American researchers compared patients meeting the 1994 CFS definition with those meeting the ME/CFS Canadian definition and the Ramsay ME definition. They found that the ME/CFS criteria identified a subset of patients with more functional impairments and physical, mental, and cognitive problems than the subset not meeting these criteria. The ME subset had more functional impairments, and more severe physical and cognitive symptoms than the subset not meeting ME criteria. Both the ME/CFS and ME criteria appear to select a more severe subset of patients than the 1994 CFS case definition.

Contrasting Case Definitions for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, by
Leonard A. Jason, Abigail Brown, Erin Clyne, Lindsey Bartgis, Meredyth Evans, and Molly Brown in Eval Health Prof. 2012 Sep; 35(3): 280–304.

Research abstract:

This article uses data from patients recruited using the 1994 case definition of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to contrast those meeting criteria for the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) Canadian case definition with those that did not meet these criteria. The study also contrasts those meeting criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) based on criteria from Ramsay and other theorists with those that did not meet the ME criteria. The ME/CFS case definition criteria identified a subset of patients with more functional impairments and physical, mental, and cognitive problems than the subset not meeting these criteria. The ME subset had more functional impairments, and more severe physical and cognitive symptoms than the subset not meeting ME criteria. When applied to a population meeting the 1994 CFS case definition, both ME/CFS and ME criteria appear to select a more severe subset of patients.