ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4061–4080 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Time-dependent complexity characterisation of activity patterns in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Rabaey, Paloma, Decat, Peter, Heytens, Stefan et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2024

Researchers tracked the physical activity patterns of 7 ME/CFS patients over 3 weeks to see if the complexity of how they move changes over time and relates to how well they're functioning. They found that each patient's activity complexity varied significantly from week to week, and these changes didn't consistently match whether patients reported feeling better or worse. This suggests that measuring activity patterns alone may not be a reliable way to track how ME/CFS patients are doing.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Heterogenous circulating miRNA changes in ME/CFS converge on a unified cluster of target genes: A computational analysis.

Kaczmarek, Mateusz Piotr·PloS one·2023

This study looked at tiny molecules called microRNAs in the blood of people with ME/CFS to understand what might be going wrong. While different patients had different patterns of these microRNAs, the researchers found that they all tend to affect the same core group of genes—suggesting ME/CFS may disrupt similar biological pathways across patients. These changes seem to affect muscle blood flow during exercise, the body's ability to handle low oxygen, antioxidant defenses, and mitochondrial function.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredObservational

Clinical improvement of Long-COVID is associated with reduction in autoantibodies, lipids, and inflammation following therapeutic apheresis.

Achleitner, Martin, Steenblock, Charlotte, Dänhardt, Juliane et al.·Molecular psychiatry·2023

Researchers tested a treatment called therapeutic apheresis (a blood-cleaning procedure) in Long-COVID patients and found that those who improved had significant reductions in harmful immune molecules, fatty substances, and inflammatory markers in their blood. The study also showed that a blood protein called fibrinogen dropped by 70% after treatment, and abnormal blood clumping patterns disappeared. This suggests the treatment may work by removing specific harmful substances from the blood.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Modulation of Beta-Adrenergic Autoantibodies Over Time in Post-Viral ME/CFS is Related to Fatigue and Pain Symptoms.

Busch, Lena, Schriek, Carsten, Paul, Matthias et al.·The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ·2023

This study followed one patient with ME/CFS that developed after a viral infection and measured special proteins in their blood called autoantibodies that mistakenly attack the body's own receptors. When these autoantibodies increased over time, the patient's fatigue and pain symptoms got worse. The researchers also found changes in nerve fibers in the skin that matched these increases, suggesting these autoantibodies may play a role in ME/CFS symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The viral origin of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hanson, Maureen R·PLoS pathogens·2023

This review examines the evidence that viral infections may trigger or contribute to ME/CFS. Researchers looked at how viruses could potentially cause the long-lasting fatigue, pain, and other symptoms that define this condition. The study explores possible mechanisms by which a viral infection might set off a chain of events leading to ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Using Communities of Practice Theory to Understand the Crisis of Identity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Murray, Rebecca, Turner, Lynda·Chronic illness·2023

This study looked at how ME/CFS affects how people see themselves and their identity. Researchers created a private Facebook group with 22 people who have ME/CFS and asked them to share their experiences. They found that supportive communities—whether online or with understanding people—help patients develop a stronger sense of self that isn't defined solely by illness or shame.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Coaching to strengthen critical success factors in integrative care for chronic fatigue patients: the Patient Needs-Resources Model.

Araja, Diana, Krumina, Angelika, Nora-Krukle, Zaiga et al.·Frontiers in neuroscience·2023

This article discusses how to improve care for people with ME/CFS by using a comprehensive, team-based approach that includes coaching. The authors argue that coaching—similar to working with a personal guide—can help patients better manage their symptoms, understand their own strengths and abilities, and feel more motivated and hopeful about their treatment. The article suggests this integrated approach combining multiple specialists and patient coaching could help optimize care for chronic fatigue, especially important as ME/CFS-like conditions became more common during and after COVID-19.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Investigating the Human Intestinal DNA Virome and Predicting Disease-Associated Virus-Host Interactions in Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Hsieh, Shen-Yuan, Savva, George M, Telatin, Andrea et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

This study looked at viruses living in the gut of people with severe ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS have different types and amounts of viruses in their intestines, and they identified specific viruses that might interact with gut bacteria in ways that could be linked to the disease. This research provides a starting point for understanding whether these intestinal viruses might play a role in ME/CFS.

