Observational studyPloS one2022
Activity monitoring and patient-reported outcome measures in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.
Observational study in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04195815 (A Pilot Study for Continuous Monitoring of Physical Activity Using Activity Armbands for 6 Months), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
A Pilot Study for Continuous Monitoring of Physical Activity Using Activity Armbands for 6 Months: Assessment of Feasibility and Comparison to Self-reported Questionnaires
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia - overlap, differences, and emerging insights.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Characterization of Post-Viral Infection Behaviors Among Patients With Long COVID: Prospective, Observational, Longitudinal Cohort Analyses of Fitbit Data and Patient-Reported Outcomes.JMIR formative research · 2025Observational
- Metabolic neuroimaging of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and Long-COVID.Immunometabolism (Cobham, Surrey) · 2025Review
- Autonomic Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Findings from the Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) Study in the USA.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Advancing Research and Treatment: An Overview of Clinical Trials in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Future Perspectives.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMyalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease with no validated specific and sensitive biomarker, and no standard approved treatment. In this observational study with no intervention, participants used a Fitbit activity tracker. The aims were to explore natural symptom variation, feasibility of continuous activity monitoring, and to compare activity data with patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this pilot study, 27 patients with mild to severe ME/CFS, of mean age 42.3 years, used the Fitbit Charge 3 continuously for six months. Patients wore a SenseWear activity bracelet for 7 days at baseline, at 3 and 6 months. At baseline and follow-up they completed the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire-Short Form (DSQ-SF).
resultsThe mean number of steps per day decreased with increasing ME/CFS severity; mild 5566, moderate 4991 and severe 1998. The day-by-day variation was mean 47% (range 25%-79%). Mean steps per day increased from the first to the second three-month period, 4341 vs 4781 steps, p = 0.022. The maximum differences in outcome measures between 4-week periods (highest vs lowest), were more evident in a group of eight patients with milder disease (baseline SF-36 PF > 50 or DSQ-SF < 55) as compared to 19 patients with higher symptom burden (SF-36 PF < 50 and DSQ-SF > 55), for SF-36 PF raw scores: 16.9 vs 3.4 points, and for steps per day: 958 versus 479 steps. The correlations between steps per day and self-reported SF-36 Physical function, SF-36 Social function, and DSQ-SF were significant. Fitbit recorded significantly higher number of steps than SenseWear. Resting heart rates were stable during six months.
conclusionContinuous activity registration with Fitbit Charge 3 trackers is feasible and useful in studies with ME/CFS patients to monitor steps and resting heart rate, in addition to self-reported outcome measures. CLINICAL
trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT04195815.
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Registered trials
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.