scholarly journals Review of case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Jin Lim ◽  
Chang-Gue Son
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Duration Of Illness ◽  
Primary Disorder

Abstract Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease with unknown causes. From the perspectives on the etiology and pathophysiology, ME/CFS has been labeled differently, which influenced changes in case definitions and terminologies. This review sought to feature aspects of the history, developments, and differential symptoms in the case definitions. Methods A search was conducted through PubMed published to February 2020 using the following search keywords: case definition AND chronic fatigue syndrome [MeSH Terms]. All reference lists of the included studies were checked. Of the included studies, the number of citations and the visibility in the literatures of the definitions were considered for comparisons of the criteria. Results Since the first 'ME' case definition was developed in 1986, 25 case definitions/diagnostic criteria were created based on three conceptual factors (etiology, pathophysiology, and exclusionary disorders). These factors can be categorized into four categories (ME, ME/CFS, CFS, and SEID) and broadly characterized according to primary disorder (ME-viral, CFS-unknown, ME/CFS-inflammatory, SEID-multisystemic), compulsory symptoms (ME and ME/CFS-neuroinflammatory, CFS and SEID-fatigue and/or malaise), and required conditions (ME-infective agent, ME/CFS, CFS, SEID-symptoms associated with fatigue, e.g., duration of illness). ME and ME/CFS widely cover all symptom categories, while CFS mainly covers neurologic and neurocognitive symptoms. Fatigue, cognitive impairment, PEM, sleep disorder, and orthostatic intolerance were the overlapping symptoms of the 4 categories, which were included as SEID criteria. Conclusions This study comprehensively described the journey of the development of case definitions and compared the symptom criteria. This review provides broader insights and explanations to understand the complexity of ME/CFS for clinicians and researchers.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 204993612110093
Author(s):  
Sonia Poenaru ◽  
Sara J. Abdallah ◽  
Vicente Corrales-Medina ◽  
Juthaporn Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Q Fever ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Exercise Intolerance ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Post Infectious

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection which can cause a variety of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and vascular symptoms. The acute illness phase generally lasts no more than 2–3 weeks. However, there is increasing evidence that a proportion of COVID-19 patients experience a prolonged convalescence and continue to have symptoms lasting several months after the initial infection. A variety of chronic symptoms have been reported including fatigue, dyspnea, myalgia, exercise intolerance, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, fever, headache, malaise, and vertigo. These symptoms are similar to those seen in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a chronic multi-system illness characterized by profound fatigue, sleep disturbances, neurocognitive changes, orthostatic intolerance, and post-exertional malaise. ME/CFS symptoms are exacerbated by exercise or stress and occur in the absence of any significant clinical or laboratory findings. The pathology of ME/CFS is not known: it is thought to be multifactorial, resulting from the dysregulation of multiple systems in response to a particular trigger. Although not exclusively considered a post-infectious entity, ME/CFS has been associated with several infectious agents including Epstein–Barr Virus, Q fever, influenza, and other coronaviruses. There are important similarities between post-acute COVID-19 symptoms and ME/CFS. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to establish COVID-19 as an infectious trigger for ME/CFS. Further research is required to determine the natural history of this condition, as well as to define risk factors, prevalence, and possible interventional strategies.

scholarly journals Chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis: towards an empirical case definition

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard A. Jason ◽  
Bobby Kot ◽  
Madison Sunnquist ◽  
Abigail Brown ◽  
Meredyth Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

A Pediatric Case Definition for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 1-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard A. Jason ◽  
Karen Jordan ◽  
Teruhisa Miike ◽  
David S. Bell ◽  
Charles Lapp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Pediatric Case ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

scholarly journals Case definitions for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e003973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjetil Gundro Brurberg ◽  
Marita Sporstøl Fønhus ◽  
Lillebeth Larun ◽  
Signe Flottorp ◽  
Kirsti Malterud
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

scholarly journals Numeric Rating Scales Show Prolonged Post-exertional Symptoms After Orthostatic Testing of Adults With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
C (Linda) M. C. van Campen ◽  
Peter C. Rowe ◽  
Freek W. A. Verheugt ◽  
Frans C. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Important Symptom ◽  
Head Up Tilt ◽  
Numeric Rating

Introduction: Muscle pain, fatigue, and concentration problems are common among individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). These symptoms are commonly increased as part of the phenomenon of postexertional malaise (PEM). An increase in the severity of these symptoms is described following physical or mental exercise in ME/CFS patients. Another important symptom of ME/CFS is orthostatic intolerance, which can be detected by head-up tilt testing (HUT). The effect of HUT on PEM has not been studied extensively. For this purpose, we assessed numeric rating scales (NRS) for pain, fatigue, and concentration pre- and post-HUT. As pain is a core symptom in fibromyalgia (FM), we subgrouped ME/CFS patients by the presence or absence of FM.Methods and Results: In eligible ME/CFS patients who underwent HUT, NRS of pain, fatigue, and concentration were obtained pre-HUT, immediately after HUT, at 24 and 48 h, and at 7 days posttest. We studied 174 ME/CFS patients with FM, 104 without FM, and 30 healthy controls (HC). Values for all symptoms were unchanged for HC pre- and post-HUT. Compared with pre-HUT, the three NRS post-HUT were significantly elevated in both ME/CFS patient groups even after 7 days. NRS pain was significantly higher at all time points measured in the ME/CFS patients with FM compared with those without FM. In ME/CFS patients, the maximum fatigue and concentration scores occurred directly post-HUT, whereas pain perception reached the maximum 24 h post-HUT.Conclusion: NRS scores of pain, fatigue, and concentration were significantly increased even at 7 days post-HUT compared with pre-HUT in ME/CFS patients with and without FM, suggesting that orthostatic stress is an important determinant of PEM.

