ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5741–5760 of 6,188 studies

Case of chronic fatigue syndrome after Crimean war and Indian mutiny.

Jones, E, Wessely, S·BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1999

This historical research paper examines cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (then called different names) that occurred in soldiers during the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny in the 1800s. The authors looked back at medical records from these time periods to document how fatigue illnesses affected military personnel. This work shows that ME/CFS-like conditions are not new to modern times but have been documented for well over a century.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: current concepts of pathogenesis and treatment.

Lloyd, A R, Hickie, I, Peterson, P K·Current clinical topics in infectious diseases·1999

This review article examines what scientists understood in 1999 about how ME/CFS develops and what treatments might help. The authors synthesize existing knowledge about the condition's causes, which involve the immune system, infections, and other body system changes. They discuss various approaches to managing symptoms and improving function for people living with ME/CFS.

Interventions

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCase-Control

Interferon-induced proteins are elevated in blood samples of patients with chemically or virally induced chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vojdani, A, Lapp, C W·Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology·1999

This study found that certain immune proteins called 2-5A and PKR are elevated in the blood of ME/CFS patients, whether their illness was triggered by a viral infection or chemical exposure. The researchers discovered that these two triggers activate these proteins through different biological pathways—viruses primarily use an immune signaling molecule called interferon-beta, while chemicals activate them mainly through heat shock proteins.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The neuroendocrinology of chronic fatigue syndrome: focus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Scott, L V, Dinan, T G·Functional neurology·1999

This study examined how the stress-response system in the brain works differently in people with ME/CFS. The researchers focused on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the body's main system for managing stress and producing cortisol. The study reviewed evidence suggesting this system may not function normally in ME/CFS patients, potentially contributing to their symptoms.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Chronic fatigue syndrome among overseas development workers: A qualitative study.

Lovell, D M·Journal of travel medicine·1999

This study interviewed 12 overseas development workers who developed ME/CFS while working abroad or shortly after visiting projects. Most felt they had been very healthy before getting sick, and they described typical ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue and pain. The researchers found that participants believed their illness was caused by a combination of overwork, stress, and infections—not depression.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Stealth adaptation of an African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus.

Martin, W J·Experimental and molecular pathology·1999

Researchers found genetic material from a virus in a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome that resembles human cytomegalovirus (a common virus). Interestingly, the virus was missing genes that the immune system normally recognizes and attacks, which might allow it to hide from immune defenses. Genetic analysis showed this virus actually came from African green monkeys, not humans.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Nefazodone for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hickie, I·The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry·1999

This small study looked at whether a medication called nefazodone could help ME/CFS patients feel better. Ten patients took the drug and also received advice about sleep and behavioral strategies. Most patients reported some improvement in tiredness, sleep problems, and mood, and half were able to return to work or their normal activities.

Sleep

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome: assessing symptoms and activity level.

Jason, L A, King, C P, Frankenberry, E L et al.·Journal of clinical psychology·1999

This study looked at better ways to measure ME/CFS by tracking both symptoms and daily activity over time. Instead of just asking whether someone has symptoms, the researchers used rating scales and special devices to measure how severe symptoms are and how they change day-to-day. Two detailed case examples showed that this combined approach reveals important patterns that standard symptom checklists miss.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

DISCERN: an instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices.

Charnock, D, Shepperd, S, Needham, G et al.·Journal of epidemiology and community health·1999

This study created DISCERN, a tool that helps patients and healthcare providers evaluate whether written information about medical treatments is accurate and trustworthy. Researchers tested the tool on health information about three conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (now called ME/CFS), to see if different people using it would reach similar conclusions about quality. The tool consists of 15 questions and works best when used by people with training or experience in healthcare information.

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Toward a model of social course in chronic illness: the example of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ware, N C·Culture, medicine and psychiatry·1999

This study looked at how ME/CFS affects people's social lives by collecting personal stories from patients. The researchers found that ME/CFS can push people to the margins of their social worlds through processes like losing roles, being doubted or not believed, becoming isolated, and losing opportunities. However, patients also fight back and try to stay connected to their communities. The study shows that people's place in society moves back and forth depending on whether these isolating forces or connection efforts are stronger at any given time.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Impaired oxygen delivery to muscle in chronic fatigue syndrome.

McCully, K K, Natelson, B H·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·1999

This study found that muscles in people with ME/CFS are not receiving oxygen as quickly and efficiently as they should after exercise or when blood flow is temporarily stopped. The researchers measured how fast oxygen returns to calf muscles and found it took significantly longer in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. They also found that the muscles' ability to use oxygen for energy was reduced by about 20% in ME/CFS patients.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Small adrenal glands in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary computer tomography study.

