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What's New in the Atlas

The atlas is continuously updated as new research is ingested, classified, and summarised. Entries shown here pass a quality filter: strong evidence level (E0–E2), biomedical or neutral paradigm, and peer-reviewed source. Every study page carries a permanent disclosure that the summary is machine-drafted.

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Recently Added Studies

The latest studies added to the public atlas. Reviewed entries are shown first. Machine-drafted entries are filtered to E1/E2 evidence level only.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Microvascular remodeling and endothelial dysfunction across the post-COVID-19 spectrum: a prospective observational case-control study.

Wallraven, Timon, Günthner, Roman, Lethen, Isabelle et al.·BMC medicine·2026

Researchers studied blood vessel changes in the tiny vessels of the eye (using a technique called retinal vessel analysis) in people with post-COVID-19 syndrome and a subgroup meeting ME/CFS criteria, compared to people who recovered from COVID-19 and those never infected. People with post-COVID-19 syndrome, particularly those meeting ME/CFS criteria, showed narrower arteries and altered vessel patterns associated with worse symptoms and higher inflammation markers. While these findings are reported as preliminary observations, the relevance of post-COVID-19 vessel changes to ME/CFS specifically remains unclear, and this study does not yet establish whether such changes cause symptoms or could guide treatment.

BiomarkersDiagnosticsLong COVID Overlap
E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Haptoglobin Phenotypes Stratify Post-Exertional Cognitive Dysfunction Associated with Altered Cerebral Oxygenation and Metabolic Signatures in Long COVID.

Moezzi, Atefeh, Elremaly, Wesam, Leveau, Corinne et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2026

This study observed that Long COVID patients with different versions of a protein called haptoglobin showed different patterns of cognitive problems after physical exertion. Patients carrying certain haptoglobin variants (Hp2) reported worse fatigue and cognitive decline following a challenge test, while those with the Hp1-1 variant showed better cognitive resilience. The findings are preliminary and come from a small group; larger studies are needed to confirm whether haptoglobin type could help identify which Long COVID patients are at higher risk for these cognitive changes.

BiomarkersEnergy MetabolismCognitive ImpairmentLong COVID Overlap
E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

Association between myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rajabi, Natalie, Ramdass, Prakash V A K·Frontiers in medicine·2026

A new systematic review combined data from 22 studies to examine how often irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ME/CFS occur together. Researchers reported that people with ME/CFS were substantially more likely to also have IBS compared to people without ME/CFS, and that about 37% of people with ME/CFS in these studies had IBS. However, the results varied considerably depending on which diagnostic criteria were used to define ME/CFS, suggesting uncertainty about the true overlap.

Gut MicrobiomeAutonomic Nervous SystemDiagnosticsImmune System
E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Identifying EEG biomarkers of fatigue and brain fog in long COVID: insights from rest and movement-related brain activity.

Casado Sánchez, M, Morales Fajardo, K, Long, S et al.·Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia·2026

A small study measured brain electrical activity in 20 people with long COVID who reported fatigue and brain fog, compared to 20 healthy controls. Researchers observed two types of altered brain patterns in the long COVID group: weaker electrical responses after hand movements and slower brain waves at rest in motor and sensory regions. These patterns were associated with cognitive symptoms and fatigue, but it remains unclear whether these brain changes explain the symptoms or are simply observed alongside them.

BiomarkersCognitive Impairment
E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Factors Associated with Fibromyalgia Diagnosis amongst People Meeting Criteria: Results from UK Biobank.

Kim, Sung-A, Macfarlane, Gary J, Beasley, Marcus J·Arthritis care & research·2026

This study examined UK Biobank data to understand why many people who meet the clinical criteria for fibromyalgia do not receive a formal diagnosis from a doctor. Researchers found that about 73% of individuals meeting fibromyalgia criteria had not been diagnosed, and identified several factors associated with not receiving a diagnosis—including being male, being older, having shorter pain duration, and reporting less frequent fatigue. The findings suggest that diagnostic bias and stereotypical perceptions of fibromyalgia may delay or prevent people from getting a diagnosis, though this is one cross-sectional study and does not establish why these patterns occur.

Pain and SensitizationDiagnostics
E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearObservational

Associated factors and a risk prediction model for comorbid circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: implications for early screening and sleep health management.

