ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4281–4300 of 6,163 studies

Epistemic in/justice in patient participation. A discourse analysis of the Dutch ME/CFS Health Council advisory process.

de Boer, Marjolein Lotte·Sociology of health & illness·2021

This study looked at how ME/CFS patients were involved in advising the Dutch Health Council between 2013-2018. The researchers found that patient representatives mainly shared medical/scientific knowledge about ME/CFS as a physical illness, avoiding discussion of psychological factors. While this approach helped patients be taken more seriously, it may have actually limited what kinds of knowledge and experiences patients could contribute, and it might reinforce incomplete understandings of the disease.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Dysregulated Provision of Oxidisable Substrates to the Mitochondria in ME/CFS Lymphoblasts.

Missailidis, Daniel, Sanislav, Oana, Allan, Claire Y et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2021

This study looked at how cells from ME/CFS patients use energy differently than healthy cells. Researchers found that ME/CFS cells are overproducing enzymes that break down fats, amino acids, and other nutrients to fuel their mitochondria (the cell's power plants), while their glycolysis (the main way cells normally produce energy) stays normal. This suggests ME/CFS cells may be forced to use alternative, less efficient pathways to generate the energy they need.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Wirth, Klaus J, Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Paul, Friedemann·Journal of translational medicine·2021

This paper proposes an explanation for why ME/CFS patients experience brain fog, cognitive problems, headaches, and other neurological symptoms. The authors suggest that blood vessels in the brain may not be working properly, reducing blood flow to the brain and increasing pressure inside the skull. They argue this could also cause an overactive stress response in the nervous system, leading to the wide range of symptoms patients experience.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Role of mitochondria, oxidative stress and the response to antioxidants in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A possible approach to SARS-CoV-2 'long-haulers'?

Wood, Emily, Hall, Katherine H, Tate, Warren·Chronic diseases and translational medicine·2021

This study reviews research on how mitochondria (the energy-producing centers in our cells) and oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) may contribute to ME/CFS and long COVID symptoms. The authors examine whether antioxidant treatments could help restore energy production and reduce fatigue in these conditions. They highlight that many COVID-19 long-haulers develop symptoms that look very similar to ME/CFS, suggesting they may share underlying biological causes.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Tolerability and Efficacy of s.c. IgG Self-Treatment in ME/CFS Patients with IgG/IgG Subclass Deficiency: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Sotzny, Franziska, Hartwig, Jelka et al.·Journal of clinical medicine·2021

This study tested whether injecting immunoglobulin G (IgG), a type of protective protein from the immune system, could help ME/CFS patients who have low levels of this protein and get frequent infections. Seventeen patients received monthly injections under the skin for 12 months. About half the patients who completed the treatment felt noticeably better, with less fatigue and improved ability to function in daily life, though some patients had to stop due to side effects.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

Is Cognitive Change Necessary to Alleviate Symptoms in Patients With Functional Somatic Syndrome?

Maroti, Daniel, Johansson, Robert·Frontiers in psychiatry·2021

This study examined whether changing how patients think about their symptoms (cognitive change) is necessary to improve symptoms in people with functional somatic syndromes like ME/CFS. The researchers explored the relationship between psychological thinking patterns and symptom improvement to understand better which approaches might help patients feel better.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Comorbidity of chronic fatigue syndrome, postural tachycardia syndrome, and narcolepsy with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation in an adolescent: a case report.

Liao, Ying, Qi, Jian-Guang, Yan, Hui et al.·Chinese medical journal·2021

This case report describes one adolescent patient who had three conditions at the same time: ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), postural tachycardia syndrome (a condition where heart rate increases abnormally when standing), and narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness). The doctors discovered this patient had a genetic variation in the MTHFR gene, which is involved in processing folate and other important molecules in the body. The authors suggest this genetic variation might help explain why this patient developed all three conditions together.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Experiences of Living with Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Strassheim, Victoria, Newton, Julia L, Collins, Tracy·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

This study listened to five people living with the most severe form of ME/CFS—those who are bedbound, housebound, or wheelchair-dependent—to understand what their daily lives are really like. By interviewing them and analyzing their stories, researchers found three main themes: how they experience living with the illness, the major challenges it creates, and how they try to manage their condition. This research helps doctors and scientists better understand the needs of the most severely affected patients.

