ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5241–5260 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Diagnostic and treatment challenges of chronic fatigue syndrome: role of immediate-release methylphenidate.

Valdizán Usón, José Ramón, Idiazábal Alecha, María Angeles·Expert review of neurotherapeutics·2008

This study explores whether a medication called methylphenidate (commonly known as Ritalin) might help people with ME/CFS who experience brain fog, memory problems, and difficulty concentrating. The authors reviewed existing research, including one small study showing positive results, and discussed how this medication works in the brain to boost focus and thinking speed. They suggest methylphenidate could be a promising treatment option worth further investigation for ME/CFS patients.

Cognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Identification of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Saiki, Takuya, Kawai, Tomoko, Morita, Kyoko et al.·Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)·2008

This study looked at blood samples from ME/CFS patients and compared the activity of genes between patients and healthy people. Researchers found 9 genes that showed different activity patterns in ME/CFS patients—genes involved in energy production, immune cell function, and protein breakdown. These 9 genes were able to correctly identify ME/CFS patients about 94% of the time, suggesting they could potentially be useful as a biological test to diagnose the condition.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Self within a climate of contention: Experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Travers, Michele Kerry, Lawler, Jocalyn·Social science & medicine (1982)·2008

This study explored how people with ME/CFS experience their illness and how they cope with it, based on interviews with 19 Australian adults (including 3 who recovered). Researchers found that people with ME/CFS often feel their sense of self is damaged by the illness, and they use two main strategies to manage this: protecting themselves (the Guardian Response) and rebuilding their lives with new meaning (the Reconstructing Response). The study shows that living with ME/CFS involves an ongoing struggle as people balance these coping strategies depending on how severe their symptoms are at any given time.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Anaesthesia for patients with idiopathic environmental intolerance and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fisher, M McD, Rose, M·British journal of anaesthesia·2008

This study looked at how anesthesia should be safely given to ME/CFS patients undergoing surgery. Researchers found that while some patients experienced side effects after anesthesia, these were not severe allergic reactions and were usually temporary. The study suggests that doctors can use standard anesthesia techniques for ME/CFS patients, simply avoiding any drugs the patient has previously reacted badly to.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The tired teen: A review of the assessment and management of the adolescent with sleepiness and fatigue.

Findlay, Sheri M·Paediatrics & child health·2008

This review examines why teenagers feel tired and sleepy, and how doctors can help. Many teens experience sleepiness or fatigue, but the authors found that most cases are caused by not getting enough sleep rather than serious medical conditions. The review emphasizes that doctors need to thoroughly evaluate each teen's situation, as underlying medical problems are rarely discovered.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryPEM unclear

Individuals' experience of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Arroll, Megan A, Senior, Victoria·Psychology & health·2008

This study asked eight people with ME/CFS to describe their personal experience of the illness through telephone interviews. Researchers found that patients experience their symptoms in complex ways, with fatigue, pain, and other problems affecting their daily lives in varying patterns. An important discovery was that receiving a diagnosis, while helpful, didn't necessarily make the journey easier—patients continued to struggle with understanding and managing their condition.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

An extended concept of altered self: chronic fatigue and post-infection syndromes.

Jones, James F·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2008

This paper proposes that ME/CFS and post-infection fatigue may develop when the brain's ability to sense and respond to the body becomes stuck in a protective 'sickness mode' even after the infection has cleared. Rather than being a true ongoing disease, the authors suggest it may be an altered state where the brain continues to trigger immune and stress responses as if the body is still fighting an infection, causing ongoing fatigue and other symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Bayesian biomarker identification based on marker-expression proteomics data.

Bhattacharjee, M, Botting, C H, Sillanpää, M J·Genomics·2008

This study developed statistical methods to find biological markers (biomarkers) that could help identify and diagnose ME/CFS. The researchers used blood protein measurements and genetic information from ME/CFS patients to find which markers are most closely linked to the disease. Finding these biomarkers is important because ME/CFS is currently hard to diagnose and measure, and having reliable biological tests could change that.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Kinesiophobia and symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome: a psychometric study of two questionnaires.

Nijs, Jo, Thielemans, Alice·Psychology and psychotherapy·2008

This study tested two questionnaires designed to measure fear of movement (called kinesiophobia) and symptom severity in ME/CFS patients. Researchers asked 100 Dutch speakers and 48 French speakers with ME/CFS to fill out these questionnaires twice within 24 hours. Both questionnaires worked reliably in both languages and accurately captured what patients said were their most important symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The potential toxicity of artificial sweeteners.

Whitehouse, Christina R, Boullata, Joseph, McCauley, Linda A·AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses·2008

This article reviews what we know about artificial sweeteners—sugar substitutes used in diet drinks and other products. Scientists have debated whether these sweeteners are safe, and some have suggested links to various diseases including chronic fatigue syndrome, though the evidence is mixed. The authors provide an overview of different types of sweeteners, how they work in the body, and what research shows so far.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: characteristics and possible causes for its pathogenesis.

Bassi, Nicola, Amital, Daniela, Amital, Howard et al.·The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ·2008

This review examines multiple biological abnormalities that might explain ME/CFS symptoms. Researchers found evidence that the immune system may not work properly in ME/CFS patients, with potential problems in natural killer cells, antibody levels, and inflammatory markers. The study also suggests that certain autoantibodies and problems with chemical messengers in the nervous system might contribute to fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

A train-the-trainer education and promotion program: chronic fatigue syndrome--a diagnostic and management challenge.

