ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5161–5180 of 6,164 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Immunological aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lorusso, Lorenzo, Mikhaylova, Svetlana V, Capelli, Enrica et al.·Autoimmunity reviews·2009

This review examines how the immune system may be involved in ME/CFS. Researchers have found that people with ME/CFS often have unusual patterns in immune cells and signaling molecules called cytokines, particularly higher levels of inflammatory markers. These immune system changes might explain some of the main symptoms, like fatigue and flu-like feelings, though the exact role these changes play in causing the disease remains unclear.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Clinical impact of B-cell depletion with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary case series.

Fluge, Øystein, Mella, Olav·BMC neurology·2009

This study examined whether a drug called rituximab, which reduces B cells (a type of immune cell), could help ME/CFS patients. Three ME/CFS patients received rituximab infusions and all experienced significant symptom improvement lasting several months. When symptoms returned, patients were retreated and improved again, suggesting that B cells may play a role in ME/CFS for at least some patients.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Fixed belief in cognitive dysfunction despite normal neuropsychological scores: neurocognitive hypochondriasis?

Boone, Kyle Brauer·The Clinical neuropsychologist·2009

Some people with ME/CFS report serious cognitive problems in their daily life, but when given standard memory and thinking tests, their scores are completely normal. This study presents one case and suggests that some patients may worry excessively about cognitive problems that aren't actually measurable on formal tests—a condition the author calls 'neurocognitive hypochondriasis.' The study notes this pattern may occur in ME/CFS and several other conditions.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

[Activity of hypotnalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by induction of experimental chronic fatigue syndrom].

Fomicheva, E E, Filatenkova, T A, Rybakina, E G·Rossiiskii fiziologicheskii zhurnal imeni I.M. Sechenova·2009

Researchers used an animal model to study how ME/CFS might affect the stress hormone system in the body. They gave rats a substance that mimics a viral infection, then tested whether the animals' adrenal glands (which produce cortisol, the main stress hormone) still responded normally. They found that the stress hormone system became less responsive, suggesting that an infection-like trigger could disrupt how the body regulates stress hormones.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Postulated vasoactive neuropeptide immunopathology affecting the blood-brain/blood-spinal barrier in certain neuropsychiatric fatigue-related conditions: A role for phosphodiesterase inhibitors in treatment?

Staines, Donald R, Brenu, Ekua W, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya·Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment·2009

This paper proposes that ME/CFS, along with MS, Parkinson's disease, and ALS, may involve immune system problems affecting the protective barriers around the brain and spinal cord. Specifically, the authors suggest that certain signaling molecules called PACAP and VIP, which normally help maintain these barriers, may become targets of autoimmune attack. They propose that a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase inhibitors might help restore normal function by boosting protective immune responses.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

On the question of infectious aetiologies for multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia and the chronic fatigue syndrome and their treatment with antibiotics.

Frykholm, B O·Medical hypotheses·2009

This small pilot study tested whether antibiotics could help patients with severe psychiatric symptoms and ME/CFS, based on the idea that certain bacteria might be involved in these conditions. Two ME/CFS patients received 60 days of antibiotics combined with vitamin B injections; one reported complete recovery and one reported significant improvement at the one-year follow-up.

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM not requiredGuideline

Chronic fatigue syndrome: aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.

Avellaneda Fernández, Alfredo, Pérez Martín, Alvaro, Izquierdo Martínez, Maravillas et al.·BMC psychiatry·2009

ME/CFS is a serious condition marked by extreme exhaustion that lasts at least six months and doesn't improve with rest. The fatigue is so severe that it can force people to reduce their daily activities by half or more. Doctors don't yet have a single test to diagnose it, so they diagnose it by ruling out other illnesses. There is currently no cure, but treatment works best when doctors, mental health professionals, and social support services work together to help patients.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not required

Using a DVD to help people with chronic fatigue syndrome learn the technique of pacing.

Weston, Sarah, Townsend, Stella·Nursing times·2009

A specialist rehabilitation team in Shropshire created a DVD and booklet to teach people with ME/CFS about pacing—a technique that involves carefully balancing rest and activity to manage fatigue. This resource was designed to help patients better understand and practice pacing in their daily lives. The team found that these educational materials helped them support their patients more effectively.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways underpinning chronic fatigue, somatization and psychosomatic symptoms.

Maes, Michael·Current opinion in psychiatry·2009

This review examines how inflammation and stress on cells (caused by harmful molecules) may explain ME/CFS symptoms. The authors argue that various triggers—like infections, stress, intense exercise, and a 'leaky gut'—can activate these inflammatory pathways inside cells, leading to the pain, fatigue, muscle tension, and other symptoms that ME/CFS patients experience. They suggest that treating these inflammatory pathways could help develop new medicines for ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

When a parent is chronically ill: chronic fatigue syndrome.

Donalek, Julie G·Nursing research·2009

This study interviewed 8 parents with ME/CFS and their family members to understand how the illness affects everyone at home. Families described struggling to get a diagnosis, dealing with changed roles and responsibilities, losing income, feeling isolated, and trying to maintain normal family life despite ongoing uncertainty about the illness.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Secondary structural changes of proteins in fingernails of chronic fatigue syndrome patients from Fourier-transform infrared spectra.

Sakudo, Akikazu, Kuratsune, Hirohiko, Kato, Yukiko Hakariya et al.·Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry·2009

Researchers used a special infrared scanner to examine fingernails from people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy people's nails. They found that the proteins in ME/CFS patients' nails had different structures—specifically, the nails showed less of a protein structure called alpha-helix and more of a structure called beta-sheet. This suggests that ME/CFS may cause measurable changes in nail composition that could potentially be detected with this scanning technology.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia the same? Implications for the provision of appropriate mental health intervention.

