ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

3841–3860 of 6,209 studies

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

Cognitive behavioural therapy for severe fatigue following COVID-19 in adolescents: a serial single-case observational study of five consecutively referred patients.

Kuut, Tanja A, Müller, Fabiola, Braamse, Annemarie M J et al.·Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy·2025

This study tested whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—a type of talk therapy that helps people change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors—could help teenagers with severe fatigue after COVID-19. Five teenagers received CBT over 12 weeks. By the end, all five were no longer severely fatigued, most felt less physically limited, and all were able to return to school without absences.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Diagnostic overshadowing in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): A qualitative study.

Harwood, Rupert, Wincup, Chris, D'Cruz, David et al.·Lupus·2025

This study looked at why people with lupus (SLE) often wait a long time to get diagnosed. Researchers found that doctors sometimes overlook or misinterpret lupus symptoms, attributing them instead to other causes like mental health problems, ME/CFS, or fibromyalgia. This "diagnostic overshadowing" can add years to someone's diagnostic journey and delay the treatment they need.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Does Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Represent a Poly-Herpesvirus Post-Virus Infectious Disease?

Ariza, Maria Eugenia, Mena Palomo, Irene, Williams, Marshall V·Viruses·2025

This review examines whether ME/CFS might be caused by multiple herpes viruses working together, rather than a single virus. The researchers point out that many people develop ME/CFS after flu-like illnesses, suggesting viruses play a role, but scientists haven't found just one virus responsible. The study suggests that herpes viruses might cause ME/CFS through a special type of incomplete replication that hasn't been fully studied before.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Measuring Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in ME/CFS Patients.

Walker, Max·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This study looked at whether certain molecules in the blood and immune cells could show signs of oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules called free radicals) in ME/CFS patients. The researchers tested two different markers before and after exercise: one test successfully measured protein damage, while another test designed to measure DNA damage was not sensitive enough to detect changes in this patient group.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

The potential causes of myasthenia and fasciculations in severely ill ME/CFS patients: the role of disturbed electrophysiology.

Wirth, Klaus J, Steinacker, Jürgen M·Frontiers in physiology·2025

This study proposes that muscle weakness, fatigue, and twitching in severely ill ME/CFS patients may result from a problem with a specific pump in muscle cells called the Na+/K+-ATPase. When this pump doesn't work properly, it allows too much sodium and calcium to build up inside muscle cells, damaging the cell's energy-producing structures (mitochondria) and making muscles weaker and more prone to cramping and involuntary twitching. The researchers suggest this single mechanical problem could explain many of the muscle symptoms severely ill ME/CFS patients experience.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

From Fork to Brain: The Role of AGE-RAGE Signaling and the Western Diet in Neurodegenerative Disease.

Pomroy, Haylie J, Mote, Arjun, Mathew, Simeon et al.·NeuroSci·2025

This review examines how certain compounds called AGEs (advanced glycation end products) form in food and in our bodies, and how they may contribute to brain damage and disease. AGEs are created when food is cooked at high temperatures or processed, and when they build up in the body, they can trigger inflammation and harm cells. The authors suggest that limiting AGEs in the diet might help prevent or slow down brain diseases, though more research is needed to confirm this.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Language Matters: What Not to Say to Patients with Long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Other Complex Chronic Disorders.

Smyth, Nancy J, Blitshteyn, Svetlana·International journal of environmental research and public health·2025

This study examines how healthcare providers talk to patients with Long COVID and ME/CFS, and how certain words and phrases can hurt patients emotionally and damage the doctor-patient relationship. The authors identified problematic language patterns used by doctors and suggest better ways to communicate with compassion and respect. The goal is to help healthcare providers have more supportive conversations with patients who have these complex, poorly understood illnesses.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

How a Clinician Makes a Diagnosis for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Vallings, Rosamund·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This guide explains how experienced doctors diagnose ME/CFS when standard blood tests or scans cannot detect the illness. Since there is no single definitive test for ME/CFS, doctors must carefully evaluate a patient's symptoms, medical history, and how the illness affects their daily functioning. This chapter walks through the practical steps clinicians use to identify ME/CFS and distinguish it from other conditions.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Post-infective myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID as two puzzling faces of the same medal. Recent insights.

