scholarly journals Life events, difficulties and dilemmas in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome: a case–control study

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
SIMON HATCHER ◽  
ALLAN HOUSE
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Liaison Psychiatry ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

Background. The role of stress in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome is unclear. Our objectives in this study were first, to determine the relation between the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome and stressful life events and difficulties. Secondly, we examined the role of a particular type of problem, dilemmas, in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome.Method. We used a case–control design with 64 consecutive referrals from an Infectious Diseases/Liaison Psychiatry Fatigue clinic and 64 age- and sex-matched controls from a general practice population control group in Leeds. We had two main outcome measures; the odds ratios of the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome after experiencing a severe life event, severe difficulties or both in the year and 3 months preceding onset; and the proportion of subjects in each group who experienced a dilemma prior to onset.Results. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were more likely to experience severe events and difficulties in the 3 months (OR=9, 95% CI 3·2 to 25·1) and year (OR=4·3, 95% CI 1·8 to 10·2) prior to onset of their illness than population controls. In the 3 months prior to onset 19 of the 64 patients (30%) experienced a dilemma compared to none of the controls.Conclusions. Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with stressful events and difficulties prior to onset. Those events and difficulties characterized as being dilemmas seem to be particularly important.

scholarly journals Psychogenic Pseudosyncope: Real or Imaginary? Results from a Case-Control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Patients

Medicina ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
C. (Linda) M. C. van Campen ◽  
Frans C. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Control Study

Background and objectives: Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is a clinical condition in which symptoms worsen upon assuming and maintaining upright posture and are ameliorated by recumbency. OI has a high prevalence in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Exact numbers on syncopal spells especially if they are on a weekly or even daily basis are not described. Although not a frequent phenomenon, this symptomatology is of very high burden to the patient if present. To explore whether patients with very frequent (pre)syncope spells diagnosed elsewhere with conversion or psychogenic pseudosyncope (PPS) might have another explanation of their fainting spells than behavioral psychiatric disorders, we performed a case–control study comparing ME/CFS patients with and without PPS spells. Methods and results: We performed a case–control study in 30 ME/CFS patients diagnosed elsewhere with PPS and compared them with 30 control ME/CFS patients without syncopal spells. Cases were gender, age and ME/CFS disease duration matched. Each underwent a tilt test with extracranial Doppler measurements for cerebral blood flow (CBF). ME/CFS cases with PPS had a significant larger CBF reduction at end tilt than controls: 39 (6)% vs. 25 (4)%; (p < 0.0001). Cases had more severe disease compared with controls (chi-square p < 0.01 and had a p = 0.01) for more postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in cases compared with controls. PETCO2 end-tilt differed also, but the magnitude of difference was smaller than compared with the CBF reduction: there were no differences in heart rate and blood pressure at either end-tilt testing period. Compared with the test with the stockings off, the mean percentage reduction in cardiac output during the test with compression stockings on was lower, 25 (5) mmHg versus 29 (4) mmHg (p < 0.005). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in ME/CFS patients suspected of having PPS, or conversion, CBF measurements end-tilt show a large decline compared with a control group of ME/CFS patients. Therefore, hypoperfusion offers an explanation of the orthostatic intolerance and syncopal spells in these patients, where it is clear that origin might not be behavioral or psychogenic, but have a clear somatic pathophysiologic background.

scholarly journals Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Human Herpesviruses Are Back!

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Maria Eugenia Ariza
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Specific Proteins ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Human Herpesviruses

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) is a chronic multisystem illness of unconfirmed etiology. There are currently no biomarkers and/or signatures available to assist in the diagnosis of the syndrome and while numerous mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain the pathology of ME/CFS, the triggers and/or drivers remain unknown. Initial studies suggested a potential role of the human herpesviruses especially Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the disease process but inconsistent and conflicting data led to the erroneous suggestion that these viruses had no role in the syndrome. New studies using more advanced approaches have now demonstrated that specific proteins encoded by EBV could contribute to the immune and neurological abnormalities exhibited by a subgroup of patients with ME/CFS. Elucidating the role of these herpesvirus proteins in ME/CFS may lead to the identification of specific biomarkers and the development of novel therapeutics.

