ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

641–660 of 729 studies

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Validating a measure of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome symptomatology.

Brown, Abigail A, Jason, Leonard A·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2014

This study tested whether a questionnaire called the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) accurately measures the symptoms people with ME/CFS experience. Researchers found that ME/CFS symptoms naturally group into three main categories: problems with the nervous system and immune system, problems with thinking and memory, and a worsening of symptoms after physical activity. The questionnaire was shown to be a reliable tool for identifying and measuring these symptom patterns in ME/CFS patients.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredObservational

Inability of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients to reproduce VO₂peak indicates functional impairment.

Keller, Betsy A, Pryor, John Luke, Giloteaux, Ludovic·Journal of translational medicine·2014

This study tested whether people with ME/CFS can perform the same on an exercise test when it's repeated the next day, similar to how healthy people typically do. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients performed significantly worse on the second test—using about 14% less oxygen and doing about 12% less work—even though they were trying their hardest both times. This suggests that doing one exercise test may give doctors an unrealistic picture of what ME/CFS patients can actually do.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Main neuroendocrine features, diagnosis and therapeutic possibilities in the chronic fatigue syndrome, an underdiagnosed entity.

Amihăesei, Ioana Cristina, Cojocaru, Elena·Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi·2014

ME/CFS is a serious illness marked by extreme tiredness that doesn't improve with rest, along with problems concentrating, pain, and worsening symptoms after activity. Diagnosis requires at least six months of severe fatigue plus four or more other specific symptoms. Current treatments focus on behavioral approaches and pacing rather than medications, though only about 5% of people fully recover, and more than half become unable to work.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Mitochondrial dysfunctions in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome explained by activated immuno-inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways.

Morris, Gerwyn, Maes, Michael·Metabolic brain disease·2014

This study explains how ME/CFS may damage the mitochondria—the energy-producing units inside our cells. The researchers found that inflammation, immune system overactivity, and harmful molecules called oxidative stress can interfere with how mitochondria produce energy (ATP), which is why ME/CFS patients experience extreme fatigue and post-exertional malaise. Low levels of protective vitamins and minerals also make this problem worse.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Comparing and Contrasting Consensus versus Empirical Domains.

Jason, Leonard A, Kot, Bobby, Sunnquist, Madison et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2014

Researchers compared different sets of diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS patients. They looked at criteria developed by expert groups (like the Canadian Consensus Criteria) and compared them to criteria identified through statistical analysis of actual patient data. The study found that the fatigue and post-exertional malaise domain (worsening symptoms after activity) was the best feature for distinguishing ME/CFS patients from healthy people, and that older diagnostic criteria were less accurate.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Experiences of daily activity in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and their implications for rehabilitation programmes.

Pemberton, Sue, Cox, Diane L·Disability and rehabilitation·2014

This study interviewed 14 people with ME/CFS to understand how they experience daily activities. Researchers found that before becoming ill, most participants were very active and had difficulty taking breaks. When they got sick, they tried to keep pushing themselves to do as much as before, which led to worsening symptoms. The study suggests that rehabilitation programs should take into account people's attitudes toward activity and rest, not just focus on changing what they do.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Biopersistence and systemic distribution of intramuscularly injected particles: what impact on long-term tolerability of alum adjuvants?].

Gherardi, Romain K, Cadusseau, Josette, Authier, François-jérôme·Bulletin de l'Academie nationale de medecine·2014

This review examines how aluminum-based vaccine adjuvants (immune-boosting ingredients) may rarely cause long-term health problems in susceptible people, including muscle pain, exhaustion, and brain fog that can last years. The researchers found that aluminum particles can travel from the injection site through the body to distant organs and the brain, and that a specific immune protein called MCP-1 may control how much this happens. For most people, aluminum adjuvants are safe, but genetic and environmental differences may make some individuals more vulnerable to prolonged effects.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

A neuro-immune model of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Morris, Gerwyn, Maes, Michael·Metabolic brain disease·2013

This study proposes a theory about how ME/CFS develops and persists. The researchers suggest that an initial infection triggers the immune system, which then gets stuck in an overactive state even after the infection is cleared. This causes ongoing inflammation, energy problems in cells, and damage to the nervous system, leading to the characteristic symptoms including post-exertional malaise (feeling worse after activity).