Chirumbolo, Salvatore, Franzini, Marianno, Tirelli, Umberto·International immunopharmacology·2025

This editorial examines the similarities between ME/CFS (a long-term illness causing extreme fatigue and other symptoms) and post-COVID syndrome (long-term effects some people experience after COVID-19 infection). The authors suggest these two conditions may share common underlying biological mechanisms, even though they arise from different infections. Understanding these connections could help doctors better recognize and treat both conditions.

Long COVID Overlap

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Post infectious fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in long-COVID and other infections: a need for further research.

Livieratos, Achilleas, Lockley, Steven W, Tsiodras, Sotirios·EClinicalMedicine·2025

This article discusses how infections like COVID-19 can disrupt the body's internal 24-hour clock, leading to persistent fatigue and sleep problems. The authors explain that viral infections may damage the genes and cellular machinery that control our daily rhythms, trigger inflammation in the brain, and harm energy-producing structures in our cells. Understanding these mechanisms could help doctors develop better treatments for Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredPreprintPreprint

Dissecting the genetic complexity of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome via deep learning-powered genome analysis.

Zhang, Sai, Jahanbani, Fereshteh, Chander, Varuna et al.·medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025

Researchers used advanced artificial intelligence to analyze the genes of ME/CFS patients and discovered 115 genes that may contribute to the disease. They found that people with ME/CFS have lower levels of these risk genes active in their immune cells and nervous system. This genetic analysis could eventually help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more accurately and identify new treatment targets.

BiomarkersImmune SystemCognitive ImpairmentPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Jingfang Granule promotes the tricarboxylic acid cycle to improve chronic fatigue syndrome by increasing the expression of Idh1 and Idh2.

Wang, Kun, Shen, Mengmeng, Tang, Hongguang et al.·Journal of ethnopharmacology·2025

Researchers tested a traditional Chinese medicine called Jingfang Granule (JFG) in mice with chronic fatigue syndrome. The treatment improved fatigue symptoms, helped mice recover weight and exercise capacity, and reduced harmful inflammation and oxidative stress in their bodies. The medicine appeared to work by boosting how efficiently cells produce energy through a key metabolic pathway.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis share similar pathophysiologic mechanisms of exercise limitation.

Jothi, Swathi, Insel, Michael, Claessen, Guido et al.·Physiological reports·2025

This study compared how bodies use oxygen during exercise in people with long COVID, ME/CFS, and healthy controls. Researchers found that both long COVID and ME/CFS patients had trouble getting oxygen into their muscles during exercise, which was the main reason they couldn't exercise as much as healthy people. If this muscle oxygen problem could be fixed, it might significantly improve exercise ability in both conditions.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Core features and inherent diversity of post-acute infection syndromes.

Trautmann, Alain·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This review examines post-acute infection syndromes—long-lasting illnesses that develop after infections don't fully resolve, including ME/CFS. These conditions share common core symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, sleep problems, and pain, but can also include many other varied symptoms that come and go over months or years. The authors propose that these illnesses arise from a combination of persistent infection traces, immune system problems, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in how the brain processes body signals, with individual differences determining which symptoms appear.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

HLA and pathogens in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other post-infection conditions.

Georgopoulos, Apostolos P, James, Lisa M, Peterson, Philip K·Scientific reports·2025

This study explores why some people develop ME/CFS after viral infections while others don't. Researchers looked at immune system genes (HLA types) and tested how well they recognize and fight nine common human herpes viruses. They found that people with certain HLA types have weak immune recognition of these viruses, potentially allowing the viruses to persist and cause ME/CFS, while people with other HLA types have strong recognition and protection.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Autoantibody targeting therapies in post COVID syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wohlrab, Felix, Eltity, Mailam, Ufer, Friederike et al.·Expert opinion on biological therapy·2025

