ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4141–4160 of 6,209 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Detection of Elevated Level of Tetrahydrobiopterin in Serum Samples of ME/CFS Patients with Orthostatic Intolerance: A Pilot Study.

Gottschalk, Carl Gunnar, Whelan, Ryan, Peterson, Daniel et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

This study looked at a molecule called BH4 in the blood of ME/CFS patients, particularly those who experience dizziness when standing up. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients have higher levels of BH4 than healthy people, and this may be connected to oxidative stress (harmful chemical reactions in the body). This finding could help explain why some ME/CFS patients struggle with dizziness and blood flow problems.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredObservational

Urine Metabolomics Exposes Anomalous Recovery after Maximal Exertion in Female ME/CFS Patients.

Glass, Katherine A, Germain, Arnaud, Huang, Yuhsin V et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

Researchers tested urine samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people before and after intense exercise. They found that healthy people's urine chemistry changed noticeably after exercise (showing normal recovery), but ME/CFS patients' urine chemistry barely changed. This suggests that ME/CFS patients' bodies may not be adapting properly to physical stress the way healthy bodies do.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Hypothetical framework for post-COVID 19 condition based on a fibromyalgia pathogenetic model.

Martínez-Lavín, Manuel, Miguel-Álvarez, Adriana·Clinical rheumatology·2023

This study compares three conditions that share similar symptoms: fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and long COVID. All three cause fatigue, brain fog, and widespread pain. Researchers propose that these conditions may work through the same biological mechanism—specifically, problems with nerve fiber communication in the body—and suggest that long COVID may develop through the same pathway as fibromyalgia.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Causal Effects between Gut Microbiome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

He, Gang, Cao, Yu, Ma, Honghao et al.·Frontiers in microbiology·2023

This study used genetic analysis to investigate whether changes in gut bacteria might actually cause ME/CFS, rather than just being associated with it. Researchers found that two types of bacteria—Paraprevotella and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014—appear to increase the risk of developing ME/CFS. These findings suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in how ME/CFS develops.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are indistinguishable by their cerebrospinal fluid proteomes.

Schutzer, Steven E, Liu, Tao, Tsai, Chia-Feng et al.·Annals of medicine·2023

Researchers examined the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord in people with ME/CFS—some of whom also had fibromyalgia and some who did not. Using advanced technology to measure thousands of proteins in this fluid, they found no significant differences between the two groups. This suggests that ME/CFS and fibromyalgia may not be completely separate diseases, but rather may overlap or be related conditions.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Stress-Induced Transcriptomic Changes in Females with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Reveal Disrupted Immune Signatures.

Van Booven, Derek J, Gamer, Jackson, Joseph, Andrew et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2023

This study looked at how the bodies of women with ME/CFS respond to exercise compared to healthy women. Researchers collected blood samples at three points: before exercise, during maximum effort, and during recovery. While healthy women's immune cells showed normal changes during exercise, women with ME/CFS showed unusual immune system activity specifically during the recovery period—the time when post-exertional malaise (worsening of symptoms) typically occurs.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

A synthetic data generation system for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome questionnaires.

Lacasa, Marcos, Prados, Ferran, Alegre, José et al.·Scientific reports·2023

This study created an artificial intelligence tool that can predict what ME/CFS patients might answer on symptom questionnaires. Researchers trained the tool using responses from 2,522 ME/CFS patients from a hospital in Spain, and it learned to predict answers accurately. The tool could help researchers study the disease more easily by generating realistic patient data for testing new ideas.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Epstein-Barr virus-acquired immunodeficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis-Is it present in long COVID?

Ruiz-Pablos, Manuel, Paiva, Bruno, Zabaleta, Aintzane·Journal of translational medicine·2023

This study proposes that a virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may play a central role in both ME/CFS and long COVID by gradually weakening the immune system. The researchers suggest that in people with certain genetic traits, EBV can hide in various body tissues and repeatedly reactivate, causing ongoing inflammation and exhaustion of the immune system. They hypothesize that long COVID may follow a similar pattern, possibly starting with a COVID-19 infection in people whose immune systems struggle to control EBV.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Case report: Recurrent cervical spinal stenosis masquerading as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome with orthostatic intolerance.