McKay, P G, Duffy, T, Martin, C R·Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing·2009

This review examines whether ME/CFS and fibromyalgia are actually the same condition or two different diseases. Both conditions cause fatigue and pain, and both often come with mental health challenges like depression or anxiety. The authors suggest that these conditions might share the same root cause, yet doctors currently treat them quite differently, which could affect the mental health support patients receive.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Immunologic disturbances can explain chronic fatigue syndrome. Biological findings point towards somatogenesis].

Gottfries, Carl-Gerhard, Matousek, Michael, Zachrisson, Olof·Lakartidningen·2009

This review article examines how problems with the immune system may explain why people with ME/CFS experience persistent fatigue and other symptoms. The authors argue that biological evidence supports the idea that ME/CFS is a real physical illness rather than a psychological one, with immune system disturbances playing a central role in the condition.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Practice Nurses' views of their role in the management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalagic Encephalitis: a qualitative study.

Chew-Graham, Carolyn, Dixon, Rebecca, Shaw, Jonathan W et al.·BMC nursing·2009

This study asked 29 practice nurses (nurses who work in doctor's offices) about their understanding and views of ME/CFS. The researchers found that most nurses knew very little about ME/CFS, had not received formal training, and some held negative attitudes toward the condition. While nurses thought they could help manage ME/CFS patients, they often didn't understand the best evidence-based treatments available.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Q Fever in Tunisia].

Kaabia, N, Letaief, A·Pathologie-biologie·2009

Q fever is an infection caused by bacteria from animals that spreads to humans, usually through breathing contaminated air. While most people infected have no symptoms or mild flu-like illness, some can develop a chronic form that includes long-term fatigue. This review examines how common Q fever is in Tunisia and why doctors there often miss or misdiagnose it.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Functional somatic syndrome in dental practice].

Inamitsu, Tetsuaki·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2009

Many people experience pain and discomfort in their face, jaw, and mouth that doctors and dentists cannot easily explain with standard tests. This review discusses how conditions like temporomandibular disorder (jaw pain), burning mouth syndrome, and facial pain are related to each other and to broader conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. These conditions often occur alongside anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, and treating them effectively requires a team approach including medication, physical therapy, and counseling.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Why myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may kill you: disorders in the inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways may explain cardiovascular disorders in ME/CFS.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank Nm·Neuro endocrinology letters·2009

This review examines why people with ME/CFS may develop heart problems earlier than others. The researchers found that ME/CFS involves abnormal inflammation and oxidative stress (damage from harmful molecules in the body), along with low levels of protective antioxidants. These biological changes can damage the heart and blood vessels, potentially explaining why some ME/CFS patients experience heart failure at much younger ages than the general population.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome and complement activation.

Geller, Robert Dennis, Giclas, Patricia C·BMJ case reports·2009

This report follows one patient who developed ME/CFS after a severe Epstein-Barr virus infection. Standard medical tests came back normal, but when doctors tested for complement activation (part of the immune system's inflammatory response), they found it was abnormally active. The patient remained unwell for about 2 years while showing these signs of complement activation, then recovered.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Functional somatic syndromes from the view of cultural anthropology].

Nakagami, Ayako, Tsujiuchi, Takuya·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2009

This study explains how culture and society shape the way people experience and describe illnesses like ME/CFS. The authors point out that doctors and patients often understand illness differently—doctors focus on what they can measure (disease), while patients focus on how the illness affects their daily life (illness). Understanding these different viewpoints can help doctors and patients communicate better and work together.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

A gene signature for post-infectious chronic fatigue syndrome.

Gow, John W, Hagan, Suzanne, Herzyk, Pawel et al.·BMC medical genomics·2009

This study looked at whether certain genes are turned on or off differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers examined blood cells from 8 men with post-infectious ME/CFS and 7 healthy men, testing the activity of nearly 39,000 genes. They found that 366 genes were expressed differently between the two groups, particularly in areas related to immune function, oxidative stress, and cell death.

Immune System

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Evidence browser

Immunological aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical impact of B-cell depletion with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary case series.

Fixed belief in cognitive dysfunction despite normal neuropsychological scores: neurocognitive hypochondriasis?

[Activity of hypotnalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by induction of experimental chronic fatigue syndrom].

Postulated vasoactive neuropeptide immunopathology affecting the blood-brain/blood-spinal barrier in certain neuropsychiatric fatigue-related conditions: A role for phosphodiesterase inhibitors in treatment?

On the question of infectious aetiologies for multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia and the chronic fatigue syndrome and their treatment with antibiotics.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.

Using a DVD to help people with chronic fatigue syndrome learn the technique of pacing.

Inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways underpinning chronic fatigue, somatization and psychosomatic symptoms.

When a parent is chronically ill: chronic fatigue syndrome.

Secondary structural changes of proteins in fingernails of chronic fatigue syndrome patients from Fourier-transform infrared spectra.

Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia the same? Implications for the provision of appropriate mental health intervention.

[Immunologic disturbances can explain chronic fatigue syndrome. Biological findings point towards somatogenesis].

Practice Nurses' views of their role in the management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalagic Encephalitis: a qualitative study.

[Q Fever in Tunisia].

[Functional somatic syndrome in dental practice].

Why myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may kill you: disorders in the inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways may explain cardiovascular disorders in ME/CFS.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and complement activation.

[Functional somatic syndromes from the view of cultural anthropology].

A gene signature for post-infectious chronic fatigue syndrome.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research