ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4521–4540 of 6,163 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Epstein-Barr Virus Induced Gene-2 Upregulation Identifies a Particular Subtype of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Kerr, Jonathan R·Frontiers in pediatrics·2019

This study found that about 38-55% of ME/CFS patients have higher levels of a specific gene called EBI2 turned on in their immune cells. Patients with this EBI2 pattern appear to have more severe symptoms and different antibody levels compared to other ME/CFS patients. Because EBI2 is known to affect both immune function and brain function, finding this subtype could help explain why ME/CFS patients experience such different symptoms and may lead to new treatments.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Treatment of Psychosomatic Disorders - Psychotherapy with Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing].

Schubbe, Oliver·Therapeutische Umschau. Revue therapeutique·2019

This paper reviews Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a type of psychotherapy that may help with conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome. The authors suggest that dysfunctional stored memories could contribute to psychosomatic disorders, and EMDR aims to help the brain process these memories in a healthier way. Recent studies have shown EMDR may help with various conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, and chronic pain.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Heterodox and Orthodox Discourses in the Case of Lyme Disease: A Synthesis of Arguments.

Hinds, Kate, Sutcliffe, Katy·Qualitative health research·2019

This study examined how doctors and patient advocates argue about chronic Lyme disease in published medical articles. The researchers found that the medical field is divided—some experts reject the diagnosis while patients and their advocates strongly support it. By analyzing these arguments, the authors tried to understand why this disagreement exists and how both sides talk about the illness differently.

E3 PreliminaryPEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

The autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA)/Shoenfeld's syndrome: descriptive analysis of 300 patients from the international ASIA syndrome registry.

Watad, Abdulla, Quaresma, Mariana, Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi et al.·Clinical rheumatology·2018

This study examined 300 patients who developed autoimmune diseases after exposure to adjuvants (immune-stimulating substances in vaccines and other products). The most common symptoms were joint pain, muscle pain, and chronic fatigue, and most patients developed another autoimmune condition within about 17 months of exposure. The researchers found that different adjuvants caused slightly different patterns of illness.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

On chronic fatigue syndrome and nosological categories.

Sharif, Kassem, Watad, Abdulla, Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi et al.·Clinical rheumatology·2018

This paper reviews the history of ME/CFS and explores whether it might be related to autoimmune diseases—conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. The authors discuss how ME/CFS has been called many different names over the past 300 years and how its symptoms overlap with other conditions like POTS and Sjögren's syndrome. They suggest that ME/CFS might be an early stage of an autoimmune disease or might share underlying causes with autoimmune conditions.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Effect of Coelogyne cristata Lindley in alleviation of chronic fatigue syndrome in aged Wistar rats.

Mitra, Achintya, Sur, Tapas Kumar, Upadhyay, Sachhidananda et al.·Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine·2018

Researchers tested an orchid extract called Coelogyne cristata on aging rats that had been made fatigued through repeated forced swimming. The extract improved the rats' movement, reduced depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and restored protective antioxidant levels in their brains, performing similarly to ginseng, a known stress-relief supplement.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Tiredness, Fatigue, and Exhaustion as Perceived by Recreational Marathon Runners.

Olson, Karin, Zimka, Oksana, Pasiorowski, Ashley et al.·Qualitative health research·2018

Researchers interviewed 13 recreational marathon runners to understand how they experience and describe tiredness and fatigue. The runners shared strategies that help them manage exhaustion, including taking planned recovery breaks after intense exercise, using mental distraction techniques, and relying on support from others. The researchers suggest these coping strategies might also be helpful for people with medical conditions that cause severe fatigue.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Measurement error, time lag, unmeasured confounding: Considerations for longitudinal estimation of the effect of a mediator in randomised clinical trials.

Goldsmith, K A, Chalder, T, White, P D et al.·Statistical methods in medical research·2018

This study examined how treatments work in the PACE trial by using advanced statistical methods to track changes in patients' symptoms and functioning over time. The researchers tested different ways of analyzing data to understand whether improvements in one area (like activity levels) might explain improvements in another area (like fatigue). They found that accounting for measurement errors and considering the timing of measurements was important for getting accurate results.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Case Study of Homeopathic Bowel Nosode Remedies for Dysbiotic Japanese Patients.

