Research

Our research How to read research evidence

Introduction

Research in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibromyalgia has been underfunded for decades. More robust research is needed for these illnesses. However, this does not mean there is zero science; there is a growing evidence base and multiple groups of international researchers working to gain scientific understanding of these conditions.

This page is intended for anyone beginning to explore existing research on ME and FM. This is not an exhaustive list, but aims to serve as a start to information and evidence seeking.

These are all external links.

If you have questions or recommendations for sources for this page, please contact research@mefm.bc.ca.

Research summaries

Index of all ME/CFS Published Research (Nov 2020, ME Association)

This resource provides a comprehensive reference list of all published research on ME/CFS, as of Nov 2020. Topics cover nomenclature, epidemiology, biomedical sub-topics, clinical and management topics, prognosis and quality of life, etc. References only, no synthesis or summaries (142 pages).

ME Research Summary (2019, ME Action)

Annotated research summary of published research on ME/CFS, as of 2019 (15 pages).

ME Research Summary: Understanding the pathology of ME

Brief summary of various research topics and current understandings. No direct references provided (3 pages).

Complied Research Summaries (ME Association, UK)

A collection of lay summaries of selected research activities by year, predominantly featured are summaries from the MEA Ramsey Research Fund.

Pubmed search for: "Myalgic encephalomyelitis AND systematic reviews"

Link/redirect to Pubmed for an active search for systematic reviews on ME. User to refine search for potential subtopics.

Pubmed search for: “Fibromyalgia AND systematic reviews”

Link/redirect to Pubmed for an active search for systematic reviews on FM. User to refine search for potential subtopics.

Research Sub-topics

We have built active search “strategies” or “strings” that will directly lead you to a large-scale medical information resource (PubMed). PubMed is a free interface for searching biomedical and life science journal articles and other published research content (e.g., online books). Not all articles will come with free full text, but many will have links to access the complete article.