Scott, L V, Teh, J, Reznek, R et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·1999

This study looked at whether the adrenal glands (small organs that help manage stress and energy) are physically smaller in people with ME/CFS. Researchers used CT scans to measure adrenal gland size in 8 ME/CFS patients who showed signs of adrenal underfunction and compared them to 55 healthy people. They found that the adrenal glands in ME/CFS patients were about 50% smaller than in healthy controls, suggesting that adrenal shrinkage may occur in some ME/CFS patients.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Orthostatic intolerance and chronic fatigue syndrome associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Rowe, P C, Barron, D F, Calkins, H et al.·The Journal of pediatrics·1999

This study looked at 12 teenagers who had both ME/CFS and a connective tissue condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). All of them also experienced problems with blood pressure and heart rate when standing up (orthostatic intolerance). The researchers found that abnormal connective tissue in blood vessels may cause blood to pool in the legs when standing, which could explain why these conditions often occur together.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Misunderstood illnesses: fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Robertson, T J·Alberta RN·1999

This article discusses how fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are often misunderstood by healthcare providers and the public. The author explains the key characteristics of both conditions and why they are frequently confused with other illnesses or dismissed as not being 'real' diseases. The article aims to help people better understand these complex conditions.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a hypothesis focusing on the autonomic nervous system.

Pagani, M, Lucini, D·Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·1999

This study looked at whether ME/CFS might be caused by problems with the autonomic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that controls automatic functions like heart rate and blood pressure. The researchers measured how the heart's electrical activity varied in ME/CFS patients and found signs suggesting their nervous systems were stuck in a 'revved up' state at rest but didn't respond normally to challenges.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Functional somatic syndromes.

Barsky, A J, Borus, J F·Annals of internal medicine·1999

This 1999 editorial discusses how several chronic conditions—including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome—share common features: they cause real suffering and disability, but standard medical tests often don't find clear tissue damage. The authors suggest that a self-reinforcing cycle develops where patients become convinced they have a serious disease, their symptoms worsen over time, and this belief itself amplifies their suffering, even when psychological and social factors play a role.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Corticomotor excitability and perception of effort during sustained exercise in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sacco, P, Hope, P A, Thickbroom, G W et al.·Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·1999

This study examined whether the fatigue and exercise difficulty in ME/CFS comes from the brain and nervous system rather than just muscle weakness. Researchers used magnetic stimulation to measure how the motor cortex (the brain region controlling movement) responds during sustained muscle contractions in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls. They found that people with ME/CFS had shorter exercise endurance, felt more exhausted during effort, and showed different patterns of brain-to-muscle signaling compared to healthy people.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Evidence for and pathophysiologic implications of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Demitrack, M A, Crofford, L J·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·1998

This study found that people with ME/CFS have reduced activity in their stress-response system—a network in the brain called the HPA axis that normally helps the body cope with physical and emotional challenges. The researchers discovered that this underactive response pattern is different from what happens in depression, and it may explain why stress and exertion worsen ME/CFS symptoms. The findings suggest that problems with specific brain chemicals involved in stress regulation may contribute to the condition.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The social course of schizophrenia: local and societal factors.

Hicks, M H, Kleinman, A, Yang, L·The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences·1998

This study looks at how chronic illnesses like ME/CFS are shaped not just by the disease itself, but by social and family factors around us. The researchers studied schizophrenia across different cultures to understand how our families, jobs, community, healthcare system, and laws affect how we experience and manage our illness. They suggest this same idea applies to many chronic conditions including ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[No strong evidence of disturbed regulation of blood pressure in chronic fatigue syndrome].

Smit, A A, Bolweg, N M, Lenders, J W et al.·Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde·1998

Some ME/CFS patients experience dizziness or fainting when standing up, and researchers wondered if this was due to problems controlling blood pressure. This review looked at four studies that tested this by having patients lie flat and then tilt them upright to see how their bodies responded. While some patients did show heart rate increases or fainting, many of these patients already had these symptoms before testing, making it unclear whether the problem is truly a core feature of ME/CFS or something else.

Autonomic Nervous System

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Evidence browser

Case of chronic fatigue syndrome after Crimean war and Indian mutiny.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: current concepts of pathogenesis and treatment.

Interferon-induced proteins are elevated in blood samples of patients with chemically or virally induced chronic fatigue syndrome.

The neuroendocrinology of chronic fatigue syndrome: focus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome among overseas development workers: A qualitative study.

Stealth adaptation of an African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus.

Nefazodone for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: assessing symptoms and activity level.

DISCERN: an instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices.

Toward a model of social course in chronic illness: the example of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Impaired oxygen delivery to muscle in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Small adrenal glands in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary computer tomography study.

Orthostatic intolerance and chronic fatigue syndrome associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Misunderstood illnesses: fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a hypothesis focusing on the autonomic nervous system.

Functional somatic syndromes.

Corticomotor excitability and perception of effort during sustained exercise in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Evidence for and pathophysiologic implications of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The social course of schizophrenia: local and societal factors.

[No strong evidence of disturbed regulation of blood pressure in chronic fatigue syndrome].

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