Uchiyama-Tanaka, Yoko·Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)·2018

This study tested homeopathic bowel remedies (made from old bacterial samples) in 28 Japanese patients with digestive problems like constipation and diarrhea. About 70% of patients reported some improvement in their symptoms, and no harmful side effects were reported. The researchers suggest these remedies might be a simpler and cheaper option for treating gut-related digestive issues.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

The expression signature of very long non-coding RNA in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yang, Chin-An, Bauer, Sandra, Ho, Yu-Chen et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

Researchers looked at special molecules called very long non-coding RNAs in the blood of ME/CFS patients to see if they might be disease markers. They found that three of these RNA molecules (NTT, MIAT, and EmX2OS) were present at higher levels in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people, and two of them (NTT and EmX2OS) increased with disease severity. When they tested these findings in lab cells exposed to oxidative stress and viral signals, the RNA levels increased, suggesting these molecules respond to the kinds of biological stresses that may occur in ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Dutch Health Council Advisory Report on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Taking the Wrong Turn.

Twisk, Frank·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2018

The Dutch Health Council released an official report recognizing ME/CFS as a serious, multi-system disease rather than primarily a psychological condition. The report recommends establishing specialized medical centers, training doctors better about ME/CFS, and improving how disability benefits are assessed for patients. However, the report's new definition of ME/CFS may create unintended problems for future research and patient care.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The High Costs of Low-Grade Inflammation: Persistent Fatigue as a Consequence of Reduced Cellular-Energy Availability and Non-adaptive Energy Expenditure.

Lacourt, Tamara E, Vichaya, Elisabeth G, Chiu, Gabriel S et al.·Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2018

This study explores why people with ME/CFS experience persistent fatigue by examining how inflammation in the body may damage cells' ability to produce energy. The researchers propose that chronic inflammation forces cells to switch to a less efficient energy-production method, while at the same time the body may be spending energy at rates it cannot sustain, creating an energy crisis. Sleep problems and disrupted body rhythms may also play a role in this imbalance.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Brain Science on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome].

Watanabe, Yasuyoshi·Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyu no shinpo·2018

This study examined the brains of people with ME/CFS using three types of imaging technology (PET scans, MRI, and MEG) to look for physical differences compared to healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have reduced blood flow and energy use in certain brain areas, decreased levels of important chemical messengers, and inflammation in the brain that appears connected to symptom severity. These findings suggest ME/CFS involves real, measurable brain changes rather than being purely psychological.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Dysfunction in Cholestatic Liver Disease.

Petrescu, Anca D, Kain, Jessica, Liere, Victoria et al.·Frontiers in endocrinology·2018

This review examines how the stress hormone system (HPA axis) works and what happens when it breaks down in people with liver disease. The HPA axis is like your body's control center that manages stress responses and many other important functions. The authors explain how inflammation in the liver can disrupt this system, potentially leading to the fatigue and other symptoms seen in both liver disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Rituximab impedes natural killer cell function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients: A pilot in vitro investigation.

Eaton, Natalie, Cabanas, Hélène, Balinas, Cassandra et al.·BMC pharmacology & toxicology·2018

This study examined how a drug called Rituximab affects natural killer (NK) cells—immune cells that help fight infections—in people with ME/CFS. Researchers tested blood samples from 8 ME/CFS patients and 9 healthy people in a lab dish. When exposed to Rituximab, NK cells from ME/CFS patients became less effective at killing infected cells and showed signs of stress, suggesting the drug might harm these already-weakened immune cells.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Beyond total treatment effects in randomised controlled trials: Baseline measurement of intermediate outcomes needed to reduce confounding in mediation investigations.

Landau, Sabine, Emsley, Richard, Dunn, Graham·Clinical trials (London, England)·2018

This study explains the best way to analyze how a treatment works by breaking down its effects into direct and indirect pathways. The researchers tested different statistical methods using a rehabilitation trial in ME/CFS patients and found that one approach (called analysis of covariance) gives the most reliable answers by measuring patients' symptoms before and after treatment.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of a Long and Shortened Version of the Cognitive and Behavioural Responses Questionnaire.

