ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5661–5680 of 6,211 studies

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredObservational

Hormonal responses to exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ottenweller, J E, Sisto, S A, McCarty, R C et al.·Neuropsychobiology·2001

This study compared how the bodies of ME/CFS patients and healthy people respond to exercise, specifically looking at hormones—chemical messengers that regulate many body functions. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had weaker responses in several key stress hormones (like adrenaline) immediately after exercise, but hormone levels returned to normal by the next day, suggesting that abnormal hormones may not be the main reason why ME/CFS patients feel worse after exertion.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Can fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome be cured by surgery?

Wilke, W S·Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine·2001

This review article examines whether surgery can cure fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The author concludes that surgery is not an effective treatment for these conditions. This is important because some patients and providers have explored surgical approaches, but the evidence does not support this as a cure.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.

Buskila, D·Current opinion in rheumatology·2001

This review examined fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and related pain conditions across different countries. Researchers found that pain sensitivity involves brain chemistry (including a system called NMDA), hormone imbalances, and nervous system problems. CFS was found in about 0.4% of a large community sample, with many children recovering well, though the study notes that no major new treatments were tested during this period.

Pain and SensitizationAutonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Cytokines and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Patarca, R·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2001

This study found that people with ME/CFS show signs of immune system activation (more active immune cells and elevated immune signaling molecules), yet paradoxically have weak immune function (poor natural killer cell activity and weak responses to infections). The immune system appears to be stuck in an imbalanced state, favoring certain types of inflammatory responses, which may relate to symptom cycles of improvement and worsening.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Decreased tryptophan availability but normal post-synaptic 5-HT2c receptor sensitivity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vassallo, C M, Feldman, E, Peto, T et al.·Psychological medicine·2001

This study examined whether people with ME/CFS have oversensitive serotonin receptors in the brain, which could explain some of their symptoms. Researchers gave patients and healthy people a drug that directly activates serotonin receptors and measured the response. They found that both groups responded similarly, suggesting the problem in ME/CFS is not overly sensitive receptors but rather increased serotonin activity from nerve cells themselves. Interestingly, people with ME/CFS had lower levels of tryptophan (a building block for serotonin) in their blood.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications.

Logan, A C, Wong, C·Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic·2001

This review examines how oxidative stress—damage caused by harmful molecules in the body—may contribute to ME/CFS symptoms. The authors suggest that certain dietary supplements with antioxidant properties, such as glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid, might help reduce this damage. They also discuss how food intolerances and undiagnosed celiac disease could play a role in ME/CFS, even when digestive symptoms are absent.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Increased sensitivity to glucocorticoids in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic fatigue syndrome patients, without evidence for altered density or affinity of glucocorticoid receptors.

Visser, J, Lentjes, E, Haspels, I et al.·Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research·2001

Researchers found that immune cells from ME/CFS patients react more strongly to a stress hormone called dexamethasone (a type of glucocorticoid) than cells from healthy people. However, the cells have the same number of receptors for this hormone and bind it with the same strength, suggesting the heightened sensitivity comes from something happening inside the cells after the hormone attaches, rather than from problems with the receptors themselves.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Problems of chronic fatigue].

Kovaleva, A I, Pyshnov, G Iu·Meditsina truda i promyshlennaia ekologiia·2001

This review examines chronic fatigue syndrome and related conditions like burnout and caroshi (a Japanese term for work-related exhaustion), looking at them as forms of extreme tiredness. The authors suggest these conditions may be linked to workplace stress and occupational demands. The paper considers what these different conditions have in common and how they develop.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearObservational

Doing things with illness. The micro politics of the CFS clinic.

Banks, J, Prior, L·Social science & medicine (1982)·2001

This study observed conversations between ME/CFS patients and doctors in a UK clinic to understand how they think about the condition differently. Patients and doctors often disagreed about whether ME/CFS is a disease of the body or the mind, and these disagreements shaped how treatment was discussed. The researchers found that these conversations were really about who gets to decide what ME/CFS actually is.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Assessing attitudes toward new names for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Jason, L A, Eisele, H, Taylor, R R·Evaluation & the health professions·2001

Researchers asked 432 people with ME/CFS and medical professionals what they thought about changing the disease's name from 'chronic fatigue syndrome.' Most people surveyed (86%) agreed a name change was needed, with patients being more supportive than doctors. However, people disagreed about what the new name should be—some preferred 'myalgic encephalopathy' while others favored 'neuro-endocrine immune disorder,' and very few people liked both options equally.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Attitudes regarding chronic fatigue syndrome: the importance of a name.

Jason, L A, Taylor, R R, Stepanek, Z et al.·Journal of health psychology·2001

This study found that what doctors and students call ME/CFS affects how they think about the condition. When it was called "myalgic encephalopathy," people were more likely to believe it had a physical cause in the body. The name used also influenced whether healthcare workers thought patients were truly ill or just depressed. This suggests that even the language we use to describe ME/CFS can shape people's beliefs about how serious it is and how it should be treated.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in 15 dogs and cats with specific biochemical and microbiological anomalies.

