ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4761–4780 of 6,163 studies

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Capturing the post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue following physical and cognitive challenge in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Keech, Andrew, Sandler, Carolina X, Vollmer-Conna, Ute et al.·Journal of psychosomatic research·2015

This study developed a new questionnaire called the Fatigue and Energy Scale (FES) to measure the specific type of exhaustion that ME/CFS patients experience after physical or mental activity. Researchers talked with 19 patients to understand what their fatigue feels like, then tested the questionnaire with patients doing exercise, driving simulation, and everyday tasks. The results showed that the FES successfully captured both the physical tiredness and mental fog that worsens after activity in ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

HPV vaccination syndrome. A questionnaire-based study.

Martínez-Lavín, Manuel, Martínez-Martínez, Laura-Aline, Reyes-Loyola, Paola·Clinical rheumatology·2015

This study looked at people who developed long-lasting pain, fatigue, and heart/blood pressure problems shortly after receiving the HPV vaccine. Researchers used three validated questionnaires to assess 45 people from 13 countries. Most reported muscle pain, tiredness, and dizziness, and after an average of 4 years, 93% still had severe symptoms preventing them from working or going to school.

Pain and SensitizationAutonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: management issues.

Bourke, Julius·Advances in psychosomatic medicine·2015

This article discusses how fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are common conditions that were previously dismissed or not taken seriously by doctors, causing patients significant suffering. Recent scientific discoveries have improved our understanding of how these conditions work in the body and what treatments may help. While complete recovery is not common, moderate improvements in symptoms and quality of life are achievable with proper management.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Exercise, not to exercise, or how to exercise in patients with chronic pain? Applying science to practice.

Daenen, Liesbeth, Varkey, Emma, Kellmann, Michael et al.·The Clinical journal of pain·2015

This review examines how exercise affects people with chronic pain, including ME/CFS. While exercise helps many chronic pain conditions, some patients—especially those with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and chronic whiplash—experience worsening symptoms or 'crashes' after exercising. The authors emphasize that exercise programs need to be carefully tailored to each person, with proper recovery time built in, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

[The theorotical basis for chronic fatigue syndrome from bladder meridian of foot-taiyang].

Yao, Fei, Zhao, Yi, Jiang, Shichao et al.·Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion·2015

This study explores traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) theory to understand chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers examined how the bladder meridian—a pathway used in acupuncture treatment—may relate to fatigue, sleep problems, and organ function. They propose that treating this meridian might help reduce both physical and mental exhaustion in ME/CFS patients.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Immunomodulating and antioxidant effects of polysaccharide conjugates from the fruits of Ziziphus Jujube on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome rats.

Chi, Aiping, Kang, Chenzhe, Zhang, Yan et al.·Carbohydrate polymers·2015

Researchers tested whether jujube fruit extract could help rats with an artificially induced chronic fatigue condition. The extract appeared to reduce oxidative stress (cellular damage) and boost immune function in these rats, including improving the activity of natural killer cells that help fight infections. While these results are encouraging, this is animal research and much more work is needed to determine if similar benefits would occur in people with ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM requiredEditorial

Living with ME/CFS. challenge for scientists?

Weiler, John J A·Neuro endocrinology letters·2015

This case describes a person with ME/CFS for 19 years who experienced an unusual pattern: they could run 10 kilometers without problems, but later that same day, 30 minutes of browsing for books triggered severe exhaustion, muscle pain, and brain fog lasting into the next day. This puzzling difference highlights how ME/CFS symptoms don't always follow expected patterns and suggests that exercise intolerance in ME/CFS may be more complex than previously thought.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The dopamine imbalance hypothesis of fatigue in multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

Dobryakova, Ekaterina, Genova, Helen M, DeLuca, John et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2015

This review examines why people with MS experience severe fatigue by looking at brain imaging studies and medication trials. The researchers propose that fatigue may result from a chemical imbalance in the brain involving dopamine, a messenger that helps different brain regions communicate with each other. They found that medications that boost dopamine can help reduce fatigue in various conditions, suggesting this chemical might be key to understanding fatigue.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Protracted effects of chronic stress on serotonin-dependent thermoregulation.

Natarajan, Reka, Northrop, Nicole A, Yamamoto, Bryan K·Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2015

When the body experiences prolonged stress, it can damage the system that controls body temperature through a chemical messenger in the brain called serotonin. This study found that stressed animals had trouble warming up when exposed to cold—the opposite of what healthy animals normally do—and this problem persisted even after stress ended. By blocking stress hormones during the stressful period, researchers could prevent these temperature control problems, suggesting stress-related damage to thermoregulation might be reversible.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Understanding medical students' views of chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative study.

Stenhoff, Alexandra Laura, Sadreddini, Shireen, Peters, Sarah et al.·Journal of health psychology·2015

This study asked 21 UK medical students about their knowledge and attitudes toward ME/CFS. Most students had learned little about the condition in their medical training and picked up information informally instead. The researchers found that students struggled to understand ME/CFS using traditional medical thinking and suggested that better teaching—one that considers both physical and psychological factors—could help future doctors develop more helpful attitudes toward the illness.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

TMD and chronic pain: a current view.

Furquim, Bruno D'Aurea, Flamengui, Lívia Maria Sales Pinto, Conti, Paulo César Rodrigues·Dental press journal of orthodontics·2015

This review examines how temporomandibular disorders (jaw joint and muscle problems) develop and persist. The authors found that chronic muscle pain in the jaw works similarly to other widespread pain conditions like fibromyalgia and ME/CFS—through a process called central sensitization where the nervous system becomes overly sensitive to pain signals. They explain that genetics and nervous system function influence whether symptoms improve or worsen.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A New Promising Therapeutic Approach?