Ryan, Elizabeth G, Vitoratou, Silia, Goldsmith, Kimberley A et al.·Psychosomatic medicine·2018

This study tested a questionnaire designed to measure how people with ME/CFS think and behave in response to their illness—such as pushing through fatigue or avoiding activity. Researchers created a shorter, easier-to-use version of the original questionnaire by removing unnecessary questions while keeping the important ones. Both versions were found to be reliable and accurate tools for understanding these psychological responses.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryPEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Supplementation with Robuvit® in post-traumatic stress disorders associated to high oxidative stress.

Belcaro, Gianni, Luzzi, Roberta, Hosoi, Morio et al.·Minerva medica·2018

This study looked at whether a plant-based supplement called Robuvit® could help people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) recover faster alongside standard therapy. Over 4 weeks, people who took Robuvit® along with therapy showed greater improvements in symptoms like intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, sleep problems, and fatigue compared to those who received therapy alone.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Changes in fatigue, autonomic functions, and blood biomarkers due to sitting isometric yoga in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Oka, Takakazu, Tanahashi, Tokusei, Sudo, Nobuyuki et al.·BioPsychoSocial medicine·2018

This study tested whether a gentle form of yoga practiced while sitting could help reduce fatigue in ME/CFS patients. Fifteen patients who had not improved with standard treatments did sitting isometric yoga twice a week with an instructor plus daily practice at home for eight weeks. After a single session, patients reported feeling less tired and more energetic, with their bodies showing signs of reduced stress and inflammation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

A Molecular Neurobiological Approach to Understanding the Aetiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) with Treatment Implications.

Monro, Jean A, Puri, Basant K·Molecular neurobiology·2018

This paper argues that ME/CFS is caused by biological problems in the brain and body rather than primarily psychological factors. The authors reviewed evidence showing that ME/CFS involves issues with immune chemicals, infections, brain barrier function, and how cells use energy. They suggest that treatments targeting these biological problems—such as supplements, antivirals, and immune therapies—should be studied instead of or alongside psychological approaches.

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Epstein-Barr Virus Induced Gene-2 Upregulation Identifies a Particular Subtype of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

[Treatment of Psychosomatic Disorders - Psychotherapy with Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing].

Heterodox and Orthodox Discourses in the Case of Lyme Disease: A Synthesis of Arguments.

The autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA)/Shoenfeld's syndrome: descriptive analysis of 300 patients from the international ASIA syndrome registry.

On chronic fatigue syndrome and nosological categories.

Effect of Coelogyne cristata Lindley in alleviation of chronic fatigue syndrome in aged Wistar rats.

Tiredness, Fatigue, and Exhaustion as Perceived by Recreational Marathon Runners.

Measurement error, time lag, unmeasured confounding: Considerations for longitudinal estimation of the effect of a mediator in randomised clinical trials.

Case Study of Homeopathic Bowel Nosode Remedies for Dysbiotic Japanese Patients.

The expression signature of very long non-coding RNA in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dutch Health Council Advisory Report on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Taking the Wrong Turn.

The High Costs of Low-Grade Inflammation: Persistent Fatigue as a Consequence of Reduced Cellular-Energy Availability and Non-adaptive Energy Expenditure.

[Brain Science on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome].

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Dysfunction in Cholestatic Liver Disease.

Rituximab impedes natural killer cell function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients: A pilot in vitro investigation.

Beyond total treatment effects in randomised controlled trials: Baseline measurement of intermediate outcomes needed to reduce confounding in mediation investigations.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of a Long and Shortened Version of the Cognitive and Behavioural Responses Questionnaire.

Supplementation with Robuvit® in post-traumatic stress disorders associated to high oxidative stress.

Changes in fatigue, autonomic functions, and blood biomarkers due to sitting isometric yoga in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A Molecular Neurobiological Approach to Understanding the Aetiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) with Treatment Implications.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research