ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5481–5500 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Neural correlates of the chronic fatigue syndrome--an fMRI study.

de Lange, Floris P, Kalkman, Joke S, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al.·Brain : a journal of neurology·2004

This study used brain imaging to compare how people with ME/CFS and healthy people perform simple mental tasks involving imagining movements. People with ME/CFS were slower at these tasks, but their brains showed some differences in how they used certain regions, particularly areas involved in vision and error detection. The findings suggest that ME/CFS may involve problems with how the brain plans movements and processes mistakes.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Altered central nervous system signal during motor performance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Siemionow, Vlodek, Fang, Yin, Calabrese, Leonard et al.·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2004

This study measured brain electrical activity in ME/CFS patients and healthy people while they performed repeated hand-squeezing exercises. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients showed different brain activity patterns—particularly increased slower brain waves and larger electrical signals related to movement control—especially when the exercises became tiring. These brain activity differences might help doctors develop better ways to diagnose ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs).

Adler, Rolf H·Swiss medical weekly·2004

This review examines whether ME/CFS is a single illness or actually several different conditions. The authors found that ME/CFS involves multiple body systems—including the immune system, nervous system, hormones, and muscles—and that psychological factors also play a role. Rather than one disease, they suggest ME/CFS represents the body's emergency stress responses (fight-or-flight and shutdown) being inappropriately activated, and treatment should address the whole person, not just symptoms.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Differential-display PCR of peripheral blood for biomarker discovery in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steinau, Martin, Unger, Elizabeth R, Vernon, Suzanne D et al.·Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)·2004

Researchers looked at immune cells from one ME/CFS patient and one healthy person to find differences in which genes were turned on or off. They found about 10 genes that behaved differently between the two people, with most differences present even before exercise. Many of these genes are involved in immune function, suggesting that ME/CFS may involve problems with how the immune system works.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Patient power and control: a study of women with uncertain illness trajectories.

Asbring, Pia, Närvänen, Anna-Liisa·Qualitative health research·2004

This study interviewed 25 women with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia to understand how they try to take control of their health and interact with doctors. The women described learning about their illness, talking with caregivers, and using different strategies like being firm about their needs or sometimes stepping back from medical care to manage their conditions better.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Mechanisms underlying fatigue: a voxel-based morphometric study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Okada, Tomohisa, Tanaka, Masaaki, Kuratsune, Hirohiko et al.·BMC neurology·2004

This study used brain imaging to compare the brains of people with ME/CFS to healthy individuals. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had smaller gray matter (the thinking part of the brain) in specific areas of the prefrontal cortex, which is the region responsible for decision-making and regulating sensations. Importantly, the amount of shrinkage in one area of the prefrontal cortex matched how severe each person's fatigue was, suggesting this brain region may play a key role in how our bodies experience and manage fatigue.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Unloading the trunk: neurasthenia, CFS and race.

Luthra, A, Wessely, S·Social science & medicine (1982)·2004

This study examines how ME/CFS and its historical predecessor neurasthenia have been discussed in terms of race and ethnicity over the past century. The authors found that there is a pattern of thinking that associates fatigue illnesses with technological 'development' in white countries, and they explore why far fewer non-white patients appear in specialist ME/CFS clinics compared to what you might expect from the general population.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Carnitines and its congeners: a metabolic pathway to the regulation of immune response and inflammation.

Famularo, Giuseppe, De Simone, Claudio, Trinchieri, Vito et al.·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2004

This review discusses carnitine, a natural substance in the body that helps cells produce energy from fats. Carnitine levels are low in several conditions involving immune problems, including ME/CFS. The authors suggest that low carnitine may contribute to immune dysfunction and excessive inflammation, and that carnitine treatment might help restore normal immune function.

Energy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Midodrine treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Naschitz, J, Dreyfuss, D, Yeshurun, D et al.·Postgraduate medical journal·2004

This study reports on one patient with severe ME/CFS who was treated with midodrine, a medication that helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate control. The patient's symptoms of dysautonomia (problems with the autonomic nervous system that controls automatic body functions) improved with this treatment, and their fatigue also improved. This suggests that treating the autonomic nervous system dysfunction may help some people with ME/CFS feel better.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Evaluation and management of medically unexplained physical symptoms.

Richardson, Ralph D, Engel, Charles C·The neurologist·2004

This article reviews research on medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS)—symptoms that persist without clear diagnosis. The authors note that conditions like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and others may be more similar than different, and suggest that helpful treatment involves working closely with doctors to gradually increase activity and develop healthy coping strategies rather than relying only on medications.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Coordinating the norms and values of medical research, medical practice and patient worlds-the ethics of evidence based medicine in orphaned fields of medicine.

Vos, R, Willems, D, Houtepen, R·Journal of medical ethics·2004

This article discusses a serious problem in medicine: some diseases like ME/CFS are studied much less rigorously than common conditions, leaving patients with weak evidence about what works. The authors argue that doctors and patients deserve better research and communication, especially for these neglected diseases. They suggest a new approach called the 'coordination model' that brings together scientists, doctors, and patients to work out fair and ethical solutions.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

[Polyneuritis cranialis HHV-6 infection associated].

