ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4681–4700 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Mortality in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

McManimen, Stephanie L, Devendorf, Andrew R, Brown, Abigail A et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2016

This study examined whether people with ME/CFS die earlier than the general population. Researchers gathered information about 56 people with ME/CFS who had passed away by asking their family members and caregivers. The findings suggest that people with ME/CFS in this group died several years earlier on average than people in the broader U.S. population, particularly from heart-related causes.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Neurocognitive improvements after best-practice intervention for chronic fatigue syndrome: Preliminary evidence of divergence between objective indices and subjective perceptions.

Cvejic, Erin, Lloyd, Andrew R, Vollmer-Conna, Uté·Comprehensive psychiatry·2016

This study tested whether a 12-week program combining graded activity and cognitive training could help ME/CFS patients with thinking and memory problems. Researchers measured improvements in two ways: by asking patients how they felt, and by giving them objective tests of mental performance. They found that patients showed real, measurable improvements in processing speed and accuracy on cognitive tests, and their stress response (measured by heart rate patterns) also improved.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Serum BAFF and APRIL Levels, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, and Immunoglobulins after B-Cell Depletion Using the Monoclonal Anti-CD20 Antibody Rituximab in Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Lunde, Sigrid, Kristoffersen, Einar K, Sapkota, Dipak et al.·PloS one·2016

Researchers tested whether a drug called rituximab, which removes B cells (a type of immune cell) from the blood, helps ME/CFS patients by examining immune system changes. They found that some ME/CFS patients had higher levels of a substance called BAFF that activates B cells, but this didn't predict who would improve with treatment. While some patients did get better with rituximab in earlier trials, the immune cell changes measured in this study didn't fully explain why.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Moxibustion upregulates hippocampal progranulin expression.

Yi, Tao, Qi, Li, Li, Ji et al.·Neural regeneration research·2016

This study tested whether moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine technique using heat from burning herbs, could help rats with chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers found that moxibustion reduced stress hormone levels and increased a protective protein in the brain called progranulin, which appeared to improve the rats' symptoms of fatigue and low mood.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Dehydroglyasperin C suppresses TPA-induced cell transformation through direct inhibition of MKK4 and PI3K.

Lee, Ji Hoon, Kim, Jong-Eun, Jang, Young Jin et al.·Molecular carcinogenesis·2016

This study examined a compound called dehydroglyasperin C (DGC) found in licorice root to see if it could prevent cancer by blocking harmful cell changes. Researchers used laboratory mouse cells and found that DGC stopped cells from transforming into cancer cells by interfering with two specific protein pathways (MKK4 and PI3K) that drive this process.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

"You get to know the people and whether they're talking sense or not": Negotiating trust on health-related forums.

Brady, Ellen, Segar, Julia, Sanders, Caroline·Social science & medicine (1982)·2016

This study looked at how people with ME/CFS and diabetes use online forums to find health information and support. Researchers interviewed 40 people total and found that forum users trust advice from others with similar lived experiences, but they also value information from doctors and medical sources. Online forums can provide personalized support, though how comfortable someone is using the internet affects how well they can connect with others.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The Many Neuroprogressive Actions of Tryptophan Catabolites (TRYCATs) that may be Associated with the Pathophysiology of Neuro-Immune Disorders.

Morris, Gerwyn, Carvalho, André F, Anderson, George et al.·Current pharmaceutical design·2016

When the body has chronic inflammation and immune activation, it breaks down an amino acid called tryptophan differently than usual, creating byproducts called TRYCATs. Some of these byproducts can damage nerve cells and mitochondria (the energy factories in cells), while others may protect the brain but at the cost of causing brain fog and emotional problems. This review examines how this abnormal tryptophan breakdown might contribute to ME/CFS and other neurological conditions.

NeuroinflammationEnergy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM requiredCase-Control

A Pair of Identical Twins Discordant for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differ in Physiological Parameters and Gut Microbiome Composition.

Giloteaux, Ludovic, Hanson, Maureen R, Keller, Betsy A·The American journal of case reports·2016

This study compared two identical twins—one with ME/CFS and one without—to understand what causes the illness. The affected twin showed reduced exercise capacity, abnormal responses to physical exertion, and differences in immune markers and gut bacteria compared to the healthy twin. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves problems with how the body responds to exercise and changes in the gut bacteria that may trigger inflammation.

Gut MicrobiomeImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia syndrome pathology and environmental influences on afflictions with medically unexplained symptoms.

Albrecht, Phillip J, Rice, Frank L·Reviews on environmental health·2016

This review examines fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) as a model for understanding conditions with symptoms that are difficult to explain medically. The authors discuss how nerve endings in the skin and stress hormones (particularly estrogen) may play a role in causing widespread pain and fatigue. They propose that environmental stress and past trauma can trigger changes in how the nervous system works, leading to increased pain sensitivity.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Life according to ME: Caught in the ebb-tide.

Lian, Olaug S, Rapport, Frances·Health (London, England : 1997)·2016

This study asked 10 people with ME in Norway to share stories and photos about places where their illness felt better or worse. The researchers found that people with ME carefully balance activity and rest, and they seek out peaceful places (usually home) to recover while avoiding places that drain their energy. The study shows how the physical and emotional qualities of different environments directly affect how people experience and manage their ME.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Working with uncertainty: A grounded theory study of health-care professionals' experiences of working with children and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Marks, Megan R, Huws, Jaci C, Whitehead, Liz·Journal of health psychology·2016

This study interviewed 10 healthcare professionals who treat children and teenagers with ME/CFS to understand how they approach the condition. Because ME/CFS is not yet fully understood scientifically, doctors often rely on their past experiences to decide how to treat young patients. What doctors believe about ME/CFS can affect the labels they give patients and what treatments they recommend.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Novel identification and characterisation of Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels on Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes: effects on cell signalling in Chronic fatigue syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

Nguyen, T, Staines, D, Nilius, B et al.·Biological research·2016

This study looked at special channels called TRPM3 on immune cells (natural killer cells and B cells) that help control calcium flow inside cells. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have fewer of these channels on certain immune cells and problems with calcium movement compared to healthy people. This suggests that broken calcium control in immune cells might play a role in ME/CFS, though much more research is needed to understand what this means for the illness.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disorders: clinical associations and diagnostic difficulties.