Severe ME

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Qualitative study of the acceptability and feasibility of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clery, Philippa, Starbuck, Jennifer, Laffan, Amanda et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2021

This study asked teenagers with ME/CFS who weren't getting better, along with their parents and doctors, what they thought about a therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Everyone interviewed thought ACT sounded like a good option because it helps people focus on what matters to them while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings, rather than trying to fight them. Most teenagers were willing to try ACT, though they worried about being randomly assigned to different treatment groups in a future study.

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (EUROMENE): Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis, Service Provision, and Care of People with ME/CFS in Europe.

Nacul, Luis, Authier, François Jérôme, Scheibenbogen, Carmen et al.·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2021

This study brings together ME/CFS experts from 22 European countries to agree on how to diagnose the illness and provide better care for patients. The researchers and healthcare professionals worked together with people who have ME/CFS to create recommendations that can help doctors recognize and treat the condition more consistently across Europe. Their goal was to improve diagnosis and healthcare services for ME/CFS patients everywhere.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Inflammation plays a causal role in fatigue-like behavior induced by pelvic irradiation in mice.

Wolff, Brian S, Alshawi, Sarah A, Feng, Li Rebekah et al.·Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2021

Researchers gave mice targeted radiation to the pelvis (similar to cancer treatment) and found that the mice became less active afterward—a fatigue-like behavior. They discovered that inflammation, particularly a protein called IL-6, plays a key role in causing this fatigue. When they reduced inflammation using a drug called minocycline or using mice genetically unable to trigger certain inflammatory pathways, the fatigue was reduced but not completely eliminated.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

The development of an instrument to assess post-exertional malaise in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Holtzman, Carly S, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Journal of health psychology·2021

This study created a new questionnaire called the DePaul Post-Exertional Malaise Questionnaire to measure post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS patients. Researchers worked with hundreds of patients to develop questions that accurately capture what PEM feels like. Early testing showed the questionnaire works well and connects meaningfully with how much physical activity patients can do.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Characterization of IL-2 Stimulation and TRPM7 Pharmacomodulation in NK Cell Cytotoxicity and Channel Co-Localization with PIP2 in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Du Preez, Stanley, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Cabanas, Helene et al.·International journal of environmental research and public health·2021

This study looked at immune cells called NK cells in ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. The researchers focused on a specific channel (TRPM7) in these cells that helps control calcium levels, which is important for the immune system to work properly. They found that when these channels were stimulated, there appeared to be a connection between a signaling molecule (IL-2) and TRPM7 activity in ME/CFS patients' NK cells.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Case Report: Neutralization of Autoantibodies Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Improves Capillary Impairment and Fatigue Symptoms After COVID-19 Infection.

Hohberger, Bettina, Harrer, Thomas, Mardin, Christian et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2021

This case report describes one patient with long COVID who had ongoing fatigue, loss of taste, and poor blood flow in the eyes after a mild COVID-19 infection. The patient was found to have unusual antibodies that attack certain receptors in the body. When treated with a drug called BC 007 that neutralizes these antibodies, the patient's fatigue, taste, and eye blood flow all improved within days and stayed better for at least 4 weeks.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review.

Du Preez, Stanley, Cabanas, Helene, Staines, Donald et al.·International journal of environmental research and public health·2021

This review examines a protein called TRPM7 that may play a role in ME/CFS. TRPM7 is an ion channel—a type of gateway that controls how calcium and other minerals move in and out of cells—and it appears to affect the nervous system, immune system, heart, and metabolism. The authors suggest that problems with TRPM7 could help explain some of the complex symptoms seen in ME/CFS, though this is still a developing area of research.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Broadband electrical impedance as a novel characterization of oxidative stress in single L6 skeletal muscle cells.