Brustia, Diego, Uglietti, Alessia, Garavelli, Pietro Luigi·Recenti progressi in medicina·2004

This case study describes one patient with a rare condition called polyneuritis cranialis (weakness affecting multiple nerves in the head and face) that was linked to a human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection. The patient was treated with an antiviral medication called ganciclovir, and her symptoms improved only after the virus was completely cleared from her body.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Immunologic aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome. Report on a Research Symposium convened by The CFIDS Association of America and co-sponsored by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Gerrity, Timothy R, Papanicolaou, Dimitris A, Amsterdam, Jay D et al.·Neuroimmunomodulation·2004

This report summarizes what experts learned at a major research meeting about how immune system problems might be connected to ME/CFS. The experts found that people with ME/CFS do have immune system changes that look different from healthy people, but they couldn't determine whether these immune problems cause the illness or result from it. The researchers emphasized that understanding ME/CFS requires looking at multiple body systems working together, not just one system in isolation.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: traditional and community-based approaches to rehabilitation.

Taylor, Renee R·Health & social care in the community·2004

This review article examines different ways to help people with ME/CFS improve their functioning and quality of life, since no cure currently exists. The authors look at both traditional rehabilitation methods and newer community-based approaches that use local organizations and real-world settings. They discuss which approaches might work best for different patients and point out both the strengths and weaknesses of the research used to test these treatments.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

An experimental study of determinants of group judgments in clinical guideline development.

Raine, Rosalind, Sanderson, Colin, Hutchings, Andrew et al.·Lancet (London, England)·2004

This study examined how doctors develop medical guidelines by testing whether expert opinions match what research evidence actually shows. Researchers asked different groups of doctors to rate whether certain treatments (like therapy or antidepressants) were appropriate for conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that doctors' judgments agreed with published research only about half the time, and that having a literature review and certain group compositions helped improve accuracy.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Dysautonomia in chronic fatigue syndrome: facts, hypotheses, implications.

Naschitz, Jochanan E, Yeshurun, Daniel, Rosner, Itzhak·Medical hypotheses·2004

This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have problems with their autonomic nervous system—the part that automatically controls heart rate and blood pressure. Researchers found a distinctive pattern of dysautonomia (autonomic dysfunction) in ME/CFS patients that differs from other conditions, and they developed two scoring systems to help identify it. A small pilot study suggested that treating this dysautonomia with a medication called midodrine improved both the autonomic problems and fatigue symptoms.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryPEM not required

[Appraisal of Lyme borreliosis].

Hausotter, W·Versicherungsmedizin·2004

Lyme disease is an infection spread by tick bites that can cause many different symptoms affecting multiple body systems. This article discusses how doctors can better identify and diagnose Lyme disease, especially since its symptoms overlap with conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. People who work outdoors in areas where Lyme disease is common face higher infection risks and may qualify for financial compensation if diagnosed.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Subjective health complaints, sensitization, and sustained cognitive activation (stress).

Eriksen, H R, Ursin, H·Journal of psychosomatic research·2004

This review suggests that common symptoms like pain, tiredness, sleep problems, and digestive issues in conditions like ME/CFS may occur when the body's normal sensing system becomes overly sensitive. Rather than being caused by hidden disease, these symptoms may develop when people experience sustained stress and feel helpless, causing the nervous system to amplify normal bodily signals until they become unbearable.

Pain and SensitizationCognitive Impairment

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia syndrome in women.

Shaver, Joan L·The Nursing clinics of North America·2004

This article reviews fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a condition causing chronic pain and fatigue that affects far more women than men. The authors describe common symptoms and discuss research into what might cause FMS and related conditions like ME/CFS, IBS, and TMD, as well as current treatment options.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Effect of Hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41), a Japanese Herbal Medicine, on Daily Activity in a Murine Model of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Wang, Xin Q, Takahashi, Takashi, Zhu, Shi-Jie et al.·Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM·2004

Researchers tested a Japanese herbal medicine called Hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41) in mice with an experimentally induced condition similar to ME/CFS. Mice treated with the herb showed better activity levels and survived longer than untreated mice, suggesting the herb may help reduce activity loss associated with chronic fatigue-like conditions.

Immune System

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Evidence browser

Neural correlates of the chronic fatigue syndrome--an fMRI study.

Altered central nervous system signal during motor performance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs).

Differential-display PCR of peripheral blood for biomarker discovery in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Patient power and control: a study of women with uncertain illness trajectories.

Mechanisms underlying fatigue: a voxel-based morphometric study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Unloading the trunk: neurasthenia, CFS and race.

Carnitines and its congeners: a metabolic pathway to the regulation of immune response and inflammation.

Midodrine treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evaluation and management of medically unexplained physical symptoms.

Coordinating the norms and values of medical research, medical practice and patient worlds-the ethics of evidence based medicine in orphaned fields of medicine.

[Polyneuritis cranialis HHV-6 infection associated].

Immunologic aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome. Report on a Research Symposium convened by The CFIDS Association of America and co-sponsored by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: traditional and community-based approaches to rehabilitation.

An experimental study of determinants of group judgments in clinical guideline development.

Dysautonomia in chronic fatigue syndrome: facts, hypotheses, implications.

[Appraisal of Lyme borreliosis].

Subjective health complaints, sensitization, and sustained cognitive activation (stress).

Fibromyalgia syndrome in women.

Effect of Hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41), a Japanese Herbal Medicine, on Daily Activity in a Murine Model of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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