Gambuzza, Maria Elsa, Salmeri, Francesca Maria, Soraci, Luca et al.·CNS & neurological disorders drug targets·2015

This review examines how certain immune system sensors called Toll-like receptors (TLRs) may contribute to ME/CFS. These receptors sit on cells in the gut and detect bacteria and other microbes, triggering inflammation that may spread to the brain and cause fatigue and other symptoms. The researchers suggest that targeting these TLRs with new medications might help reduce inflammation and improve symptoms.

NeuroinflammationGut MicrobiomeImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale: Development and Concurrent Validity.

Fernie, Bruce A, Maher-Edwards, Lorraine, Murphy, Gabrielle et al.·Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2015

Researchers created a new questionnaire called the MaSCS to measure how people with ME/CFS think about their symptoms—specifically, how much they focus on symptoms and what they believe about controlling them. They tested this questionnaire with 124 ME/CFS patients and found it reliably measured two types of thinking: positive beliefs about symptom control and negative beliefs about symptom control. Both types of thinking were linked to how severe fatigue was, even when accounting for anxiety and depression.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia: A Critical and Comprehensive Review.

Borchers, Andrea T, Gershwin, M Eric·Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology·2015

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, and sleep problems, and it shares many symptoms with other conditions that are hard to diagnose. This review explains that while some people think fibromyalgia might be caused by infection, inflammation, or injury, there is not strong evidence supporting these ideas. The authors recommend that treatment should focus on education, exercise, physical therapy, and approved medications rather than opioids.

Pain and SensitizationSleepDiagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Macrophagic myofasciitis and vaccination: consequence or coincidence?

Santiago, Tânia, Rebelo, Olinda, Negrão, Luís et al.·Rheumatology international·2015

This study looked at 16 patients with a muscle condition called macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF), where aluminum from vaccines builds up in muscle tissue at the injection site. Half of these patients also had chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers found that most patients had received aluminum-containing vaccines before their symptoms started, suggesting vaccines might trigger this muscle condition in some people.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Borderline Intracranial Hypertension Manifesting as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated by Venous Sinus Stenting.

Higgins, Nicholas, Pickard, John, Lever, Andrew·Journal of neurological surgery reports·2015

This case study describes one woman with severe chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) who was found to have slightly elevated pressure inside her skull. Doctors discovered that blood vessels in her brain were narrowed, similar to a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension. When doctors placed stents (small tubes) to open these narrowed vessels, her fatigue symptoms dramatically improved and stayed better for at least 2 years.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Abnormalities of AMPK activation and glucose uptake in cultured skeletal muscle cells from individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brown, Audrey E, Jones, David E, Walker, Mark et al.·PloS one·2015

Researchers grew muscle cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people in the lab and stimulated them electrically to mimic exercise. They found that muscle cells from ME/CFS patients didn't respond normally to this simulated exercise: they failed to activate a key energy-sensing protein (AMPK) and didn't increase glucose uptake like healthy cells did. This suggests the problem may be rooted in how the muscle cells themselves are built or programmed, not just from being inactive.

Energy MetabolismPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Gray matter volumes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tang, Le-Wei, Zheng, Hui, Chen, Liang et al.·Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM·2015

This review examines brain imaging studies that found smaller brain regions in people with ME/CFS. The researchers looked at how other conditions—like chronic pain, stress, sleep problems, and depression—might affect these brain changes and make it harder to understand what's really happening in ME/CFS. By separating out these overlapping factors, scientists hope to better understand the true brain mechanisms behind ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF SOMATOFORM DISORDERS IN CHILDREN (REVIEW).

Khundadze, M, Mkheidze, R, Geladze, N et al.·Georgian medical news·2015

This review article examines somatoform disorders—conditions where physical symptoms occur without a clear physical cause—in children and teenagers. It covers several conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, and discusses why these disorders happen, how they present differently, and how doctors can diagnose and treat them. The authors note that these conditions have become more common over the past 20 years.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue: the underlying biology and related theoretical issues.

Romano, Graziella F, Tomassi, Simona, Russell, Alice et al.·Advances in psychosomatic medicine·2015

This review examines what scientists have learned about the biological causes of ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Researchers have found that three main systems in the body appear to go wrong: inflammation (the body's immune response), oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules), and problems with hormones that control stress responses. These abnormalities may explain why patients experience fatigue, pain, memory problems, and mood changes.

Energy Metabolism

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Capturing the post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue following physical and cognitive challenge in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

HPV vaccination syndrome. A questionnaire-based study.

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: management issues.

Exercise, not to exercise, or how to exercise in patients with chronic pain? Applying science to practice.

[The theorotical basis for chronic fatigue syndrome from bladder meridian of foot-taiyang].

Immunomodulating and antioxidant effects of polysaccharide conjugates from the fruits of Ziziphus Jujube on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome rats.

Living with ME/CFS. challenge for scientists?

The dopamine imbalance hypothesis of fatigue in multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

Protracted effects of chronic stress on serotonin-dependent thermoregulation.

Understanding medical students' views of chronic fatigue syndrome: a qualitative study.

TMD and chronic pain: a current view.

The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A New Promising Therapeutic Approach?

The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale: Development and Concurrent Validity.

Fibromyalgia: A Critical and Comprehensive Review.

Macrophagic myofasciitis and vaccination: consequence or coincidence?

Borderline Intracranial Hypertension Manifesting as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated by Venous Sinus Stenting.

Abnormalities of AMPK activation and glucose uptake in cultured skeletal muscle cells from individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gray matter volumes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF SOMATOFORM DISORDERS IN CHILDREN (REVIEW).

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue: the underlying biology and related theoretical issues.

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