Brimmer, Dana J, McCleary, K Kimberly, Lupton, Teresa A et al.·BMC medical education·2008

This study tested whether training primary care doctors about ME/CFS could help more patients get diagnosed and treated. Researchers trained 79 doctors and nurse practitioners to recognize and manage ME/CFS, and these trained providers then taught over 2,000 other healthcare workers. The training improved doctors' knowledge and confidence in diagnosing ME/CFS, showing that education programs can help address the problem of missed diagnoses.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Neuroactive steroids and fatigue severity in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and hepatitis C.

Ahboucha, S, Butterworth, R F, Pomier-Layrargues, G et al.·Neurogastroenterology and motility·2008

This study looked at whether certain brain chemicals called neuroactive steroids might explain why people with liver disease feel extremely tired. Researchers measured these chemicals in patients with two types of liver disease and compared them to healthy people. They found that patients with liver disease had higher levels of these chemicals, and those with the most fatigue had the highest levels.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Intracellular immune dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: state of the art and therapeutic implications.

Nijs, Jo, Frémont, Marc·Expert opinion on therapeutic targets·2008

This review examines how the immune system's internal functions may be broken in ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that a specific immune protein called RNase L appears to be damaged in people with this illness, and this damage may be connected to why patients have low natural killer cell function and poor exercise tolerance. The authors suggest that targeting this damaged protein pathway could be a promising new treatment approach.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Gene profiling of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Kerr, Jonathan R·Current rheumatology reports·2008

Researchers used gene testing to look at which genes are turned on or off differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. They found 88 genes with different activity levels, mostly related to immune function and infection fighting. Importantly, they discovered that ME/CFS patients appear to fall into at least seven different subtypes based on their gene patterns, suggesting that ME/CFS may not be one single disease but rather several related conditions that might need different treatments.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Clinical neurophysiology of fatigue.

Zwarts, M J, Bleijenberg, G, van Engelen, B G M·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2008

This review explains what fatigue is and how doctors can measure it in patients with nerve and muscle disorders. Fatigue has both physical and mental components, and scientists can assess it using muscle tests, electrical measurements, and questionnaires. The study found that in many neurological conditions, fatigue comes mainly from problems with how the brain activates muscles, rather than from the muscles themselves.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

[Contentious diseases--a medico-social phenomenon from an insurance medicine perspective].

Regenauer, A·Versicherungsmedizin·2008

This article examines a group of conditions—including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and others—that are difficult to diagnose with standard medical tests and have become controversial in healthcare and insurance systems. The author explores why these illnesses are questioned by insurers, what they have in common, and why cases are increasing in Western societies. The paper aims to help insurance companies better understand these conditions rather than dismiss them as imaginary.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Teaching medical students about medically unexplained illnesses: a preliminary study.

Friedberg, Fred, Sohl, Stephanie J, Halperin, Peter J·Medical teacher·2008

Researchers taught 45 medical students about ME/CFS and fibromyalgia in a 90-minute class and then measured whether their attitudes changed. After the class, students had significantly more favorable views about ME/CFS—they were more likely to support research funding, believe employers should offer flexibility to patients, and recognize that ME/CFS is not primarily a psychological condition.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Evidence of inflammatory immune signaling in chronic fatigue syndrome: A pilot study of gene expression in peripheral blood.

Aspler, Anne L, Bolshin, Carly, Vernon, Suzanne D et al.·Behavioral and brain functions : BBF·2008

This study looked at blood samples from 111 women to see if people with ME/CFS have different patterns of immune cell activity compared to healthy controls. Researchers found that certain immune cells—particularly B cells and neutrophils—showed unusual patterns of communication with each other in ME/CFS patients. These findings suggest the body's immune system is stuck in an activated state, which could explain why people with ME/CFS experience persistent fatigue and symptoms.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Comorbid somatic symptoms and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: sensory amplification as a common mechanism.

Geisser, Michael E, Strader Donnell, Cathy, Petzke, Frank et al.·Psychosomatics·2008

This study looked at why people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS experience so many body symptoms. Researchers found that both conditions may share a common problem: the nervous system amplifies sensory signals, making pain and other sensations feel stronger than they might to other people. This heightened sensitivity to stimulation appears to be a key reason why these conditions affect daily functioning, and this mechanism seems separate from depression.

Pain and Sensitization

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Evidence browser

Diagnostic and treatment challenges of chronic fatigue syndrome: role of immediate-release methylphenidate.

Identification of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Self within a climate of contention: Experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Anaesthesia for patients with idiopathic environmental intolerance and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The tired teen: A review of the assessment and management of the adolescent with sleepiness and fatigue.

Individuals' experience of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

An extended concept of altered self: chronic fatigue and post-infection syndromes.

Bayesian biomarker identification based on marker-expression proteomics data.

Kinesiophobia and symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome: a psychometric study of two questionnaires.

The potential toxicity of artificial sweeteners.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: characteristics and possible causes for its pathogenesis.

A train-the-trainer education and promotion program: chronic fatigue syndrome--a diagnostic and management challenge.

Neuroactive steroids and fatigue severity in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and hepatitis C.

Intracellular immune dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: state of the art and therapeutic implications.

Gene profiling of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Clinical neurophysiology of fatigue.

[Contentious diseases--a medico-social phenomenon from an insurance medicine perspective].

Teaching medical students about medically unexplained illnesses: a preliminary study.

Evidence of inflammatory immune signaling in chronic fatigue syndrome: A pilot study of gene expression in peripheral blood.

Comorbid somatic symptoms and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: sensory amplification as a common mechanism.

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