ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4881–4900 of 6,164 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Utilization of replication-competent XMRV reporter-viruses reveals severe viral restriction in primary human cells.

Stürzel, Christina Martina, Palesch, David, Khalid, Mohammad et al.·PloS one·2013

Researchers tested whether XMRV, a virus once thought to be linked to ME/CFS, could actually infect and spread in human immune cells. They found that while the virus could replicate in some laboratory cell lines, it could not effectively infect or spread in real human blood cells from patients. This supports the conclusion that XMRV is unlikely to be a genuine human pathogen responsible for ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Brain dysfunction as one cause of CFS symptoms including difficulty with attention and concentration.

Natelson, Benjamin H·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study suggests that ME/CFS is not one single disease but rather multiple conditions with different underlying causes. By grouping patients based on specific characteristics—like whether they have psychiatric diagnoses, fibromyalgia, or blood pressure problems when standing—researchers found that different groups showed different types of brain dysfunction. This approach could help explain why some patients experience trouble with concentration and attention in different ways.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Somatic symptoms in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Grover, Sandeep, Kate, Natasha·International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)·2013

This review discusses how doctors who specialize in both medical and mental health (called consultation-liaison psychiatrists) can help patients with ME/CFS and similar conditions where physical symptoms don't have a clear medical explanation. The review explains that these patients often experience depression and anxiety alongside their physical symptoms, and they use healthcare services frequently. Treatment options include talking therapies, cognitive behavior therapy, and antidepressants, which work with varying degrees of success.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mizuno, Kei, Watanabe, Yasuyoshi·Frontiers in physiology·2013

This study examined how ME/CFS affects thinking and attention skills in children and teenagers. Researchers found that young people with ME/CFS have difficulty with tasks that require switching between activities or paying attention to multiple things at once. The brain regions responsible for these skills are still developing during childhood, and severe fatigue may slow down or disrupt this normal development.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in atopic dermatitis.

Sivaranjani, N, Rao, S Venkata, Rajeev, G·Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR·2013

This study looked at whether skin damage from harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species plays a role in atopic dermatitis (eczema). Researchers compared 25 people with atopic dermatitis to 25 healthy people and measured levels of damaging molecules and protective antioxidants in their bodies. They found that people with eczema had more damage and lower levels of natural protective substances, suggesting that antioxidants might help treat the condition.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

[Moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) for sleep disorders of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Chen, Xiao-Qin, Gang, Zhi-Xiu, Xu, Zhi-Peng·Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion·2013

This study explored whether moxibustion—a traditional Chinese medicine technique involving burning herbs near the skin—might help improve sleep problems in people with ME/CFS. The treatment focused on a specific acupuncture point on the sole of the foot called Yongquan (KI 1). While the study suggests this approach may have helped some patients sleep better, the research quality is limited and more rigorous testing is needed.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Acute psychosocial stress-mediated changes in the expression and methylation of perforin in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Falkenberg, Virginia R, Whistler, Toni, Murray, Janna R et al.·Genetics & epigenetics·2013

This study looked at how a stressful situation affects a type of immune cell protein called perforin in people with ME/CFS versus healthy people. Researchers gave both groups a stress test and measured changes in perforin levels and a chemical modification (methylation) that controls whether genes are turned on or off. They found that while both groups increased perforin during stress, people with ME/CFS had a lower peak response and differently regulated perforin levels afterward.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The role of mitochondrial dysfunctions due to oxidative and nitrosative stress in the chronic pain or chronic fatigue syndromes and fibromyalgia patients: peripheral and central mechanisms as therapeutic targets?

Meeus, Mira, Nijs, Jo, Hermans, Linda et al.·Expert opinion on therapeutic targets·2013

This study explores how damage to the energy-producing parts of cells (mitochondria) might explain why ME/CFS and fibromyalgia patients experience persistent pain and fatigue. When the body experiences oxidative stress, it produces harmful molecules that can damage mitochondria and reduce the energy (ATP) available to muscles and the brain. The researchers suggest that boosting antioxidants and repairing mitochondria could be promising treatments worth testing.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Role of the Toll Like receptor (TLR) radical cycle in chronic inflammation: possible treatments targeting the TLR4 pathway.

Lucas, Kurt, Maes, Michael·Molecular neurobiology·2013

This review examines how a part of the immune system called TLR4 may trigger ongoing inflammation in several diseases, including ME/CFS. The authors discuss environmental factors (like air pollution and certain chemicals) that can activate TLR4, and they review several drugs and natural substances that might reduce this harmful inflammation by blocking TLR4 activation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the UK armed forces.

Le Blackadder-Coward, J C Q, Perry, S·Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service·2013

This study examined how ME/CFS (also called CFS) affects people serving in the UK military, and how the condition should be recognized and managed in this specific setting. ME/CFS can significantly impact a service member's career and ability to work in challenging military environments. The article discusses how doctors can better identify and treat this condition in military personnel.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

α-1 antitrypsin and chronic fatigue syndrome: a case study from pathophysiology to clinical practice.

Alegre, José, Camprubí, Sandra, García-Quintana, Ana·Pain management·2013

Researchers tested whether a protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), which naturally reduces inflammation in the body, could help a woman with ME/CFS. She received weekly intravenous infusions for 8 weeks. After treatment, she showed improvements in how much physical work she could do, her memory, and thinking skills, and her inflammatory markers normalized. She was eventually able to return to part-time work.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Conditions, controversies and contradictions between Central Sensitivity Syndrome and Depressive Disorders].

