ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4941–4960 of 6,209 studies

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in South Asians: Lessons from a Secondary Analysis of a UK Qualitative Study.

De Silva, R Erandie Ediriweera, Bayliss, Kerin, Riste, Lisa et al.·Journal of family medicine and primary care·2013

This study looked at why ME/CFS is rarely diagnosed in South Asia, even though people there experience its symptoms. By interviewing South Asian patients, doctors, and community leaders in the UK, researchers found that cultural beliefs, language barriers, and doctors' lack of knowledge about ME/CFS make it harder for people to get a proper diagnosis. The study suggests that raising awareness about ME/CFS in South Asia could help more people get diagnosed and treated.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

'The letting go, the building up, [and] the gradual process of rebuilding': identity change and post-traumatic growth in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Arroll, Megan A, Howard, Alex·Psychology & health·2013

This study talked to 10 people with ME/CFS about how the illness changed who they are as a person. Participants described losing abilities they once had, feeling isolated from others, and worrying about their future. Interestingly, some people reported finding unexpected personal growth through this experience—developing a stronger sense of their 'true self' after accepting their new limitations.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Multiple chemical sensitivity caused by exposure to ignition coal fumes: a case report.

Yun, Myeong-Ja, Kang, Dong-Mug, Lee, Kyoung-Hye et al.·Annals of occupational and environmental medicine·2013

This case report describes a 55-year-old woman who developed multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)—a condition where exposure to everyday smells and chemicals triggers symptoms like swelling and muscle pain—after being exposed to coal fumes at work. Her symptoms started with coal fumes but gradually expanded to include reactions to city gas, burning smells, and exhaust. After careful testing ruled out other conditions, she was diagnosed with MCS and learned to avoid her triggers.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Psychobiotics: a novel class of psychotropic.

Dinan, Timothy G, Stanton, Catherine, Cryan, John F·Biological psychiatry·2013

This review examines 'psychobiotics'—beneficial bacteria that may help with mood and mental health by producing brain chemicals like serotonin. These bacteria communicate with the brain through the gut-brain connection. Early research in animals and some patient studies suggests they might reduce depression, anxiety, and fatigue symptoms, possibly by lowering inflammation and stress hormone levels.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Review of the effects of mindfulness meditation on mental and physical health and its mechanisms of action].

Ngô, Thanh-Lan·Sante mentale au Quebec·2013

This review looked at whether mindfulness meditation—a practice of focused attention and acceptance—can help improve both mental and physical health. The authors found that mindfulness may reduce stress, ease chronic pain and fatigue, improve sleep, and help the body's immune system work better. They also describe how meditation appears to change the way the brain works, particularly in areas that control emotions, attention, and how we perceive physical sensations.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Neurocardiogenic syncope and associated conditions: insight into autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Kossaify, Antoine, Kallab, Kamal·Turk Kardiyoloji Dernegi arsivi : Turk Kardiyoloji Derneginin yayin organidir·2013

This study examines why people faint or feel faint due to problems with their autonomic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that controls heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing automatically. The authors review how fainting episodes are connected to several conditions that ME/CFS patients often experience, including migraines, dizziness upon standing, rapid heartbeat with position changes, and chronic fatigue syndrome. They discuss how autonomic dysfunction may explain these related conditions.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Akarsu, Selim, Tekin, Levent, Ay, Hakan et al.·Undersea & hyperbaric medicine : journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc·2013

This small study looked at whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber) could help people with ME/CFS. Sixteen patients received 15 treatment sessions over three weeks, and researchers measured fatigue and quality of life before and after. All three fatigue measures showed improvement after treatment, and the therapy was well tolerated.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in the treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - a clinical audit.

Myhill, Sarah, Booth, Norman E, McLaren-Howard, John·International journal of clinical and experimental medicine·2013

This study looked at 138 ME/CFS patients and found that all of them had problems with their mitochondria—the parts of cells that produce energy. Patients received personalized treatment based on diet, sleep, supplements, and rest-activity balance, adjusted according to their specific mitochondrial problems. Those who followed the full treatment plan improved their mitochondrial function by about four times on average.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Self-regulatory fatigue in chronic multisymptom illnesses: scale development, fatigue, and self-control.