Tarello, W·Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases·2001

This study looked at 15 dogs and cats that had fatigue symptoms similar to ME/CFS and tested their blood for bacterial infections. Nine out of 15 animals had a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus in their blood. When these animals were treated with an antibiotic drug, all of them got completely better and the bacteria disappeared from their blood.

Biomarkers

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome associated with changes in neuroendocrine function.

Sharma, A, Oyebode, F, Kendall, M J et al.·Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine·2001

This study looked at whether people who recovered from ME/CFS showed changes in their body's hormone and nervous system function compared to those still sick and healthy controls. The researchers examined whether normalizing these biological systems was connected to getting better from the illness.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryPEM not required

Chronic fatigue syndrome in horses: diagnosis and treatment of 4 cases.

Tarello, W·Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases·2001

This study describes four horses that had symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome in humans—severe tiredness and other health problems that didn't improve with standard treatments. The veterinarian treated them with a low dose of an arsenic-based medication given intravenously, and all four horses showed complete improvement in their fatigue and symptoms. The horses also recovered from anemia and showed other positive blood changes after treatment.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

[Fatigue].

Reinhart, W H, Fleisch, F·Praxis·2001

Fatigue is a very common symptom that doctors see in many patients. This editorial discusses how doctors should evaluate someone with fatigue by taking a careful history, doing a physical exam, and ordering appropriate tests. When other diseases are ruled out, chronic fatigue syndrome may be diagnosed, though its causes remain unknown. The most proven treatments are graded exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressants if depression or anxiety are present.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Impact of cortisol on buspirone stimulated prolactin release: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Dinan, T G, Scott, L V, Thakore, J et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2001

This study tested whether a drug called buspirone can trigger the release of a hormone called prolactin, and whether a person's baseline stress hormone (cortisol) level affects this response. Fifty healthy volunteers received either buspirone or placebo in a blinded trial. The researchers found that buspirone did increase prolactin levels, and importantly, people with higher baseline cortisol levels showed a stronger prolactin response.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Psychoneuroendocrinological contributions to the etiology of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and stress-related bodily disorders: the role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Ehlert, U, Gaab, J, Heinrichs, M·Biological psychology·2001

This study examines how stress affects hormone levels in the body, particularly through a system called the HPA axis that controls the release of cortisol and other stress hormones. The researchers found that people with depression tend to have too much HPA activity, while people with chronic fatigue syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder tend to have too little. Understanding these differences may help doctors better diagnose and treat these conditions.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Mediators of inflammation and their interaction with sleep: relevance for chronic fatigue syndrome and related conditions.

Mullington, J M, Hinze-Selch, D, Pollmächer, T·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2001

This study explores how the body's immune system and sleep are connected, and how this connection might explain the severe fatigue in ME/CFS. Researchers found that when the immune system is activated, it releases chemical messengers called cytokines that can affect sleep quality and cause fatigue. The study suggests that abnormal levels of these immune chemicals in ME/CFS patients could be responsible for the debilitating tiredness that characterizes the condition.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The role of gender in fibromyalgia syndrome.

Yunus, M B·Current rheumatology reports·2001

This review examined why fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) affects far more women than men—about 9 women for every 1 man. Researchers found that women with FMS tend to experience more fatigue, more tender points throughout their body, and more associated symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome compared to men. Interestingly, the severity of pain and depression levels were similar between men and women, suggesting gender differences involve complex interactions between biology, psychology, and social factors.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Ciguatera poisoning: a global issue with common management problems.

Ting, J Y, Brown, A F·European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine·2001

Ciguatera poisoning is a food-borne illness caused by eating contaminated tropical fish that causes stomach problems, nerve symptoms, and fatigue that can last months or years. This study describes four tourists who recovered well after receiving a specific treatment (intravenous mannitol), but highlights that the condition is often misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome or other illnesses, delaying proper treatment.

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Hormonal responses to exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Can fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome be cured by surgery?

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.

Cytokines and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Decreased tryptophan availability but normal post-synaptic 5-HT2c receptor sensitivity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications.

Increased sensitivity to glucocorticoids in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic fatigue syndrome patients, without evidence for altered density or affinity of glucocorticoid receptors.

[Problems of chronic fatigue].

Doing things with illness. The micro politics of the CFS clinic.

Assessing attitudes toward new names for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Attitudes regarding chronic fatigue syndrome: the importance of a name.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in 15 dogs and cats with specific biochemical and microbiological anomalies.

Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome associated with changes in neuroendocrine function.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in horses: diagnosis and treatment of 4 cases.

[Fatigue].

Impact of cortisol on buspirone stimulated prolactin release: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Psychoneuroendocrinological contributions to the etiology of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and stress-related bodily disorders: the role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Mediators of inflammation and their interaction with sleep: relevance for chronic fatigue syndrome and related conditions.

The role of gender in fibromyalgia syndrome.

Ciguatera poisoning: a global issue with common management problems.

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Metabolism & Mitochondria

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