Gut Microbiome

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM requiredCase-Control

A patient who recovered from post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a case report.

Oka, Takakazu·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2023

This case report describes a nurse who developed ME/CFS symptoms after recovering from COVID-19, including severe fatigue, pain, brain fog, and heart palpitations that lasted over 6 months. She received treatment combining dietary advice, supplements, behavioral strategies, exercise conditioning, and two medications (amitriptyline and a Japanese herbal medicine called hochuekkito), and eventually recovered fully and returned to work. This is the first detailed report showing that someone with post-COVID ME/CFS can recover with comprehensive multimodal treatment.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryPEM required

Case report: Rapid improvements of anorexia nervosa and probable myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome upon metreleptin treatment during two dosing episodes.

Hebebrand, Johannes, Antel, Jochen, von Piechowski, Linda et al.·Frontiers in psychiatry·2023

This case report describes a 17-year-old boy who had both anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder) and probable ME/CFS (a condition causing extreme fatigue and pain after exertion). He was treated with a medication called metreleptin for short periods. Notably, the treatment appeared to improve not only his eating disorder symptoms but also his ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue and post-exertional muscle pain. This raises the possibility that metreleptin might help people with ME/CFS, especially those who have also lost significant weight.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Perioperative opioid-minimization approach as a useful protocol in the management of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-hypermobility type, craniocervical instability and severe chronic pain who are to undergo occipito-cervical fixation.

Ramírez-Paesano, Carlos, Rodiera Clarens, Claudia, Sharp Segovia, Allan et al.·Orphanet journal of rare diseases·2023

Some people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a connective tissue disorder) develop neck instability that causes severe pain and fatigue similar to ME/CFS. This review examines how doctors can better manage pain during and after neck surgery in these patients by using less opioid medication and combining multiple pain-relief strategies instead, because opioids often don't work well and can actually make pain worse in these cases.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

A case of post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome characterized by post-exertional malaise and low serum acylcarnitine level.

Jinushi, Ryuhei, Nishiguchi, Sho, Masuda, Sakue et al.·Clinical case reports·2023

This study describes a patient who developed ME/CFS after recovering from COVID-19. The researchers found that this patient had lower-than-normal levels of acylcarnitine, a substance the body uses to produce energy. The study reviews existing research on how COVID-19 can lead to ME/CFS, a condition that causes severe fatigue and symptoms that worsen after physical activity.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Potential molecular mechanisms of chronic fatigue in long haul COVID and other viral diseases.

Gottschalk, Carl Gunnar, Peterson, Daniel, Armstrong, Jan et al.·Infectious agents and cancer·2023

This review article examines how viral infections—including long COVID, EBV, and others—can trigger severe, lasting fatigue and related symptoms. The authors explore the biological mechanisms that might explain why some patients develop chronic muscle fatigue and brain fog after viral illness, and compare these processes to ME/CFS. This research suggests that multiple different viruses may cause fatigue through similar pathways in the body.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Corona With Lyme: A Long COVID Case Study.

Thor, Danielle C, Suarez, Sergio·Cureus·2023

This study follows one 26-year-old medical student over three years as she developed and recovered from long COVID symptoms after an acute COVID-19 infection. The case documents her journey through various treatments and how her symptoms gradually improved over time. While this is just one person's experience, it provides insight into how long COVID can develop and potentially resolve.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Life changing response to successive surgical interventions on cranial venous outflow: A case report on chronic fatigue syndrome.

Higgins, J Nicholas P, Axon, Patrick R, Lever, Andrew M L·Frontiers in neurology·2023

This case report describes one patient with ME/CFS who had narrowing in the veins that drain blood from the brain. Surgery to open one of these narrowed veins led to significant improvement in fatigue and other symptoms over the follow-up period. The authors suggest that blocked brain venous drainage might explain ME/CFS symptoms in some patients, similar to a related condition called intracranial hypertension.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Research progress on central mechanism of acupuncture treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Li, Bin-Bin, Feng, Chu-Wen, Qu, Yuan-Yuan et al.·World journal of acupuncture-moxibustion·2023

This review examined how ME/CFS affects the brain and nervous system by looking at laboratory tests and brain imaging studies. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have changes in brain structure, abnormal inflammation, and problems with chemical messengers in the brain. The study also explored how acupuncture might help correct some of these brain abnormalities in animal models of the condition.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

A Proposed New Model to Explain the Role of Low Dose Non-DNA Targeted Radiation Exposure in Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.

