ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4441–4460 of 6,163 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Review of the Quality Control Checks Performed by Current Genome-Wide and Targeted-Genome Association Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Grabowska, Anna D, Lacerda, Eliana M, Nacul, Luís et al.·Frontiers in pediatrics·2020

This study reviews how genetic research teams check the quality of their data when looking for genes connected to ME/CFS. The researchers examined the methods different studies use to make sure their genetic findings are reliable and trustworthy. Understanding these quality control checks helps ensure that genetic discoveries about ME/CFS are real and not due to errors in the data.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Activation of Transposable Elements in Immune Cells of Fibromyalgia Patients.

Ovejero, Tamara, Sadones, Océane, Sánchez-Fito, Teresa et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2020

Researchers discovered that fibromyalgia patients have unusual activity of genetic sequences called transposable elements (pieces of DNA that can move and copy themselves) in their immune cells. This overactivity was linked to higher levels of interferon proteins, which trigger inflammation and flu-like symptoms. This finding may help explain why fibromyalgia patients often feel sick even when they don't have an actual infection.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclear

A Unifying Hypothesis of the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Recognitions from the finding of autoantibodies against ß2-adrenergic receptors.

Wirth, Klaus, Scheibenbogen, Carmen·Autoimmunity reviews·2020

Researchers found that some ME/CFS patients have antibodies (immune proteins) that attack receptors that normally help blood vessels relax and improve blood flow. When these receptors don't work properly, blood vessels may constrict and reduce oxygen delivery to muscles and the brain. This could explain why ME/CFS patients experience fatigue, pain, and cognitive problems.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Mercury-induced autoimmunity: Drifting from micro to macro concerns on autoimmune disorders.

Bjørklund, Geir, Peana, Massimiliano, Dadar, Maryam et al.·Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2020

Mercury is a toxic metal that can enter the body through dental fillings, certain vaccines and medicines, seafood, and environmental sources. This review examines how mercury exposure might trigger or worsen autoimmune conditions—where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. In people who are genetically susceptible, even low levels of mercury exposure over time could cause inflammation and increase harmful antibodies in the blood.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Recent insights into innate and adaptive immune responses to Giardia.

Singer, Steven M, Fink, Marc Y, Angelova, Vanessa V·Advances in parasitology·2019

This review examines how the body's immune system responds to infection with Giardia, a parasite that causes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Researchers have discovered that Giardia infection can lead to long-term complications including chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome in some people. Understanding how the immune system fights Giardia may help explain why some infections lead to these persistent conditions and could guide development of better treatments or vaccines.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Exercise challenge alters Default Mode Network dynamics in Gulf War Illness.

Rayhan, Rakib U, Washington, Stuart D, Garner, Richard et al.·BMC neuroscience·2019

This study looked at brain activity in Gulf War Illness patients before and after exercise to understand post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a condition where symptoms get worse after physical or mental effort. Using brain scans, researchers found that after exercise, patients showed unusual patterns of brain deactivation (regions that should 'turn off' during focused tasks) compared to healthy people. This suggests PEM may involve how the brain manages activity, providing a potential biological marker for the illness.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronic pain conditions - vitally protective systems gone wrong.

Pedersen, Maria·Scandinavian journal of pain·2019

This review explains that ME/CFS and chronic pain conditions share important similarities—both involve protective body signals that were helpful in the short term but become problematic when they persist long-term. The authors suggest that our brain's tendency to anticipate and predict threats may play a role in keeping these conditions going, which helps explain why treatments focusing on stress relief and changing thought patterns can sometimes help patients improve.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Approaching recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Challenges to consider in research and practice.

Devendorf, Andrew R, Jackson, Carly T, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Journal of health psychology·2019

This study interviewed 13 doctors who treat ME/CFS to understand the challenges they face when trying to measure whether patients are getting better. The researchers found four main areas that make recovery difficult to assess: differences in how the illness affects people at different ages, the fact that ME/CFS shows up differently in different patients, trouble keeping track of patients over time, and practical difficulties in measuring improvement.

InterventionsDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): a common but unfamiliar syndrome.

van der Zalm, T, Alsma, J, van de Poll, S W E et al.·The Netherlands journal of medicine·2019

POTS is a condition where standing up quickly causes your heart to beat much faster than normal, and you may feel dizzy, tired, or unwell. This paper describes two different patients with POTS to show how differently the condition can appear from person to person. The authors explain that POTS can overlap with chronic fatigue syndrome and suggest that simple treatments like drinking more water and salt, along with exercise, often help before considering medications.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem Illnesses, and Medical Uncertainty.

Bransfield, Robert C, Friedman, Kenneth J·Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

Doctors often struggle to distinguish between illnesses caused by psychological factors, illnesses where physical symptoms cause psychological effects, true multisystem diseases (affecting many body systems), and situations where medical causes haven't been found yet. This article discusses how using outdated or inaccurate diagnostic labels—like 'all in your head'—can harm patients and delay proper diagnosis. The authors argue that many conditions previously thought to be purely psychological may actually involve the immune system and microbiome, and that doctors need better training to avoid misdiagnosing complex diseases like ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Mitochondrial complex activity in permeabilised cells of chronic fatigue syndrome patients using two cell types.

Tomas, Cara, Brown, Audrey E, Newton, Julia L et al.·PeerJ·2019

This study looked at whether the powerhouses of cells (mitochondria) work differently in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers tested muscle cells and immune cells from the blood using a special technique to measure how well different parts of the mitochondrial energy-production system functioned. Surprisingly, they found no significant differences between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls, suggesting that if mitochondria aren't working properly in ME/CFS, the problem may occur before it reaches the mitochondria itself.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Impact of Polypharmacy on Candidate Biomarker miRNomes for the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Striking Back on Treatments.

