ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3661–3680 of 6,209 studies

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

Hyperventilation and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Saisch, S G, Deale, A, Gardner, W N et al.·The Quarterly journal of medicine·1994

Researchers tested whether people with ME/CFS tend to overbreathe (hyperventilate), which could contribute to their fatigue. They measured breathing patterns in 31 patients at rest, during exercise, and after voluntary heavy breathing. Most patients did not show signs of hyperventilation, and those who did usually had other explanations like asthma or panic disorder.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Italian patients with persistent fatigue.

Conti, F, Priori, R, De Petrillo, G et al.·Annali italiani di medicina interna : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di medicina interna·1994

Researchers in Rome studied 63 patients with persistent fatigue lasting at least 6 months to see how many actually had ME/CFS. They found that only 6 patients (about 10%) met the official diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, while 37 patients (59%) had other medical conditions explaining their fatigue, such as infections or other illnesses. This suggests that ME/CFS is relatively uncommon as a cause of severe fatigue compared to other treatable conditions.

Diagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A potential role for human herpesvirus type 6 in nervous system disease.

Wilborn, F, Schmidt, C A, Brinkmann, V et al.·Journal of neuroimmunology·1994

This study looked for evidence that human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6), a common virus, might be involved in nervous system diseases including ME/CFS. Researchers tested blood and spinal fluid samples from patients with different neurological conditions and compared them to healthy controls. They found that a small number of multiple sclerosis patients had HHV-6 DNA in their spinal fluid, and MS patients had higher antibodies to HHV-6 in their blood, suggesting the virus may play a role in that disease.

Immune System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Psychosocial factors and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lewis, S, Cooper, C L, Bennett, D·Psychological medicine·1994

This study looked at whether psychological and social factors differ between people with ME/CFS, people with irritable bowel syndrome, and healthy people without these conditions. Researchers examined life stressors, personality traits, how people cope with stress, and their social support systems. They found that while stressful life events were similar across groups, differences appeared in how people handled stress and their personality patterns.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Alpha-delta sleep in patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue.

Manu, P, Lane, T J, Matthews, D A et al.·Southern medical journal·1994

This study looked at sleep patterns in 30 patients with chronic fatigue to understand what might be causing their exhaustion. Researchers found that a specific type of abnormal sleep pattern called 'alpha-delta sleep' appeared in about 26% of patients, but it was not clearly linked to ME/CFS or fibromyalgia. The study also found that one-third of the patients had other primary sleep disorders like sleep apnea that may have been contributing to their fatigue.

Sleep

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Lack of evidence for infection with known human and animal retroviruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Heneine, W, Woods, T C, Sinha, S D et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

Researchers tested blood samples from 21 ME/CFS patients and 21 healthy control volunteers to see if several types of retroviruses (viruses that can insert themselves into human DNA) might cause ME/CFS. They looked for eight different retroviruses using sensitive laboratory tests. None of the viruses were found in either patients or controls, suggesting these particular viruses are not responsible for ME/CFS in this group.

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

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Clinical studies with the NOVA ISE for IMg2+.

Altura, B T, Burack, J L, Cracco, R Q et al.·Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation. Supplementum·1994

Researchers used a specialized test to measure magnesium levels in the blood of people with various conditions, including ME/CFS. The study found that many conditions like migraines, diabetes, and asthma showed low levels of a specific form of magnesium, but interestingly, people with ME/CFS did not show these same magnesium changes. This suggests that magnesium abnormalities may not be a key feature of ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Epstein-Barr virus infection in Desert Storm reservists.

Carver, L A, Connallon, P F, Flanigan, S J et al.·Military medicine·1994

This study looked at U.S. Army reservists who developed ME/CFS-like symptoms after returning from the Gulf War. Researchers tested 37 of these service members for Epstein-Barr virus (a common virus that can reactivate in the body) and found that 73% had signs of either a new or reactivated infection. This suggests that viral infections might be making ME/CFS symptoms worse or last longer in some people.

Immune System

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

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 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 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 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 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 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Illness behaviour of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Schweitzer, R, Robertson, D L, Kelly, B et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·1994

This study asked 40 patients with ME/CFS to complete questionnaires about their health concerns and mood. Compared to people visiting general doctors, ME/CFS patients reported more worry about their health and stronger belief that they had a serious illness. However, they were less likely to think their symptoms were purely psychological. About two-thirds of the ME/CFS patients also showed signs of depression or anxiety on screening tests.

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 unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome and a disorder resembling Sjögren's syndrome: preliminary report.

Calabrese, L H, Davis, M E, Wilke, W S·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study looked at whether people diagnosed with ME/CFS might actually have a condition similar to Sjögren's syndrome, a disease that causes dry mouth and eyes along with immune system problems. Researchers found that many patients in their ME/CFS clinic had signs of this Sjögren's-like illness, including abnormal tests and certain antibodies in their blood. The study suggests these two conditions may overlap more often than doctors realize.

Cognitive Impairment

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

Hyperventilation and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in Italian patients with persistent fatigue.

A potential role for human herpesvirus type 6 in nervous system disease.

Psychosocial factors and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Alpha-delta sleep in patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue.

Lack of evidence for infection with known human and animal retroviruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Psychosocial correlates of illness burden in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical studies with the NOVA ISE for IMg2+.

Epstein-Barr virus infection in Desert Storm reservists.

Sympathetic overactivity in subjects complaining of unexplained fatigue.

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

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

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a follow up study.

Immunologic abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a controlled cross sectional study.

Illness behaviour of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immunological abnormalities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and a disorder resembling Sjögren's syndrome: preliminary report.

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