Neuropsychological performance in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results from a population-based study.
Psychosomatic Medicine. 2008-09-01; 70(7): 829-836
DOI: 10.1097/psy.0b013e31817b9793
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1. Psychosom Med. 2008 Sep;70(7):829-36. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31817b9793. Epub
2008 Jul 7.
Neuropsychological performance in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: results
from a population-based study.
Majer M(1), Welberg LA, Capuron L, Miller AH, Pagnoni G, Reeves WC.
Author information:
(1)Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the neuropsychological function characterized in subjects
with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) at the same time controlling for relevant
confounding factors. CFS is associated with symptoms of neuropsychological
dysfunction. Objective measures of neuropsychological performance have yielded
inconsistent results possibly due to sample selection bias, diagnostic
heterogeneity, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and medication usage.
METHOD: CFS subjects (n = 58) and well controls (n = 104) from a population-based
sample were evaluated, using standardized symptom severity criteria. Subjects who
had major psychiatric disorders or took medications known to influence cognition
were excluded. Neuropsychological function was measured using the Cambridge
Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).
RESULTS: Compared with controls, CFS subjects exhibited significant decreases in
motor speed as measured in the simple and five-choice movement segments of the
CANTAB reaction time task. CFS subjects also exhibited alterations in working
memory as manifested by a less efficient search strategy on the spatial working
memory task, fewer % correct responses on the spatial recognition task, and
prolonged latency to a correct response on the pattern recognition task. A
significantly higher percentage of CFS subjects versus controls exhibited
evidence of neuropsychological impairment (defined by performance 1 standard
deviation below the CANTAB normative mean) in tasks of motor speed and spatial
working memory. Impairment in CFS subjects versus control subjects ranged from
20% versus 4.8% in five-choice movement time (p = .002) to 27.8% versus 10.6% in
search strategy on the spatial working memory task (p = .006).
CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm and quantify alterations in motor speed and
working memory in CFS subjects independent of comorbid psychiatric disease and
medication usage.
DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31817b9793
PMID: 18606722 [Indexed for MEDLINE]