Ferguson, Caroline, Pini, Niccolo, Du, Xiaotian et al.·Analytica chimica acta·2021

This study tested whether a special electrical measurement could detect damage from oxidative stress (harmful chemical reactions) in muscle cells. Researchers treated rat muscle cells with hydrogen peroxide to create oxidative stress, then measured how these stressed cells behaved electrically compared to healthy cells. The stressed cells showed distinctly different electrical patterns, suggesting this technology might one day help diagnose ME/CFS by detecting oxidative stress in patients' muscle cells.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

The effect of IL-2 stimulation and treatment of TRPM3 on channel co-localisation with PIP2 and NK cell function in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Cabanas, Hélène, du Preez, Stanley et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2021

This study looked at immune cells called NK cells in ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. The researchers focused on a protein channel called TRPM3 that helps control calcium levels in cells, which may be important for immune function. They found that this channel doesn't work properly in ME/CFS patients, but when cells were stimulated with a chemical called IL-2, the NK cells from ME/CFS patients could kill viruses and abnormal cells as effectively as healthy people's cells.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Acute Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 2 Agonism Results in Sustained Symptom Improvement in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Pereira, Gerard, Gillies, Hunter, Chanda, Sanjay et al.·Frontiers in systems neuroscience·2021

Researchers tested a new drug called CT38s that targets a receptor in the brain called CRFR2, which they believe may be overactive in ME/CFS. Fourteen ME/CFS patients received a single infusion of this drug, and most experienced symptom improvement that lasted at least 28 days. Side effects were mild and similar to typical ME/CFS symptoms, suggesting the drug was working on systems related to the disease.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The Impact of Severe ME/CFS on Student Learning and K-12 Educational Limitations.

Newton, Faith R·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

This article examines how severe ME/CFS affects children's ability to attend school and learn. Many severely ill children are confined to bed or home and cannot attend regular classes. The study suggests that schools are not providing adequate support for these students and proposes new educational approaches and resources that could help them continue learning despite their illness.

Severe ME

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Evaluation of natural killer cell assay performance on shipped blood specimens.

Querec, Troy D, Abrams, Joseph, Stewart, Jennifer J et al.·Journal of immunological methods·2021

This study tested different laboratory methods for measuring natural killer (NK) cell function—an immune system measurement that may be important for ME/CFS—using blood samples that were shipped overnight instead of tested immediately. Researchers compared three different testing approaches and found that two of them (CRCA and FCCA) gave similar results when blood samples were processed a day after collection, suggesting these tests could work for clinical settings where samples need to be shipped.

BiomarkersImmune System

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Evidence browser

Epistemic in/justice in patient participation. A discourse analysis of the Dutch ME/CFS Health Council advisory process.

Dysregulated Provision of Oxidisable Substrates to the Mitochondria in ME/CFS Lymphoblasts.

An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Role of mitochondria, oxidative stress and the response to antioxidants in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A possible approach to SARS-CoV-2 'long-haulers'?

Tolerability and Efficacy of s.c. IgG Self-Treatment in ME/CFS Patients with IgG/IgG Subclass Deficiency: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Is Cognitive Change Necessary to Alleviate Symptoms in Patients With Functional Somatic Syndrome?

Comorbidity of chronic fatigue syndrome, postural tachycardia syndrome, and narcolepsy with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation in an adolescent: a case report.

Experiences of Living with Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Qualitative study of the acceptability and feasibility of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (EUROMENE): Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis, Service Provision, and Care of People with ME/CFS in Europe.

Inflammation plays a causal role in fatigue-like behavior induced by pelvic irradiation in mice.

The development of an instrument to assess post-exertional malaise in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Characterization of IL-2 Stimulation and TRPM7 Pharmacomodulation in NK Cell Cytotoxicity and Channel Co-Localization with PIP2 in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Case Report: Neutralization of Autoantibodies Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Improves Capillary Impairment and Fatigue Symptoms After COVID-19 Infection.

Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review.

Broadband electrical impedance as a novel characterization of oxidative stress in single L6 skeletal muscle cells.

The effect of IL-2 stimulation and treatment of TRPM3 on channel co-localisation with PIP2 and NK cell function in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Acute Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 2 Agonism Results in Sustained Symptom Improvement in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The Impact of Severe ME/CFS on Student Learning and K-12 Educational Limitations.

Evaluation of natural killer cell assay performance on shipped blood specimens.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research