Edwards, Charles C, Edwards, Charles C, Heinlein, Scott et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2023

This case report describes a woman who was thought to have ME/CFS and experienced symptoms of dizziness upon standing (orthostatic intolerance). Doctors discovered she actually had cervical spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal in her neck that was compressing her spinal cord. After surgery to relieve the compression, her ME/CFS and orthostatic intolerance symptoms improved significantly. Years later, her symptoms returned because the surgical implant shifted, compressing the spinal cord again. A second surgery provided similar improvement, suggesting that spinal stenosis may have been causing or worsening her ME/CFS symptoms rather than the other way around.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearObservational

Acquiring a new understanding of illness and agency: a narrative study of recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bakken, Anne Karen, Mengshoel, Anne Marit, Synnes, Oddgeir et al.·International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being·2023

This study interviewed 14 people who had severe ME/CFS and recovered to learn how healing happened. Researchers found that patients experienced a major shift in how they thought about their illness—moving from feeling helpless and trapped by the disease to taking an active role in their own recovery. The study shows that changes in mindset and taking personal agency in healing were important parts of the recovery process.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Accelerating discovery: A novel flow cytometric method for detecting fibrin(ogen) amyloid microclots using long COVID as a model.

Turner, Simone, Laubscher, Gert Jacobus, Khan, M Asad et al.·Heliyon·2023

Long COVID patients often have abnormal blood clotting that creates tiny, sticky clots resistant to the body's natural clot-dissolving processes. This study developed a faster, more reliable laboratory test using imaging flow cytometry to detect these microclots in blood samples. The new method successfully identified larger and more numerous microclots in Long COVID patients compared to healthy controls, and it could potentially be used in regular hospital labs to help diagnose and treat affected patients.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Integrated 'omics analysis for the gut microbiota response to moxibustion in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chaoran, L I, Yan, Yang, Chuwen, Feng et al.·Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan·2023

This study tested whether moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine technique using heat) could help treat chronic fatigue syndrome in rats. Researchers found that moxibustion improved fatigue-like symptoms and restored balance to the gut bacteria and chemical levels that were abnormal in fatigued rats. The results suggest that moxibustion may work by fixing problems in the gut microbiome (bacteria) and the metabolites (chemical byproducts) they produce.

Gut Microbiome

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Genetic risk factors for severe and fatigue dominant long COVID and commonalities with ME/CFS identified by combinatorial analysis.

Taylor, Krystyna, Pearson, Matthew, Das, Sayoni et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2023

Researchers studied the genetic differences between people with long COVID to understand why some develop severe symptoms while others mainly experience extreme fatigue. They found that certain genetic variations, especially in genes related to brain function and metabolism, may influence how the disease develops. Importantly, they discovered that some of the same genetic patterns appear in both long COVID and ME/CFS patients, suggesting these conditions may share similar underlying biological mechanisms.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

A pilot study on the immune cell proteome of long COVID patients shows changes to physiological pathways similar to those in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Peppercorn, Katie, Edgar, Christina D, Kleffmann, Torsten et al.·Scientific reports·2023

This small pilot study looked at immune cells from long COVID patients and compared them to healthy people, analyzing thousands of proteins in their blood. They found that long COVID patients had significant differences in their immune cell proteins, particularly in how their bodies handle energy production and immune function—similar patterns to what researchers have seen in ME/CFS. This suggests that long COVID and ME/CFS may share similar underlying biological problems, even though they start from different triggers.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on learning and memory ability of chronic fatigue syndrome rats and its mechanisms].

Zhong, Xiao-Ling, Tong, Bo-Ying, Yang, Yi-Han et al.·Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research·2023

This study tested whether a non-invasive electrical stimulation treatment applied to specific acupuncture points could help rats with chronic fatigue improve their memory and learning. Researchers found that the treatment reduced fatigue symptoms and improved memory performance in fatigued rats, possibly by protecting brain cells in the memory center of the brain.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearLongitudinal

'I became more aware of my actions'-A qualitative longitudinal study of a health psychological group intervention for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Keurulainen, Meeri, Holma, Juha, Wallenius, Elina et al.·Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy·2023

Researchers studied how a 16-week group therapy program helped 10 ME/CFS patients manage their condition better. Participants attended sessions with a psychologist and other patients dealing with the same illness, learning new ways to think about and cope with their symptoms. Most people found the program helpful and reported feeling more in control of their illness, without experiencing harm from it.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

A review of cytokine-based pathophysiology of Long COVID symptoms.