Cocchetto, Alan, Seymour, Colin, Mothersill, Carmel·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

This study proposes a theory about how radiation exposure might trigger ME/CFS in some patients. The authors suggest that low-level radiation causes a chain reaction in the body involving free radicals (damaging molecules) and immune dysfunction, possibly linked to skin and blood cell problems. They reviewed evidence from people exposed to radiation (like after Chernobyl) who developed ME/CFS symptoms, to build a biological model explaining how this might happen.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Bodies in lockdown: Young women's narratives of falling severely ill with ME/CFS during childhood and adolescence.

Krabbe, Silje Helen, Mengshoel, Anne Marit, Schrøder Bjorbækmo, Wenche et al.·Health care for women international·2023

This study listened to the stories of 13 young women who became severely ill with ME/CFS during their childhood or teenage years. The researchers found that these women experienced a gradual loss of their normal, active lives, felt increasingly isolated and abandoned by others, and struggled with uncertainty about their future. The study highlights how challenging and life-altering this illness can be during crucial developmental years.

E3 PreliminaryPEM required

My experience with ME/CFS and implications: A personal narrative.

Sirotiak, Zoe·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2023

This article shares the personal story of a young woman who is also a physical therapist and developed ME/CFS after a COVID-19 infection. She describes how the condition dramatically changed her life and how healthcare providers, including rehabilitation specialists, often lack the knowledge needed to properly help ME/CFS patients. The author highlights that ME/CFS remains poorly understood and undertreated, with few proven treatments available.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Post-COVID and ME/CFS - DoWe Need New Disease Theories?

Schauenburg, Henning·Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie·2023

This review examines how post-COVID illness and ME/CFS develop and persist, looking beyond just physical symptoms to understand how the brain perceives and responds to the body. The authors suggest that standard medical tests only partially explain chronic fatigue, and that a newer theory called 'Predictive Coding' may help us understand how the mind and body interact in these complex conditions. The goal is to develop better treatments while avoiding the harmful stigma of labeling these as 'just psychological' problems.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Evidence browser

Time-dependent complexity characterisation of activity patterns in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Heterogenous circulating miRNA changes in ME/CFS converge on a unified cluster of target genes: A computational analysis.

Clinical improvement of Long-COVID is associated with reduction in autoantibodies, lipids, and inflammation following therapeutic apheresis.

Modulation of Beta-Adrenergic Autoantibodies Over Time in Post-Viral ME/CFS is Related to Fatigue and Pain Symptoms.

The viral origin of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Using Communities of Practice Theory to Understand the Crisis of Identity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Coaching to strengthen critical success factors in integrative care for chronic fatigue patients: the Patient Needs-Resources Model.

Investigating the Human Intestinal DNA Virome and Predicting Disease-Associated Virus-Host Interactions in Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

A patient who recovered from post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a case report.

Case report: Rapid improvements of anorexia nervosa and probable myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome upon metreleptin treatment during two dosing episodes.

Perioperative opioid-minimization approach as a useful protocol in the management of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-hypermobility type, craniocervical instability and severe chronic pain who are to undergo occipito-cervical fixation.

A case of post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome characterized by post-exertional malaise and low serum acylcarnitine level.

Potential molecular mechanisms of chronic fatigue in long haul COVID and other viral diseases.

Corona With Lyme: A Long COVID Case Study.

Life changing response to successive surgical interventions on cranial venous outflow: A case report on chronic fatigue syndrome.

Research progress on central mechanism of acupuncture treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

A Proposed New Model to Explain the Role of Low Dose Non-DNA Targeted Radiation Exposure in Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.

Bodies in lockdown: Young women's narratives of falling severely ill with ME/CFS during childhood and adolescence.

My experience with ME/CFS and implications: A personal narrative.

Post-COVID and ME/CFS - DoWe Need New Disease Theories?

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