NeuroinflammationAutonomic Nervous SystemImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Energy Conservation/Envelope Theory Interventions to Help Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Brown, Molly, Brown, Abigail et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2013

This study reviewed research on the Energy Envelope approach, a self-management strategy that helps ME/CFS patients track and limit their daily activities to stay within their available energy level. Rather than pushing through exhaustion, patients learn to pace themselves carefully to avoid crashes. Research shows this approach can reduce symptom flare-ups and improve quality of life for people with ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Clinical Practice: Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Werker, Charlotte L, Nijhof, Sanne L, van de Putte, Elise M·European journal of pediatrics·2013

This review explains how doctors diagnose ME/CFS in teenagers and describes what we know works to treat it. ME/CFS is a serious illness causing extreme fatigue that doesn't get better with rest, along with other symptoms like trouble thinking clearly, sore throat, and muscle pain. The good news is that a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy helps about two-thirds of teenagers with ME/CFS feel better and stay better for years.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress cascades as new drug targets in myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Maes, Michael·Modern trends in pharmacopsychiatry·2013

This study suggests that ME/CFS involves several overlapping biological problems: inflammation, oxidative stress (cellular damage), and activation of certain immune pathways. The researchers found that ME (characterized by post-exertional malaise) is more severe than CFS, and both conditions have higher levels of inflammatory markers than regular chronic fatigue. Understanding these biological mechanisms may help develop new targeted treatments.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Exercise and sleep deprivation do not change cytokine expression levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nakamura, Toru, Schwander, Stephan, Donnelly, Robert et al.·Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI·2013

Researchers tested whether exercise and sleep loss could trigger increased inflammatory markers in the blood of ME/CFS patients, since many people report that physical activity and poor sleep make their symptoms worse. They found that neither exercise nor sleep deprivation caused the expected increases in inflammatory proteins in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls. This suggests that immune activation from these stressors may not be the main reason symptoms worsen with exertion or sleep loss.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and encephalomyelitis disseminata/multiple sclerosis show remarkable levels of similarity in phenomenology and neuroimmune characteristics.

Morris, Gerwyn, Maes, Michael·BMC medicine·2013

This review compares ME/CFS with multiple sclerosis (MS), another recognized neurological disease, and found striking similarities between them. Both conditions cause severe fatigue that worsens with exercise, autonomic problems (like dizziness and heart rate issues), and involve similar patterns of immune system activation and mitochondrial dysfunction (problems with how cells produce energy). The study suggests ME/CFS should be recognized as a genuine neuroimmune illness, similar to MS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Coenzyme Q10 depletion in medical and neuropsychiatric disorders: potential repercussions and therapeutic implications.

Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Berk, Michael et al.·Molecular neurobiology·2013

This review examines how a natural substance called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps cells produce energy and protect themselves from damage. The authors found that low levels of CoQ10 may contribute to ME/CFS and similar conditions that cause fatigue and exhaustion. Studies suggest that taking CoQ10 supplements might help reduce fatigue and improve exercise tolerance in people with ME/CFS, similar to benefits seen in patients with Parkinson's disease and fibromyalgia.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Case definitions and diagnostic criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue Syndrome: from clinical-consensus to evidence-based case definitions.

