Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35236205›Full record

ArticleDisability and rehabilitation2023

Evaluating case diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): toward an empirical case definition.

Karl E Conroy, Mohammed F Islam, Leonard A Jason

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Disability and rehabilitation, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025
    Pooled it
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  5. Barriers to Long COVID Care in the U.S.: An Application of Levesque et al.'s Access Framework.Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Karl E ConroyCenter for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Mohammed F IslamDepartment of Psychology, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Leonard A JasonCenter for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9972-4425
DePaul University · USChicago State University · US

Funding

Maintenance and Incidence of ME/CFS following MonoR01NS111105 · NINDS · DE PAUL UNIVERSITY · PI JASON, LEONARD A, KATZ, BEN Z. · 2020 to 2024
$3.9M
NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS111105
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is an illness characterized by a variety of symptoms including post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive impairment. A variety of case definitions (e.g., the Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC), the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis International Consensus Criteria (ME-ICC), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) criteria) have been used to diagnose patients. However, these case definitions are consensus-based rather than empirical. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe aim of the current study was to evaluate the validity of the aforementioned case definitions by factor analyzing a large, international sample (

resultsWe identified seven symptom domains, including post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction, and sleep dysfunction. Contrary to many existing case criteria, our analyses did not identify pain as an independent factor.

conclusionsAlthough our results implicate a factor solution that best supports the CCC, revisions to the criteria are recommended.Implications for rehabilitationME/CFS is a chronic illness with no consensus regarding case diagnostic criteria, which creates difficulty for patients seeking assistance and disability benefits.The current study compared three commonly used case definitions for ME/CFS by factor analyzing symptomological data from an international sample of patients.Our results suggest three primary and four secondary symptom domains which differed from all three case definitions.These findings could help reduce barriers to care for those disabled with ME/CFS by guiding the development of an empirically-based case definition.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionFatigue Syndrome, ChronicCanadaConsensusHumansPainUnited Statescase definitionschronic illnessdiagnostic criteriafactor analysisMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Identifiers

PMID35236205
PMCPMC9437146
OpenAlexW4214822680

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.