Ferré, A·Neurologia·2016

This review looked at the connection between ME/CFS and sleep problems. Many people with ME/CFS experience non-restorative sleep (where sleep doesn't feel refreshing) and fatigue, but these same symptoms can happen with other sleep disorders. The key finding is that doctors need to carefully check whether patients have a separate sleep disorder before or alongside an ME/CFS diagnosis, because treating the sleep problem might help improve overall quality of life.

SleepDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms.

Cottrell, David John·Archives of disease in childhood. Education and practice edition·2016

This article discusses how doctors can better understand and manage symptoms that don't have an obvious medical cause, which is common in children. It explains that anxiety about missing a serious illness can sometimes get in the way of good care, and provides a practical model for how doctors should assess and treat these patients based on the best available evidence.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Exhaustion and the Pathologization of Modernity.

Schaffner, Anna Katharina·The Journal of medical humanities·2016

This article examines how doctors and thinkers over the past 300 years have understood and written about exhaustion-related illnesses. The author looks at six historical examples to show how medical ideas about exhaustion have been connected to broader changes in society and technology, rather than being purely biological problems.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The Deleterious Effects of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress on Palmitoylation, Membrane Lipid Rafts and Lipid-Based Cellular Signalling: New Drug Targets in Neuroimmune Disorders.

Morris, Gerwyn, Walder, Ken, Puri, Basant K et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2016

This review explains how harmful molecules called oxidative and nitrosative stress damage specific fatty structures in cells that are important for cell communication and brain function. These damaged structures may contribute to ME/CFS, along with other conditions affecting the brain and immune system. The authors suggest that omega-3 fatty acid supplements might help restore these damaged cellular structures.

NeuroinflammationEnergy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The experience of sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: A qualitative interview study with patients.

Gotts, Zoe M, Newton, Julia L, Ellis, Jason G et al.·British journal of health psychology·2016

This study asked 11 people with ME/CFS to describe their sleep problems in detail through interviews. The researchers found that sleep is extremely important to everyone with ME/CFS—all participants felt their sleep was somehow 'broken' and spent a lot of energy trying to manage it. Everyone agreed that poor sleep made their daytime symptoms worse, though each person experienced sleep problems in their own unique way.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Development of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS): a self-report tool for assessing sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Dixon, Eric A, Benham, Grant, Sturgeon, John A et al.·Journal of behavioral medicine·2016

Researchers created a new questionnaire called the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS) to measure how sensitive people are to everyday sensations like touch, sound, taste, and temperature. The tool was tested on over 1,200 people and worked well at identifying those with heightened sensory sensitivity. People with fibromyalgia scored higher on the scale than those with other types of chronic pain, suggesting the tool could help identify central sensitization—a condition where the nervous system amplifies pain signals.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Efficacy of rintatolimod in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Mitchell, William M·Expert review of clinical pharmacology·2016

This review examines rintatolimod, a potential ME/CFS treatment that works by activating the immune system's antiviral defenses. The drug has shown promising results in clinical trials, with patients experiencing meaningful improvements in their symptoms and few serious side effects. This is important because ME/CFS currently has no approved medications, and rintatolimod represents one of the most advanced treatment options in development.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM unclearGuideline

Diagnosis and management of undifferentiated fever in children.

Long, Sarah S·The Journal of infection·2016

This medical guideline helps doctors figure out what causes unexplained fevers in children and how to treat them. The article explains that many children who come to doctors with persistent tiredness after a fever may not have a serious infection—instead, they might just be deconditioned (out of shape) and need to gradually return to normal activities like school and exercise.

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Evidence browser

Mortality in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Neurocognitive improvements after best-practice intervention for chronic fatigue syndrome: Preliminary evidence of divergence between objective indices and subjective perceptions.

Serum BAFF and APRIL Levels, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, and Immunoglobulins after B-Cell Depletion Using the Monoclonal Anti-CD20 Antibody Rituximab in Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Moxibustion upregulates hippocampal progranulin expression.

Dehydroglyasperin C suppresses TPA-induced cell transformation through direct inhibition of MKK4 and PI3K.

"You get to know the people and whether they're talking sense or not": Negotiating trust on health-related forums.

The Many Neuroprogressive Actions of Tryptophan Catabolites (TRYCATs) that may be Associated with the Pathophysiology of Neuro-Immune Disorders.

A Pair of Identical Twins Discordant for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differ in Physiological Parameters and Gut Microbiome Composition.

Fibromyalgia syndrome pathology and environmental influences on afflictions with medically unexplained symptoms.

Life according to ME: Caught in the ebb-tide.

Working with uncertainty: A grounded theory study of health-care professionals' experiences of working with children and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Novel identification and characterisation of Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels on Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes: effects on cell signalling in Chronic fatigue syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis patients.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep disorders: clinical associations and diagnostic difficulties.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms.

Exhaustion and the Pathologization of Modernity.

The Deleterious Effects of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress on Palmitoylation, Membrane Lipid Rafts and Lipid-Based Cellular Signalling: New Drug Targets in Neuroimmune Disorders.

The experience of sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome: A qualitative interview study with patients.

Development of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale (SHS): a self-report tool for assessing sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Efficacy of rintatolimod in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Diagnosis and management of undifferentiated fever in children.

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