ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5101–5120 of 6,211 studies

Decades of delayed diagnosis in 4 levodopa-responsive young-onset monogenetic parkinsonism patients.

Ling, Helen, Braschinsky, Mark, Taba, Pille et al.·Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2011

This study describes four young patients who were initially misdiagnosed with psychological movement disorders or chronic fatigue syndrome, but actually had a genetic form of Parkinson's disease. Their misdiagnosis lasted 10 to 23 years before the correct diagnosis was made. Once they received the correct treatment with levodopa medication, they all improved significantly, showing that the right diagnosis and treatment can make a major difference.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Sleep and fatigue in mice infected with murine gammaherpesvirus 68.

Olivadoti, Melissa D, Weinberg, Jason B, Toth, Linda A et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2011

Researchers infected mice with a virus similar to one that has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome in humans. They found that infected mice showed fatigue-like symptoms (reduced activity, altered sleep and body temperature) during the first 1-2 weeks of infection. Notably, when these mice were given a bacterial toxin challenge a month later, they had much stronger and longer-lasting reactions than uninfected mice, suggesting that latent viral infection may make the body oversensitive to future immune challenges.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Depression's multiple comorbidities explained by (neuro)inflammatory and oxidative & nitrosative stress pathways.

Maes, Michael, Kubera, Marta, Obuchowiczwa, Ewa et al.·Neuro endocrinology letters·2011

This review explains why depression often occurs alongside many other diseases, including ME/CFS, autoimmune conditions, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. The common link appears to be activation of inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways in both the brain and body. These pathways may act like a 'warning system' that produces depression symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and physical discomfort when the body detects a threat.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredObservational

Supervised selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cifuentes, Ricardo A, Barreto, Emiliano·Biomedica : revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud·2011

This study examined whether specific genetic variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) could help predict who has ME/CFS. Researchers used a mathematical approach to identify the most useful genetic markers and found a combination of two genetic variants that correctly identified ME/CFS in about 73% of cases. When this genetic profile was combined with specific symptoms like muscle pain or sinus problems, the accuracy improved to over 87%.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

XMRV Discovery and Prostate Cancer-Related Research.

Kang, David E, Lee, Michael C, Das Gupta, Jaydip et al.·Advances in virology·2011

This review discusses XMRV, a virus discovered in 2006 that researchers initially thought might be connected to both prostate cancer and ME/CFS. Scientists around the world have conducted studies to see if this virus is present in patients with these conditions, but results have been inconsistent. A major problem has been contamination in laboratories, where mouse-based materials and the virus itself were often present, making it difficult to know if the virus was really there or just a lab artifact.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

Challenges of nurse delivery of psychological interventions for long-term conditions in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the case of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis.

Peters, Sarah, Wearden, Alison, Morriss, Richard et al.·Implementation science : IS·2011

This study looked at what happens when nurses without specialist psychology training deliver talking therapies to ME/CFS patients in regular doctor's offices. Researchers interviewed nurses, their supervisors, and 46 patients to understand the challenges that came up. They found four main problems: nurses were new to doing therapy work, patients were sometimes reluctant to engage with the treatment approach, nurses struggled with managing emotional conversations, and the primary care setting itself created complications.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

DNA extraction columns contaminated with murine sequences.

Erlwein, Otto, Robinson, Mark J, Dustan, Simon et al.·PloS one·2011

Researchers discovered that the plastic columns used to extract and purify DNA in laboratory tests were contaminated with mouse DNA sequences. When they used these contaminated columns and ran sensitive DNA detection tests, they got false positive results that looked like they had found viral sequences (XMRV) when they actually hadn't. This is important because some earlier studies claimed to find XMRV in ME/CFS patients, but this contamination problem means those results may have been unreliable.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Pain neurophysiology education improves cognitions, pain thresholds, and movement performance in people with chronic whiplash: a pilot study.

Van Oosterwijck, Jessica, Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira et al.·Journal of rehabilitation research and development·2011

This small study tested whether teaching patients with chronic neck pain from whiplash about how pain works in the body could help them feel better. Six patients received this education, and researchers found that afterward, patients had less fear of movement, used healthier coping strategies, reported less disability, and could move their necks with less pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Adrenal histoplasmosis: a case series and review of the literature.

Larbcharoensub, Noppadol, Boonsakan, Paisarn, Aroonroch, Rangsima et al.·The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health·2011

This study describes seven cases of a rare fungal infection (histoplasmosis) that affected the adrenal glands—small organs that help manage stress and energy in the body. All patients experienced chronic fatigue as their main symptom, and most recovered after treatment. While this infection is uncommon, it shows that certain fungal infections can cause fatigue-like illness and should be considered when evaluating patients with unexplained chronic tiredness.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Presence of murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus gene sequences in a commercial RT-PCR reagent.

Wolff, Dietmar, Gerritzen, Andreas·Clinical laboratory·2011

Researchers were trying to develop a test to detect a virus (MLV-related virus) that some studies claimed was found in ME/CFS patients. However, they discovered that their test was giving false positive results—meaning it was detecting the virus when it wasn't actually there. The problem came from contamination in a commercial reagent (a chemical kit) they were using, which helps explain why different research groups were getting different results.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Classifying medication use in clinical research.