Nes, Lise Solberg, Ehlers, Shawna L, Whipple, Mary O et al.·Journal of pain research·2013

This study created a new questionnaire to measure a specific type of mental tiredness called self-regulatory fatigue—the exhaustion that comes from having to constantly manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Researchers gave this 18-question test to nearly 300 people with chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, along with standard fatigue and self-control tests. They found that this mental tiredness is related to, but distinct from, physical fatigue—suggesting it's a separate problem worth measuring and understanding.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Exercise and sleep deprivation do not change cytokine expression levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nakamura, Toru, Schwander, Stephan, Donnelly, Robert et al.·Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI·2013

Researchers tested whether exercise and sleep loss could trigger increased inflammatory markers in the blood of ME/CFS patients, since many people report that physical activity and poor sleep make their symptoms worse. They found that neither exercise nor sleep deprivation caused the expected increases in inflammatory proteins in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls. This suggests that immune activation from these stressors may not be the main reason symptoms worsen with exertion or sleep loss.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Caught in the thickness of brain fog: exploring the cognitive symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Ocon, Anthony J·Frontiers in physiology·2013

ME/CFS causes cognitive difficulties that patients often describe as "brain fog"—a feeling of foggy thinking, slow mental processing, and trouble concentrating. This review suggests brain fog may result from reduced blood flow to the brain combined with the physical stress of standing (which worsens symptoms in many patients), plus the extra mental effort required to complete tasks. Understanding these overlapping factors could help explain why cognitive symptoms feel so exhausting.

Autonomic Nervous SystemCognitive Impairment

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 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 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Continuous stress promotes expression of VGF in melanotroph via suppression of dopamine.

Tokizane, Kyohei, Konishi, Hiroyuki, Yasui, Masaya et al.·Molecular and cellular endocrinology·2013

When the body experiences prolonged stress, it can affect how the pituitary gland (a small gland in the brain that controls many hormones) works. In this rat study, researchers found that stress caused increased production of a protein called VGF in certain pituitary cells. Interestingly, this increase happened because stress reduced levels of dopamine, a chemical messenger that normally keeps VGF levels low.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredMechanistic

Anti depressant activity of Mamsyadi Kwatha: An Ayurvedic compound formulation.

Shreevathsa, M, Ravishankar, B, Dwivedi, Rambabu·Ayu·2013

Researchers tested an Ayurvedic herbal mixture called Mamsyadi Kwatha to see if it could help with depression and fatigue-like symptoms in mice. The mixture contains three plant ingredients and showed some ability to reduce signs of depression and fatigue in animal tests, suggesting it might have antidepressant properties.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Assessment of intracellular cytokines and regulatory cells in patients with autoimmune diseases and primary immunodeficiencies - novel tool for diagnostics and patient follow-up.

Osnes, Liv T, Nakken, Britt, Bodolay, Edit et al.·Autoimmunity reviews·2013

This article reviews how scientists measure specific immune system molecules called cytokines and immune cells to help diagnose and monitor autoimmune diseases and immune deficiencies. By measuring both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers together, doctors can better understand what's happening in a patient's immune system and track whether treatments are working.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

A metagenomic approach to investigate the microbial causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: moving beyond XMRV.

Miller, Ruth R, Gardy, Jennifer L, Tang, Patrick et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2013

This study used advanced genetic sequencing techniques to search for microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that might cause ME/CFS. Rather than looking for one specific virus, the researchers cast a wider net to detect any microbes present in patient samples. This approach moved beyond previous unsuccessful searches for a single virus, offering a more comprehensive way to understand whether infections play a role in ME/CFS.

Gut Microbiome

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the duodenum of individuals diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis are uniquely immunoreactive to antibodies to human endogenous retroviral proteins.

De Meirleir, Kenny L, Khaiboullina, Svetlana F, Frémont, Marc et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2013

Researchers found that a specific type of immune cell in the gut (called plasmacytoid dendritic cells) reacts to remnants of ancient viral DNA in 8 out of 12 ME/CFS patients, but not in healthy controls. These cells appear to be displaying signs of viral proteins on their surface, which suggests the gut may be involved in triggering immune problems seen in ME/CFS.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

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 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.

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Evidence browser

Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in South Asians: Lessons from a Secondary Analysis of a UK Qualitative Study.

'The letting go, the building up, [and] the gradual process of rebuilding': identity change and post-traumatic growth in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Multiple chemical sensitivity caused by exposure to ignition coal fumes: a case report.

Psychobiotics: a novel class of psychotropic.

[Review of the effects of mindfulness meditation on mental and physical health and its mechanisms of action].

Neurocardiogenic syncope and associated conditions: insight into autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in the treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - a clinical audit.

Self-regulatory fatigue in chronic multisymptom illnesses: scale development, fatigue, and self-control.

Exercise and sleep deprivation do not change cytokine expression levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Caught in the thickness of brain fog: exploring the cognitive symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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

Role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in atopic dermatitis.

Continuous stress promotes expression of VGF in melanotroph via suppression of dopamine.

Anti depressant activity of Mamsyadi Kwatha: An Ayurvedic compound formulation.

Assessment of intracellular cytokines and regulatory cells in patients with autoimmune diseases and primary immunodeficiencies - novel tool for diagnostics and patient follow-up.

A metagenomic approach to investigate the microbial causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: moving beyond XMRV.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the duodenum of individuals diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis are uniquely immunoreactive to antibodies to human endogenous retroviral proteins.

Somatic symptoms in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

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

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Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

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