scholarly journals Redox imbalance links COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (34) ◽  
pp. e2024358118
Author(s):  
Bindu D. Paul ◽  
Marian D. Lemle ◽  
Anthony L. Komaroff ◽  
Solomon H. Snyder
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Redox Imbalance ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Unrefreshing Sleep ◽  
Hypometabolic State

Although most patients recover from acute COVID-19, some experience postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (PASC). One subgroup of PASC is a syndrome called “long COVID-19,” reminiscent of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS is a debilitating condition, often triggered by viral and bacterial infections, leading to years-long debilitating symptoms including profound fatigue, postexertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive deficits, and orthostatic intolerance. Some are skeptical that either ME/CFS or long COVID-19 involves underlying biological abnormalities. However, in this review, we summarize the evidence that people with acute COVID-19 and with ME/CFS have biological abnormalities including redox imbalance, systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation, an impaired ability to generate adenosine triphosphate, and a general hypometabolic state. These phenomena have not yet been well studied in people with long COVID-19, and each of them has been reported in other diseases as well, particularly neurological diseases. We also examine the bidirectional relationship between redox imbalance, inflammation, energy metabolic deficits, and a hypometabolic state. We speculate as to what may be causing these abnormalities. Thus, understanding the molecular underpinnings of both PASC and ME/CFS may lead to the development of novel therapeutics.

scholarly journals Impact of Life Stressors on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: An Australian Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10614
Author(s):  
Cassandra Balinas ◽  
Natalie Eaton-Fitch ◽  
Rebekah Maksoud ◽  
Donald Staines ◽  
Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Life Stressors ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

(1) Background: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multifaceted illness. The pathomechanism, severity and progression of this illness is still being investigated. Stressors have been implicated in symptom exacerbation for ME/CFS, however, there is limited information for an Australian ME/CFS cohort. The aim of this study was to assess the potential effect of life stressors including changes in work, income, or family scenario on symptom severity in an Australian ME/CFS cohort over five months; (2) Methods: Australian residents with ME/CFS responded to questions relating to work, income, living arrangement, access to healthcare and support services as well as symptoms experienced; (3) Results: thirty-six ME/CFS patients (age: 41.25 ± 12.14) completed all questionnaires (response rate 83.7%). Muscle pain and weakness, orthostatic intolerance and intolerance to extreme temperatures were experienced and fluctuated over time. Sleep disturbances were likely to present as severe. Work and household income were associated with worsened cognitive, gastrointestinal, body pain and sleep symptoms. Increased access to healthcare services was associated with improved symptom presentation; (4) Conclusions: life stressors such as work and financial disruptions may significantly contribute to exacerbation of ME/CFS symptoms. Access to support services correlates with lower symptom scores.

scholarly journals Systematic review of randomized controlled trials for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Do-Young Kim ◽  
Jin-Seok Lee ◽  
Samuel-Young Park ◽  
Soo-Jin Kim ◽  
Chang-Gue Son
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Pharmacological Interventions ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract Background Although medical requirements are urgent, no effective intervention has been proven for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). To facilitate the development of new therapeutics, we systematically reviewed the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for CFS/ME to date. Methods RCTs targeting CFS/ME were surveyed using two electronic databases, PubMed and the Cochrane library, through April 2019. We included only RCTs that targeted fatigue-related symptoms, and we analyzed the data in terms of the characteristics of the participants, case definitions, primary measurements, and interventions with overall outcomes. Results Among 513 potentially relevant articles, 56 RCTs met our inclusion criteria; these included 25 RCTs of 22 different pharmacological interventions, 29 RCTs of 19 non-pharmacological interventions and 2 RCTs of combined interventions. These studies accounted for a total of 6956 participants (1713 males and 5243 females, 6499 adults and 457 adolescents). CDC 1994 (Fukuda) criteria were mostly used for case definitions (42 RCTs, 75.0%), and the primary measurement tools included the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS, 35.7%) and the 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36, 32.1%). Eight interventions showed statistical significance: 3 pharmacological (Staphypan Berna, Poly(I):poly(C12U) and CoQ10 + NADH) and 5 non-pharmacological therapies (cognitive-behavior-therapy-related treatments, graded-exercise-related therapies, rehabilitation, acupuncture and abdominal tuina). However, there was no definitely effective intervention with coherence and reproducibility. Conclusions This systematic review integrates the comprehensive features of previous RCTs for CFS/ME and reflects on their limitations and perspectives in the process of developing new interventions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document