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Review
. 2023 Aug;94(8):725-733.
doi: 10.1007/s00115-022-01431-x. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

[Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an overview of current evidence]

[Article in German]
Birgit Ludwig  1 , Elisabeth Olbert  2 , Karin Trimmel  1 , Stefan Seidel  1 , Paulus S Rommer  3 , Christian Müller  1 , Walter Struhal  2 , Thomas Berger  1
Affiliations
Review

[Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an overview of current evidence]

[Article in German]
Birgit Ludwig et al. Nervenarzt. 2023 Aug.

Abstract
in English, German

Over the past 5 years both media and scientific interest has surged regarding the disorder myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), not least because of the clinically similar manifestation in long COVID or post-COVID. In this review we discuss the process of clinical diagnosis and randomized controlled therapeutic studies on ME/CFS, and the similarities or differences to long COVID and post-COVID. So far, neither clear pathophysiologically causal nor therapeutic evidence-based results on ME/CFS have been identified in the many years of scientific research. Given the evident psychiatric comorbidity rates in patients with a diagnosis of ME/CFS, a psychosomatic etiology of this syndrome should be considered. Furthermore, a precise and reliable diagnostic classification based on stricter criteria would benefit both pathophysiological and therapeutic research.

In den vergangenen 5 Jahren hat sowohl das mediale als auch das wissenschaftliche Interesse an der Erkrankung myalgische Enzephalomyelitis/„chronic fatigue syndrome“ (ME/CFS) signifikant zugenommen; nicht zuletzt auch durch die klinisch ähnliche Manifestation im Rahmen von Long- oder Post-COVID. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit diskutieren wir die klinische Diagnosestellung und therapeutische Studien zu ME/CFS sowie die Gemeinsamkeiten oder Unterschiede zu Long‑/Post-COVID. Bisher liegen weder pathophysiologisch eindeutig kausale noch therapeutisch evidenzbasierte Ergebnisse in der langjährigen wissenschaftlichen Forschung zu ME/CFS vor. Nicht zuletzt aufgrund der relevanten psychiatrischen Komorbiditätsrate beim ME/CFS ist nach der aktuellen Datenlage eine psychosomatische Ätiologie der Erkrankung zu diskutieren. Des Weiteren könnte sich eine genauere und sichere Diagnosestellung anhand strikterer Diagnosekriterien auf die weitere Forschung und vor allem hinsichtlich Therapien positiv auswirken.

Keywords: Evidence; POTS; Post-COVID; Psychosomatic; Randomized-controlled trials.

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