Maresca, Tomás, Covini, Elvira, Mato, Andrea Márquez López·Vertex (Buenos Aires, Argentina)·2013

This review article explains Central Sensitivity Syndrome (CSS), a condition where the nervous system becomes overly sensitive to pain and other stimuli, and how it relates to ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. The authors describe how CSS differs from depression, even though people with CSS often experience depression as well, by comparing how the body's stress hormones, sleep patterns, and immune systems function differently in each condition.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

A case of chronic fatigue syndrome improved by traditional Korean medicine.

Son, Chang-Gue·Integrative medicine research·2013

This report describes one woman with ME/CFS who experienced significant improvement in her fatigue after receiving traditional Korean medicine treatments, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion over three months. Her fatigue severity scores were cut roughly in half during treatment. While this single case suggests these treatments may help some people, it does not prove they work for everyone with ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Lumbar puncture, chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a cross-sectional study.

Higgins, Nicholas, Pickard, John, Lever, Andrew·JRSM short reports·2013

This study looked at whether some people with ME/CFS might actually have a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), which involves increased pressure around the brain and spinal cord. The researchers performed lumbar punctures (spinal taps) on ME/CFS patients with headaches and measured the fluid pressure around their spinal cord. They found that some patients improved after the procedure, suggesting a possible link between the two conditions.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Method Issues in Epidemiological Studies of Medically Unexplained Symptom-based Conditions in Veterans.

Coughlin, Steven S, McNeil, Rebecca B, Provenzale, Dawn T et al.·Journal of military and veterans' health·2013

This study examined how researchers diagnose ME/CFS and related conditions in veterans, particularly those who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The researchers found that many veterans had other medical conditions that could complicate or mask ME/CFS diagnosis. The study highlights that how doctors define and diagnose these conditions matters a lot, and different approaches can lead to very different results.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Molecular mechanisms underpinning laser printer and photocopier induced symptoms, including chronic fatigue syndrome and respiratory tract hyperresponsiveness: pharmacological treatment with cinnamon and hydrogen.

Lucas, Kurt, Maes, Michael·Neuro endocrinology letters·2013

This review examines how emissions from laser printers and photocopiers might trigger symptoms in sensitive people, including fatigue, breathing problems, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The study suggests that particles and chemicals released during printing can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. The authors propose that two substances—cinnamon and hydrogen—might help reduce these symptoms by reducing inflammation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

[A case of lyme disease requiring over 1 year to diagnose at an infectious-disease clinic].

Iwata, Kentaro, Shimada, Tomoe, Kawabata, Hiroki·Kansenshogaku zasshi. The Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases·2013

This case report describes a 42-year-old woman who had fever and vague symptoms for years but was initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. After 14 months, she developed facial paralysis, which prompted testing that revealed she actually had Lyme disease—an infection spread by tick bites. A month of antibiotics improved her symptoms. The report highlights that Lyme disease is rare in Japan but may be underdiagnosed and should be considered in patients with unexplained fevers.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Modulation of the axon-reflex response to local heat by reactive oxygen species in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Medow, Marvin S, Aggarwal, Arun, Baugham, Ila et al.·Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2013

When skin is heated, blood vessels normally dilate to increase blood flow. This study found that people with ME/CFS have lower baseline blood flow in their skin compared to healthy people. When researchers used drugs to reduce harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (particularly hydrogen peroxide), blood flow improved and the initial blood vessel response to heat increased in ME/CFS patients but not in healthy controls.

Pain and SensitizationAutonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Thiamine and fatigue in inflammatory bowel diseases: an open-label pilot study.

Costantini, Antonio, Pala, Maria Immacolata·Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)·2013

This small study tested whether high-dose vitamin B1 (thiamine) could help fatigue in people with inflammatory bowel disease. Twelve patients took large amounts of thiamine for 20 days, and ten of them reported their fatigue almost completely went away. The researchers suggest that fatigue in these patients may come from cells not absorbing thiamine properly, rather than from actual vitamin deficiency in the blood.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

New developments in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Pontari, Michel, Giusto, Laura·Current opinion in urology·2013

This article discusses how chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men can present differently—some men have pain localized to the pelvic area, while others experience widespread body symptoms similar to other chronic conditions. The authors review new treatment options including physical therapy, acupuncture, psychological support, and medications, and note that these conditions often occur alongside other chronic pain disorders like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Neuroinflammation

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Utilization of replication-competent XMRV reporter-viruses reveals severe viral restriction in primary human cells.

Brain dysfunction as one cause of CFS symptoms including difficulty with attention and concentration.

Somatic symptoms in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome.

Role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in atopic dermatitis.

[Moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) for sleep disorders of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Acute psychosocial stress-mediated changes in the expression and methylation of perforin in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The role of mitochondrial dysfunctions due to oxidative and nitrosative stress in the chronic pain or chronic fatigue syndromes and fibromyalgia patients: peripheral and central mechanisms as therapeutic targets?

Role of the Toll Like receptor (TLR) radical cycle in chronic inflammation: possible treatments targeting the TLR4 pathway.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in the UK armed forces.

α-1 antitrypsin and chronic fatigue syndrome: a case study from pathophysiology to clinical practice.

[Conditions, controversies and contradictions between Central Sensitivity Syndrome and Depressive Disorders].

A case of chronic fatigue syndrome improved by traditional Korean medicine.

Lumbar puncture, chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a cross-sectional study.

Method Issues in Epidemiological Studies of Medically Unexplained Symptom-based Conditions in Veterans.

Molecular mechanisms underpinning laser printer and photocopier induced symptoms, including chronic fatigue syndrome and respiratory tract hyperresponsiveness: pharmacological treatment with cinnamon and hydrogen.

[A case of lyme disease requiring over 1 year to diagnose at an infectious-disease clinic].

Modulation of the axon-reflex response to local heat by reactive oxygen species in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Thiamine and fatigue in inflammatory bowel diseases: an open-label pilot study.

New developments in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

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