ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

541–560 of 6,122 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Interventions for the treatment, management and rehabilitation of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an updated systematic review.

Chambers, Duncan, Bagnall, Anne-Marie, Hempel, Susanne et al.·Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine·2006

This review looked at 70 studies to find out which treatments help people with ME/CFS. The researchers found that two talking therapies—cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise therapy—showed the most promise for reducing symptoms and helping people function better. For most other treatments tested, there wasn't enough clear evidence that they worked, and some caused unwanted side effects.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Mercury amalgam dental fillings: an epidemiologic assessment.

Bates, Michael N·International journal of hygiene and environmental health·2006

This 2006 review examined whether mercury released from dental amalgam fillings is associated with chronic diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome. The authors found little evidence that amalgam fillings cause general chronic disease or chronic fatigue syndrome, though they noted that most existing studies have significant limitations and better research is needed.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy for symptom syndromes.

Jackson, Jeffrey L, O'Malley, Patrick G, Kroenke, Kurt·CNS spectrums·2006

This review looked at research on whether antidepressant medications and talking therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT) help with long-lasting physical symptoms like pain and fatigue. The researchers examined studies on 11 different conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that CBT was the most consistently helpful treatment, while antidepressants showed mixed results depending on the specific condition.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Prins, Judith B, van der Meer, Jos W M, Bleijenberg, Gijs·Lancet (London, England)·2006

This review examines the major debates and disagreements about ME/CFS that have occurred over the past 20 years among doctors, researchers, and patients. The authors discuss questions about how ME/CFS is defined, how it is diagnosed, what causes it, and what treatments work best. They suggest that future research should study ME/CFS alongside other similar conditions and use new tools from neuroscience and genetics to better understand the illness.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in chronic disease.

Pedersen, B K, Saltin, B·Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2006

This 2006 systematic review gathered evidence on how exercise therapy may be associated with improvements in various chronic diseases, including metabolic disorders, heart and lung diseases, joint diseases, and cancer. The authors reviewed findings across multiple disease areas to outline principles for prescribing exercise safely and effectively. However, this is a narrative review summarizing existing literature rather than a new study, so the certainty of any single finding depends on the original studies reviewed.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Systematic review of multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans.

Thomas, Hollie V, Stimpson, Nicola J, Weightman, Alison L et al.·Psychological medicine·2006

This review examined 23 studies comparing health problems in Gulf War veterans to people who were not deployed. Veterans who served in the Gulf War were nearly 4 times more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome and about 3.5 times more likely to report multiple chemical sensitivities or other multi-symptom illnesses. The review suggests that deployment to the Gulf War is connected with higher rates of these conditions.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.

Maquet, D, Demoulin, C, Crielaard, J M·Annales de readaptation et de medecine physique : revue scientifique de la Societe francaise de reeducation fonctionnelle de readaptation et de medecine physique·2006

This review examined all available research about ME/CFS to understand what we know about the condition. Researchers found that ME/CFS affects between 0.2% and 0.7% of people and that despite decades of research into possible causes like infections, immune problems, and hormonal imbalances, we still don't fully understand what causes the illness. Treatment should combine physical rehabilitation with psychological support to address the whole person.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

A systematic review describing the prognosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cairns, R, Hotopf, M·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review looked at 28 studies about how ME/CFS progresses over time. Researchers found that full recovery without treatment is uncommon (about 5%), but roughly 4 out of 10 patients did improve their symptoms. People who had milder fatigue to start with, felt they could control their symptoms, and didn't believe their illness was purely physical tended to have better outcomes.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rimes, K A, Chalder, T·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review looked at different ways to treat chronic fatigue syndrome by examining studies on therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (talking therapy that helps change thought patterns), graded exercise therapy (gradually increasing physical activity), medications, immune treatments, and supplements. The most helpful treatments found were cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy, though many other treatments need more research. Occupational health doctors may be able to help patients manage their symptoms and return to work.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Genetic factors in neuromuscular pain.

Buskila, Dan, Neumann, Lily, Press, Joseph·CNS spectrums·2005

This review examined whether ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and related chronic pain conditions share genetic roots. Researchers looked at recent studies suggesting that genes involved in serotonin and dopamine—brain chemicals that affect mood and pain—may make some people more likely to develop these conditions. The review also highlights that environmental triggers (like infections or stress) likely play a role in people who are genetically predisposed.

Pain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the need for subtypes.

Jason, Leonard A, Corradi, Karina, Torres-Harding, Susan et al.·Neuropsychology review·2005

ME/CFS is a complex condition that affects people in different ways, and researchers found that treating it as one single disease may not be helpful. This review shows that patients with ME/CFS have different combinations of symptoms, different levels of disability, and different biological markers (measurable signs in the body), suggesting the condition should be divided into subtypes. Just like how different patients with diabetes or heart disease need different treatment approaches, ME/CFS patients might benefit from being grouped into categories so doctors can provide more targeted care.