Morris, Gerwyn, Maes, Michael·Neuro endocrinology letters·2013

Over the past 50+ years, doctors have created many different definitions and diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, but these criteria were often based on expert opinion rather than scientific evidence. This paper examines why so many different definitions exist and argues that future diagnostic criteria should be built on objective test results (like blood work and brain imaging) rather than just symptoms alone, to better distinguish between ME and CFS as two related but separate conditions.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

The effects of exercise on dynamic sleep morphology in healthy controls and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Kishi, Akifumi, Togo, Fumiharu, Cook, Dane B et al.·Physiological reports·2013

This study looked at how sleep changes after exercise in healthy people versus those with ME/CFS. Researchers found that while exercise helped healthy people sleep more deeply and continuously, people with ME/CFS showed different sleep patterns—specifically more disruptions when moving from REM sleep (dream sleep) back to wakefulness. Importantly, these REM sleep disruptions in ME/CFS patients were linked to increased fatigue, pain, and sleepiness the next day.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The relationship between muscle pain and fatigue.

Mastaglia, Frank L·Neuromuscular disorders : NMD·2012

When muscles work hard, pain and fatigue often happen together and can make it harder to exercise. This review examines how pain and tiredness are connected in people with muscle disorders, and explores whether brain stimulation techniques might help reduce both symptoms. Researchers used special magnetic brain stimulation tools to study how the brain controls muscles during exhausting activity.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Lack of endogenous pain inhibition during exercise in people with chronic whiplash associated disorders: an experimental study.

Van Oosterwijck, Jessica, Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira et al.·The journal of pain·2012

This study compared how the body responds to exercise in people with chronic whiplash injury versus healthy people. Researchers found that pain sensitivity actually increased (got worse) after exercise in whiplash patients, while it decreased (improved) in healthy controls. Importantly, gentle, self-paced exercise caused fewer symptom flare-ups than harder, fixed-intensity exercise, suggesting that how exercise is done matters greatly for people with this condition.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Gene expression alterations at baseline and following moderate exercise in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Light, A R, Bateman, L, Jo, D et al.·Journal of internal medicine·2012

This study looked at how genes are turned on and off in people with ME/CFS before and after moderate exercise. Researchers found that about 71% of ME/CFS patients showed increased activity in genes related to nerve signaling and stress response after exercise, which correlated with their fatigue and pain levels. A smaller subgroup (29%) showed a different pattern, with decreased activity in one specific gene, and these patients were more likely to have orthostatic intolerance (dizziness when standing).

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Pain in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: time for specific pain treatment?

Nijs, Jo, Crombez, Geert, Meeus, Mira et al.·Pain physician·2012

This review found that pain in ME/CFS is not caused by damaged muscles or joints, but rather comes from how the nervous system processes pain signals—a condition called central sensitization. The study suggests that education about how pain works in ME/CFS, along with cognitive behavioral therapy focused on fatigue, may help patients manage their pain better.

Post-Exertional Malaise

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Validating a measure of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome symptomatology.

Inability of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients to reproduce VO₂peak indicates functional impairment.

Main neuroendocrine features, diagnosis and therapeutic possibilities in the chronic fatigue syndrome, an underdiagnosed entity.

Mitochondrial dysfunctions in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome explained by activated immuno-inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways.

Comparing and Contrasting Consensus versus Empirical Domains.

Experiences of daily activity in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and their implications for rehabilitation programmes.

[Biopersistence and systemic distribution of intramuscularly injected particles: what impact on long-term tolerability of alum adjuvants?].

A neuro-immune model of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Energy Conservation/Envelope Theory Interventions to Help Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Clinical Practice: Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress cascades as new drug targets in myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Exercise and sleep deprivation do not change cytokine expression levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and encephalomyelitis disseminata/multiple sclerosis show remarkable levels of similarity in phenomenology and neuroimmune characteristics.

Coenzyme Q10 depletion in medical and neuropsychiatric disorders: potential repercussions and therapeutic implications.

Case definitions and diagnostic criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue Syndrome: from clinical-consensus to evidence-based case definitions.

The effects of exercise on dynamic sleep morphology in healthy controls and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The relationship between muscle pain and fatigue.

Lack of endogenous pain inhibition during exercise in people with chronic whiplash associated disorders: an experimental study.

Gene expression alterations at baseline and following moderate exercise in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Pain in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: time for specific pain treatment?

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