Rizzo, Dorrie, Creti, Laura, Bailes, Sally et al.·Journal of primary care & community health·2011

Researchers created a simple system for organizing and grouping the medicines that patients take during medical studies. They tested this organizational method on patients with ME/CFS and sleep apnea to see if different groups of patients tend to take different combinations of medications. They found five main medicine categories, and importantly, the pattern of medicines taken by ME/CFS patients was quite different from sleep apnea patients, possibly reflecting different views about what causes these conditions.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

An Etiological Model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Sorenson, Matthew, Porter, Nicole et al.·Neuroscience and medicine·2011

This study proposes that ME/CFS may develop through a process called 'kindling,' where the brain becomes increasingly sensitive to stress after repeated infections or injuries. Think of it like a fire alarm that has been triggered so many times it stays in an oversensitive state. Once this happens, the brain's stress system stays highly activated even without new triggers, which could explain why ME/CFS patients have such persistent symptoms.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Readability of patient and health care professional targeted dietary supplement leaflets used for diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clauson, Kevin A, Zeng-Treitler, Qing, Kandula, Sasikiran·Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)·2010

This study examined whether instruction sheets about dietary supplements for diabetes and ME/CFS are written in a way that patients can easily understand. Researchers found that most of these leaflets are written at a college level (13th grade), far harder than the recommended 6th-grade level. This difficulty may make it harder for patients to understand important information and follow recommendations.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

A new hypothesis of chronic fatigue syndrome: co-conditioning theory.

Tanaka, Masaaki, Watanabe, Yasuyoshi·Medical hypotheses·2010

This article proposes a new theory about how ME/CFS might develop: repeated overwork or stress could train your body and brain to respond with fatigue and an urge to rest, similar to how habits form. The authors suggest that once this pattern becomes established, your body may continue producing fatigue even when you're no longer overworking. This theory could eventually lead to new ways of treating ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

EEG findings in burnout patients.

van Luijtelaar, Gilles, Verbraak, Marc, van den Bunt, Martijn et al.·The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences·2010

This study used brain wave recordings (EEG) to look for physical markers that could help identify burnout as a distinct condition. Researchers found that people with burnout showed different brain wave patterns compared to healthy people, including reduced activity in certain frequency bands. The findings suggest burnout may have measurable brain differences that set it apart from depression and chronic fatigue.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an update.

Capelli, E, Zola, R, Lorusso, L et al.·International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology·2010

ME/CFS is a serious illness of unknown cause that affects about 1 in every 100 people worldwide, with women affected six times more often than men. Most people develop it between ages 20-40, and symptoms typically last several years. While doctors don't yet have a cure, treatment focuses on managing individual symptoms to help patients improve their quality of life.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Harvey and Wessely's (bio)psychosocial model versus a bio(psychosocial) model based on inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank N M·BMC medicine·2010

This study compares two different ways of understanding ME/CFS. One model suggests the illness is mainly caused by how the mind and behavior interact with the body, and proposes treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise. The other model focuses on biological problems like inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. The authors argue that the biological model better explains ME/CFS and that exercise-based treatments could actually make some patients worse.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Susceptibility of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) to retroviral restriction factors.

Groom, Harriet C T, Yap, Melvyn W, Galão, Rui Pedro et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2010

Scientists studied a virus called XMRV that had been linked to ME/CFS to understand how it survives in human cells. They discovered that the body's natural antiviral defense proteins can block this virus, but XMRV does not appear to have developed ways to escape these defenses like some other viruses do. This finding helps researchers understand which cells XMRV can infect and how to design better laboratory studies of this virus.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

The PRIME project: developing a patient evidence-base.

Staniszewska, Sophie, Crowe, Sally, Badenoch, Douglas et al.·Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy·2010

The PRIME project created a collection of stories and experiences from 40 people with ME/CFS to help researchers and doctors better understand what it's really like to live with this condition. Instead of just looking at test results and medical costs, this study captured patients' own descriptions of their symptoms, daily challenges, and how the illness affects their lives. The researchers organized all these personal experiences into themes that can be used to guide future ME/CFS research in ways that matter most to patients.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in adults: a qualitative study of perspectives from professional practice.

Horton, Simon M C, Poland, Fiona, Kale, Swati et al.·BMC family practice·2010

This study spoke with six healthcare providers who were praised by ME/CFS patients for being helpful and understanding. The researchers asked these doctors and specialists what they thought worked best when treating ME/CFS. The key finding was that patients benefit most from doctors who truly listen, show respect, build trust, and recognize how serious and complex the condition is—rather than those who dismiss or minimize ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

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Evidence browser

Decades of delayed diagnosis in 4 levodopa-responsive young-onset monogenetic parkinsonism patients.

Sleep and fatigue in mice infected with murine gammaherpesvirus 68.

Depression's multiple comorbidities explained by (neuro)inflammatory and oxidative & nitrosative stress pathways.

Supervised selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms in chronic fatigue syndrome.

XMRV Discovery and Prostate Cancer-Related Research.

Challenges of nurse delivery of psychological interventions for long-term conditions in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the case of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis.

DNA extraction columns contaminated with murine sequences.

Pain neurophysiology education improves cognitions, pain thresholds, and movement performance in people with chronic whiplash: a pilot study.

Adrenal histoplasmosis: a case series and review of the literature.

Presence of murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus gene sequences in a commercial RT-PCR reagent.

Classifying medication use in clinical research.

An Etiological Model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Readability of patient and health care professional targeted dietary supplement leaflets used for diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A new hypothesis of chronic fatigue syndrome: co-conditioning theory.

EEG findings in burnout patients.

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an update.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Harvey and Wessely's (bio)psychosocial model versus a bio(psychosocial) model based on inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways.

Susceptibility of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) to retroviral restriction factors.

The PRIME project: developing a patient evidence-base.

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in adults: a qualitative study of perspectives from professional practice.

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