Almenar-Pérez, Eloy, Sánchez-Fito, Teresa, Ovejero, Tamara et al.·Pharmaceutics·2019

This study looked at how medicines commonly taken by fibromyalgia and ME/CFS patients might interfere with blood tests that could help diagnose these conditions. The researchers found that many prescription drugs can affect small molecules in the body called microRNAs, which are being studied as potential diagnostic markers. This means that when researchers try to identify disease-specific biomarkers, they may be picking up drug effects instead of actual disease signatures.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia Symptoms Markedly Reduced with Parenteral Vitamins and Minerals: A Case Report.

Bruton, Alisha, Fuller, Leslie·The Permanente journal·2019

This report describes one woman who had both a rare movement disorder (paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia) and chronic fatigue syndrome. When she received weekly injections of vitamins and minerals, her movement disorder symptoms almost completely went away, and she was able to return to her normal daily activities. Genetic testing found several mutations that may help explain why this treatment worked so well for her.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Dismissing chronic illness: A qualitative analysis of negative health care experiences.

McManimen, Stephanie, McClellan, Damani, Stoothoff, Jamie et al.·Health care for women international·2019

This study looked at why some ME/CFS patients feel dismissed by their doctors. Researchers asked patients online to describe negative experiences with healthcare providers and found common themes in how they were treated. The study highlights that many doctors don't have proper training about ME/CFS, which leads to unhelpful advice like exercising more or seeing a psychiatrist, and suggests ways the healthcare system can better support these patients.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Understanding neuromuscular disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jammes, Yves, Retornaz, Frédérique·F1000Research·2019

This study examined how muscles work differently in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that both the brain's ability to signal muscles and the muscles' ability to respond are impaired in ME/CFS patients. The muscles also appear to have trouble managing harmful molecules called free radicals, especially after exercise, and they may not be producing enough protective proteins that normally shield cells from damage.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Network structure underpinning (dys)homeostasis in chronic fatigue syndrome; Preliminary findings.

Clark, James E, Ng, Wan-Fai, Rushton, Stephen et al.·PloS one·2019

This study looked at how three key body systems (nervous system, stress hormone system, and immune system) work together in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Researchers measured blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones at rest, then used a special mathematical approach to map how these measurements connect to each other. They found that in ME/CFS patients, these connections form a different pattern than in healthy controls, with a few key measurements being especially influential.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

The IDO Metabolic Trap Hypothesis for the Etiology of ME/CFS.

Kashi, Alex A, Davis, Ronald W, Phair, Robert D·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

This study proposes a new theory about what might cause ME/CFS based on how the body processes an amino acid called tryptophan. The researchers suggest that if two proteins involved in tryptophan processing don't work properly together, the body could get stuck in a harmful state that causes ME/CFS symptoms. According to their mathematical model, if we could find a way to reset tryptophan levels back to normal, patients might recover.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredMechanistic

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Watanabe, Kyosuke, Sasaki, Akihiro T, Tajima, Kanako et al.·Scientific reports·2019

When healthy people become mentally tired from doing difficult thinking tasks, their brains start paying more attention to sad and negative images. This study used computer tasks to measure how people's attention shifts before and after mental exhaustion. The findings suggest that fatigue changes how our brains process sad information, which may help explain why ME/CFS patients often struggle with mood-related challenges.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Differential diagnosis between "chronic fatigue" and "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Son, Chang-Gue·Integrative medicine research·2019

This article discusses the important difference between regular chronic fatigue (long-lasting tiredness) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a serious medical condition. The author explains why it's crucial to distinguish between these two conditions, since ME/CFS involves specific symptoms and has different causes than simple persistent tiredness.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Defining and measuring recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: the physician perspective.

Devendorf, Andrew R, Jackson, Carly T, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2019

This study asked ME/CFS doctors what they think it means to truly recover from these illnesses. The researchers found that doctors see recovery as getting back to how a person functioned before they got sick, with all symptoms gone. They also identified a separate category called 'significant improvement,' where patients feel much better and can do more, but still experience some symptoms or need treatment.

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Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Review of the Quality Control Checks Performed by Current Genome-Wide and Targeted-Genome Association Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Activation of Transposable Elements in Immune Cells of Fibromyalgia Patients.

A Unifying Hypothesis of the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Recognitions from the finding of autoantibodies against ß2-adrenergic receptors.

Mercury-induced autoimmunity: Drifting from micro to macro concerns on autoimmune disorders.

Recent insights into innate and adaptive immune responses to Giardia.

Exercise challenge alters Default Mode Network dynamics in Gulf War Illness.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronic pain conditions - vitally protective systems gone wrong.

Approaching recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Challenges to consider in research and practice.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): a common but unfamiliar syndrome.

Differentiating Psychosomatic, Somatopsychic, Multisystem Illnesses, and Medical Uncertainty.

Mitochondrial complex activity in permeabilised cells of chronic fatigue syndrome patients using two cell types.

Impact of Polypharmacy on Candidate Biomarker miRNomes for the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Striking Back on Treatments.

Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia Symptoms Markedly Reduced with Parenteral Vitamins and Minerals: A Case Report.

Dismissing chronic illness: A qualitative analysis of negative health care experiences.

Understanding neuromuscular disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Network structure underpinning (dys)homeostasis in chronic fatigue syndrome; Preliminary findings.

The IDO Metabolic Trap Hypothesis for the Etiology of ME/CFS.

Mental fatigue is linked with attentional bias for sad stimuli.

Differential diagnosis between "chronic fatigue" and "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Defining and measuring recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: the physician perspective.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research