The Role of Perfectionism in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2015 ◽  
pp. 101-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kempke ◽  
Boudewijn Van Houdenhove ◽  
Stephan Claes ◽  
Patrick Luyten
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

scholarly journals The role of herpesviruses 6 and 7 in the development of chronic fatigue syndrome: a review of literature and description of clinical cases

2018 ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
V. V. Tsaryk ◽  
A. K. Novoskoltsev
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Fibromyalgia Syndrome ◽  
Immune Dysfunction ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Herpesvirus Infection ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

At the issue represented the etiopathogenesis of the chronic fatigue syndrome of (CFS) with immune dysfunction. Many doctors consider this problem only from the point of view of non-psychological disorders requiring only psycho-correction and non-drug treatment. However, syndromocomplex of CFS includes not only neuropsychiatric disorders, but also fibromyalgia syndrome, unexplained genesis, lymphadenopathy, non-specific polyarthralgias. It is also controversial about the feasibility of treating type 6 herpesviruses and type 7 viruses. Some authors consider the need for antiviral therapy only when reactivating the herpesvirus infection, in the transplantation of organs and tissues. However, for frequent HHV-7 and HHV-6 viremia remains resistant to ganciclovir, unlike CMV and EBV, which is successfully controlled by viremia.

scholarly journals Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): An Overview

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 4786
Author(s):  
Undine-Sophie Deumer ◽  
Angelica Varesi ◽  
Valentina Floris ◽  
Gabriele Savioli ◽  
Elisa Mantovani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Non Coding Rna

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic systemic disease that manifests via various symptoms such as chronic fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and cognitive impairment described as “brain fog”. These symptoms often prevent patients from keeping up their pre-disease onset lifestyle, as extended periods of physical or mental activity become almost impossible. However, the disease presents heterogeneously with varying severity across patients. Therefore, consensus criteria have been designed to provide a diagnosis based on symptoms. To date, no biomarker-based tests or diagnoses are available, since the molecular changes observed also largely differ from patient to patient. In this review, we discuss the infectious, genetic, and hormonal components that may be involved in CFS pathogenesis, we scrutinize the role of gut microbiota in disease progression, we highlight the potential of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) for the development of diagnostic tools and briefly mention the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection causing CFS.

scholarly journals Chronic fatigue syndrome Role of psychological factors overemphasised

BMJ ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 308 (6939) ◽  
pp. 1297-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Blatch ◽  
T Blatt ◽  
A Wilson ◽  
I Hickie ◽  
A Lloyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

Associations of physical and psychiatric conditions with chronic fatigue syndrome in Germany: an exploratory case-control study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Louis Jacob ◽  
Josep Maria Haro ◽  
Karel Kostev
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Index Date ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Control Study

Abstract Background Only a few studies have analyzed the effects of physical and psychiatric conditions on the risk of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Therefore, the goal of this exploratory case-control study was to investigate the associations of physical and psychiatric conditions with CFS in almost 19 800 adults from Germany. Methods This study included patients diagnosed for the first time with CFS in one of 1238 general practices in Germany between 2010 and 2017 (index date). Controls without CFS were matched (1:1) to cases with CFS by sex, age, index year, and practice. Physical and psychiatric conditions diagnosed in the year prior to the index date were included if they were present in at least 3% of patients with CFS. Associations between physical and psychiatric conditions (33 potential independent variables) and CFS (dependent variable) were analyzed in an adjusted conditional logistic regression model, and physical and psychiatric disorders were included in the model using forward stepwise selection. Results This study included 9896 cases with CFS and 9896 controls without CFS [65.1% women; mean (standard deviation) age 49.5 (18.3) years]. Seven conditions were associated with CFS in the adjusted regression model. The disorders displaying the strongest relationship with CFS were cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.24–2.95], sleep disorders (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.66–2.12) and depression (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.61–1.95). Conclusions Cancer, sleep disorders, and depression were strongly and positively associated with CFS. Additional studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these relationships.

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