This article reviews how certain immune system proteins called autoantibodies—which the body mistakenly makes against itself—may contribute to both long COVID and ME/CFS. The authors discuss different treatment approaches that aim to reduce or neutralize these harmful autoantibodies. This editorial examines the current evidence and potential of these new therapies to help patients with these conditions.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Improvement in Upper Limb and Systemic Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Symptoms After Surgical Treatment of Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Christoforou, Maritsa E, Lum, Ying Wei, Sroge, Sally C et al.·Cureus·2025

This case study describes a 19-year-old woman with ME/CFS who also had a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), where nerves in the upper chest become compressed. After surgery to relieve this compression on both sides of her body, she experienced not only relief from arm numbness and tingling, but also surprising improvements in migraines, brain fog, dizziness, and vision problems. This suggests that some ME/CFS patients might benefit from being evaluated for TOS, as treating it could potentially help with multiple symptoms.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Long COVID-19 autoantibodies and their potential effect on fertility.

Talamini, Laura, Fonseca, Dennyson Leandro M, Kanduc, Darja et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This study looked at whether COVID-19 infection, especially long COVID, might trigger the body's immune system to attack its own reproductive cells through a process called molecular mimicry—where the virus shares similar protein patterns with cells involved in sperm production. Researchers found that people with long COVID, particularly women, developed antibodies (immune proteins) that reacted with viral proteins in ways that could potentially affect fertility. The findings suggest that some long COVID patients may develop autoimmune responses that target reproductive tissues, though more research is needed to understand if this actually causes fertility problems.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Application of DNA Methylome Analysis to Patients with ME/CFS.

Peppercorn, Katie, Edgar, Christina D, Al Momani, Suzan et al.·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This study describes a technique called RRBS that examines how chemical tags on our DNA (called methylation) are different in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. These tags act like switches that turn genes on or off, and abnormal patterns might help explain why ME/CFS causes such severe symptoms. The researchers show how this method can be used to identify patterns that could eventually lead to better diagnostic tests or ways to track how the illness changes over time.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Profiling Antibody Reactivity to Gut Microbes in ME/CFS Patients.

Seton, Katharine A, Carding, Simon R·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This study looks at how the immune system of ME/CFS patients reacts to bacteria in the gut. Many ME/CFS patients have changes in their gut bacteria and a leaky gut lining that allows bacteria and their toxic products to enter the bloodstream, potentially triggering widespread inflammation. The researchers developed methods to measure specific immune proteins (antibodies) that ME/CFS patients produce in response to these gut bacteria, compared to healthy household members.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune System

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Evidence browser

Cognitive behavioural therapy for severe fatigue following COVID-19 in adolescents: a serial single-case observational study of five consecutively referred patients.

Diagnostic overshadowing in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): A qualitative study.

Does Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Represent a Poly-Herpesvirus Post-Virus Infectious Disease?

Measuring Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in ME/CFS Patients.

The potential causes of myasthenia and fasciculations in severely ill ME/CFS patients: the role of disturbed electrophysiology.

From Fork to Brain: The Role of AGE-RAGE Signaling and the Western Diet in Neurodegenerative Disease.

Language Matters: What Not to Say to Patients with Long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Other Complex Chronic Disorders.

How a Clinician Makes a Diagnosis for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Post-infective myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID as two puzzling faces of the same medal. Recent insights.

Post infectious fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in long-COVID and other infections: a need for further research.

Dissecting the genetic complexity of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome via deep learning-powered genome analysis.

Jingfang Granule promotes the tricarboxylic acid cycle to improve chronic fatigue syndrome by increasing the expression of Idh1 and Idh2.

Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis share similar pathophysiologic mechanisms of exercise limitation.

Core features and inherent diversity of post-acute infection syndromes.

HLA and pathogens in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other post-infection conditions.

Autoantibody targeting therapies in post COVID syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Improvement in Upper Limb and Systemic Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Symptoms After Surgical Treatment of Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Long COVID-19 autoantibodies and their potential effect on fertility.

Application of DNA Methylome Analysis to Patients with ME/CFS.

Profiling Antibody Reactivity to Gut Microbes in ME/CFS Patients.

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