolio syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.

Packer, T L, Sauriol, A, Brouwer, B·Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation·1994

This study compared fatigue in people with three different chronic illnesses: postpolio syndrome, ME/CFS, and multiple sclerosis. Researchers found that people with all three conditions experienced much higher levels of fatigue than healthy people, and those with ME/CFS and MS also had greater difficulty doing everyday activities. The study highlights how serious and disabling fatigue can be across these different conditions.

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

A comparison of case definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bates, D W, Buchwald, D, Lee, J et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study tested whether three different sets of diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS identified the same patients. Researchers looked at 805 patients at two clinics and found that about 55-61% met each of the three definitions, though different patients sometimes qualified under different criteria. The study suggests that using broader, more flexible definitions might better capture people with ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Dimensional assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vercoulen, J H, Swanink, C M, Fennis, J F et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1994

This study asked 298 people with ME/CFS to fill out detailed questionnaires about how the illness affected them. Researchers found that ME/CFS affects people in nine different ways: mood and emotional health, ability to do daily activities, sleep quality, physical avoidance, thinking and memory problems, beliefs about what caused their illness, relationships and social life, confidence in their own abilities, and overall life satisfaction. Understanding these separate aspects could help doctors better assess and treat ME/CFS in individual patients.

SleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Use of dynamic tests of muscle function and histomorphometry of quadriceps muscle biopsies in the investigation of patients with chronic alcohol misuse and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wassif, W S, Sherman, D, Salisbury, J R et al.·Annals of clinical biochemistry·1994

Researchers tested muscle function and examined muscle samples from people with ME/CFS and people with chronic alcohol problems to see if their muscle problems were similar or different. They found that while some people initially thought to have ME/CFS actually had other conditions (like a rare enzyme deficiency or inflammation), the muscle changes in alcohol misuse were quite distinct and recognizable through muscle biopsies.

Biomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Sympathetic overactivity in subjects complaining of unexplained fatigue.

Pagani, M, Lucini, D, Mela, G S et al.·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·1994

This study examined how the nervous system controls heart rate in people with unexplained fatigue compared to healthy people. Using heart rate recordings, researchers found that fatigue patients showed an imbalance in their autonomic nervous system—specifically, the part that triggers the "fight or flight" response was overactive while the calming part was underactive, even at rest.

Autonomic Nervous 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.

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Immunological abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Detection of intracranial abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: comparison of MR imaging and SPECT.

SPECT imaging of the brain: comparison of findings in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, AIDS dementia complex, and major unipolar depression.

Immunologic abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psychobehavioral and immunological characteristics of adult people with chronic fatigue and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a follow up study.

Prevalence of human herpesvirus 6 variants A and B in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Normal red cell magnesium concentrations and magnesium loading tests in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Concurrent sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome: epidemic neuromyasthenia revisited.

Neuropsychology and psychology of MCS.

Comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities.

[Epidemiologic study of chronic fatigue in primary care (general practice)].

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a controlled cross sectional study.

Fatigue secondary to chronic illness: postpolio syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.

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

A comparison of case definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dimensional assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Use of dynamic tests of muscle function and histomorphometry of quadriceps muscle biopsies in the investigation of patients with chronic alcohol misuse and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sympathetic overactivity in subjects complaining of unexplained fatigue.

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

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