Shao, Xiao, Yang, Fan, Qin, Le-le et al.·Frontiers in psychiatry·2026

This observational study of 610 ME/CFS patients found that roughly half also had circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (difficulty sleeping at normal times). The researchers identified several factors associated with this comorbidity, including female sex, higher fatigue severity, certain shift work patterns, and reduced deep sleep. They developed a prediction model to help identify patients at higher risk, though the study's retrospective design and unknown case definition quality mean these findings are preliminary and require validation in other patient populations.

Sleep
E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Microstructural alterations in brain tissue of ME/CFS and long COVID using diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging.

Singh, Tanoj Bahadur, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya, Barnden, Leighton et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2026

Researchers used specialized brain imaging scans (DTI and DKI) to observe differences in brain tissue structure between people with ME/CFS, people with long COVID, and healthy controls. They found that ME/CFS and long COVID showed microstructural changes in different brain regions, though the study is cross-sectional and cannot explain why these changes occur or what role they play in symptoms. These are preliminary findings that require replication in larger groups.

BiomarkersCognitive ImpairmentLong COVID Overlap
E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Circulating extracellular vesicles-microRNAs as potential biomarkers for the identification of ME/CFS: differentiating fatigue-related conditions.

Eguchi, Akiko, Kuratsune, Hirohiko, Nakatomi, Yasuhito et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2026

Researchers analysed tiny particles called extracellular vesicles in blood samples from patients with ME/CFS, chronic fatigue without a known cause, and depression, looking for differences in small RNA molecules that could help diagnose ME/CFS. They found a pattern of 114 different RNA molecules that appeared associated with ME/CFS and were rarely seen in healthy people, though these findings come from a small group of patients and have not yet been replicated in larger studies.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkersDiagnosticsLong COVID Overlap
E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

Research advances in exercise and cognitive fatigue: a bibliometric analysis and thematic strategic evolution analysis.

Zhang, Yeting, Yang, Jiangxi, Li, Huangyan et al.·Frontiers in psychology·2026

This study analysed research published between 1998 and 2025 on how exercise relates to cognitive fatigue—the mental exhaustion that comes from sustained thinking. Researchers found that scientific interest in this topic has grown, with studies shifting from simply describing fatigue symptoms to examining how thinking, emotions, and body function work together. However, this bibliometric review maps what researchers have published; it does not test whether the theories proposed in those papers are actually correct.

Cognitive Impairment
E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Risks of autoimmune and inflammatory post-acute COVID-19 conditions: a network cohort study in six European countries, the USA and Korea.

Burkard, Theresa Ms, López-Güell, Kim, Català, Martí et al.·BMJ public health·2026

This large study looked at whether people who had COVID-19 were more likely to develop autoimmune or inflammatory conditions—including ME/CFS and POTS—in the 9 months after infection. Researchers examined health records from over 2.5 million people across eight countries and did not observe increased rates of these conditions in COVID-19 patients compared to people who tested negative. However, the findings do not yet tell us whether similar patterns apply to ME/CFS specifically, and the study was observational rather than experimental.

Autonomic Nervous SystemImmune SystemLong COVID Overlap

Recent Activity

Recent additions and corrections to the atlas record.

Sep 2, 2026—Revised: “Effectiveness of Tuina Therapy for Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Assessor-Blinded, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial.”
Sep 1, 2026—Revised: “Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir targeting viral persistence in post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in the USA (RECOVER-VITAL): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.”
Sep 1, 2026—Revised: “Fatigue in Neurological Rehabilitation: Why Brain Diversity and Population Diversity Matter.”
Aug 30, 2026—Revised: “Exploring the Active Components of Buqi-Zhitong-Decoction and Its Therapeutic Potential for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Based on LC-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology.”
Aug 29, 2026—Revised: “Medical invalidation is associated with structural barriers in postacute immune mediated syndromes based on patient perspectives in Germany.”
Aug 28, 2026—Revised: “Development and Content Validity of the Clinical Needs Assessment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CNAME).”
Aug 28, 2026—Revised: “Skeletal muscle properties in long COVID and ME/CFS differ from those induced by bed rest.”
Aug 28, 2026—Revised: “Targeting Bioenergetic, Redox and Prostaglandin Pathways in Long COVID-Associated Post-Exertional Malaise and Brain Fog: A Nutraceutical Translational Hypothesis.”
Aug 27, 2026—Revised: “Fragile mitophagy in long COVID: a proposed recovery-failure endotype for post-exertional malaise.”
Aug 27, 2026—Revised: “Tuina for chronic fatigue syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial integrating tryptophan metabolism, gut microbiota, and brain network alterations.”

Atlas Stats

6188

studies in the public atlas

15

topics with synthesis

7995

raw research records in the corpus