Low, Russell N, Low, Ryan J, Akrami, Athena·Frontiers in medicine·2023

This review examines how Long COVID may develop through a chain reaction of immune system problems. When the virus infects the body, it can trigger ongoing inflammation that affects both the immune system and the brain, potentially causing blood clots in small vessels. This combination may explain symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and pain that Long COVID and ME/CFS patients experience.

NeuroinflammationPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Long COVID: mechanisms, risk factors and recovery.

Astin, Rónan, Banerjee, Amitava, Baker, Mark R et al.·Experimental physiology·2023

This review examines Long COVID—a prolonged illness affecting some people after COVID-19 infection—and compares it to similar post-viral conditions like ME/CFS. Researchers found that Long COVID involves problems with the heart and lungs, muscle function, and how the body regulates its nervous system. The review discusses various treatment approaches being tested, including exercise programs, breathing exercises, and techniques to help calm an overactive nervous system.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

A Case Study of Successful Application of the Principles of ME/CFS Care to an Individual with Long COVID.

Petracek, Lindsay S, Broussard, Camille A, Swope, Renee L et al.·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2023

A 19-year-old developed severe ME/CFS-like symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Doctors used ME/CFS treatment approaches—including physical therapy, heart rate monitoring, and medications for heart and immune problems—and the patient improved significantly over 2.5 years. This case suggests that treatments developed for ME/CFS may also help some long COVID patients.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

The fragile process of Homecoming - Young women in recovery from severe ME/CFS.

Krabbe, Silje Helen, Groven, Karen Synne, Schrøder Bjorbækmo, Wenche et al.·International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being·2023

This study followed 13 young women who recovered from severe ME/CFS that started during childhood or adolescence. Through in-depth interviews, researchers explored what helped them get better. The women described recovery as a slow, bumpy process that involved learning how their bodies worked and gradually gaining confidence, rather than a straight path to wellness.

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Detection of Elevated Level of Tetrahydrobiopterin in Serum Samples of ME/CFS Patients with Orthostatic Intolerance: A Pilot Study.

Urine Metabolomics Exposes Anomalous Recovery after Maximal Exertion in Female ME/CFS Patients.

Hypothetical framework for post-COVID 19 condition based on a fibromyalgia pathogenetic model.

Causal Effects between Gut Microbiome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are indistinguishable by their cerebrospinal fluid proteomes.

Stress-Induced Transcriptomic Changes in Females with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Reveal Disrupted Immune Signatures.

A synthetic data generation system for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome questionnaires.

Epstein-Barr virus-acquired immunodeficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis-Is it present in long COVID?

Case report: Recurrent cervical spinal stenosis masquerading as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome with orthostatic intolerance.

Acquiring a new understanding of illness and agency: a narrative study of recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Accelerating discovery: A novel flow cytometric method for detecting fibrin(ogen) amyloid microclots using long COVID as a model.

Integrated 'omics analysis for the gut microbiota response to moxibustion in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Genetic risk factors for severe and fatigue dominant long COVID and commonalities with ME/CFS identified by combinatorial analysis.

A pilot study on the immune cell proteome of long COVID patients shows changes to physiological pathways similar to those in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on learning and memory ability of chronic fatigue syndrome rats and its mechanisms].

'I became more aware of my actions'-A qualitative longitudinal study of a health psychological group intervention for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

A review of cytokine-based pathophysiology of Long COVID symptoms.

Long COVID: mechanisms, risk factors and recovery.

A Case Study of Successful Application of the Principles of ME/CFS Care to an Individual with Long COVID.

The fragile process of Homecoming - Young women in recovery from severe ME/CFS.

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