Diagnostics

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ranjith, G·Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2005

This review examined research on how common ME/CFS is in different populations and what factors might be linked to it. While fatigue itself is very common, ME/CFS is actually quite rare. Interestingly, some patterns seen in specialist clinics (like who gets sick) don't always match what researchers find when they study the general population.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Post-Lyme borreliosis syndrome: a meta-analysis of reported symptoms.

Cairns, Victoria, Godwin, Jon·International journal of epidemiology·2005

This study looked at patients who had Lyme disease and found that many experienced long-lasting fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and thinking difficulties even after antibiotic treatment. Researchers combined results from five previous studies comparing Lyme disease patients to healthy controls and found these symptoms were significantly more common in the Lyme disease group. The symptom pattern was notably different from other conditions like fibromyalgia or depression.

Cognitive ImpairmentPain and Sensitization

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Physical activity for secondary prevention of disease. Systematic reviews of randomised clinical trials.

Karmisholt, Katrine, Gøtzsche, Peter C·Danish medical bulletin·2005

A 2005 systematic review examined whether physical activity helps prevent disease progression in people with various chronic conditions. The researchers found that exercise was associated with improved outcomes in some diseases (such as heart disease and osteoarthritis of the knee), but notably, no benefit was observed in a group of conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome. The review emphasizes that more high-quality research is needed to understand both the benefits and potential harms of exercise across different diseases.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

The placebo response in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cho, Hyong Jin, Hotopf, Matthew, Wessely, Simon·Psychosomatic medicine·2005

This study looked at how often ME/CFS patients improve simply from believing they will improve (the placebo effect) in clinical trials. Researchers found that the placebo response in ME/CFS is actually lower than many people assume—only about 20% of patients improved with placebo. Interestingly, patients were less likely to show placebo improvement when the treatment was psychological or psychiatric in nature, possibly because many ME/CFS patients believe their illness is physical rather than mental.

Interventions

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredEditorial

Medically unexplained symptoms and neuropsychological assessment.

Binder, Laurence M, Campbell, Keith A·Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·2004

This review examines several long-term illnesses—including ME/CFS—where patients experience real symptoms but standard medical tests don't show an obvious cause. The authors found that some patients do have measurable thinking and memory problems, but these may result from a combination of stress, past trauma, and how the body responds to illness rather than from traditional brain disease alone.

Cognitive Impairment

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Reid, Steven, Chalder, Trudie, Cleare, Anthony et al.·Clinical evidence·2004

This review examined what we know about treating chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) by looking at multiple existing studies together. The authors searched medical literature to find which treatments have evidence supporting their use. This systematic review helps doctors and patients understand what treatments have been studied and what the research shows about their effectiveness.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Disability and chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on function.

Ross, Susan D, Estok, Rhonda P, Frame, Diana et al.·Archives of internal medicine·2004

Researchers reviewed 37 studies about how ME/CFS affects people's ability to work. They found that most people with ME/CFS in these studies were unemployed. Surprisingly, depression was the only factor clearly linked to job loss, while other symptoms didn't consistently predict employment problems. Only three types of treatment—cognitive behavior therapy, rehabilitation, and exercise—showed promise in helping people return to work.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Psycho-educational interventions for children with chronic disease, parents and siblings: an overview of the research evidence base.

Barlow, J H, Ellard, D R·Child: care, health and development·2004

This review looked at studies testing whether educational and psychological programs help children and teenagers with chronic diseases—including ME/CFS—and their families cope better. The researchers found that programs using cognitive-behavioral techniques (which help people change unhelpful thinking patterns) showed promise for improving things like confidence in managing illness, quality of life, and reducing symptoms like fatigue in ME/CFS patients. However, the review found that most studies were small and didn't always explain their programs clearly.

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The management of fibromyalgia.

Rao, Srinivas G, Clauw, Daniel J·Drugs of today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998)·2004

This guideline reviews how fibromyalgia is managed and notes that it shares similarities with other conditions like ME/CFS, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic headaches. These conditions cause pain that comes from the central nervous system rather than from injured tissue, which means common pain medications like NSAIDs and opioids don't work well. Instead, certain antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, exercise, and talk therapy tend to be more helpful.

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Interventions for the treatment, management and rehabilitation of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an updated systematic review.

Mercury amalgam dental fillings: an epidemiologic assessment.

Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy for symptom syndromes.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in chronic disease.

Systematic review of multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.

A systematic review describing the prognosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Genetic factors in neuromuscular pain.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the need for subtypes.

Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Post-Lyme borreliosis syndrome: a meta-analysis of reported symptoms.

Physical activity for secondary prevention of disease. Systematic reviews of randomised clinical trials.

The placebo response in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Medically unexplained symptoms and neuropsychological assessment.

Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Disability and chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on function.

Psycho-educational interventions for children with chronic disease, parents and siblings: an overview of the research evidence base.

The management of fibromyalgia.

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