Neuropsychological Performance in Persons With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Results From a Population-Based Study

Bibliographic Data

ID19303733
AuthorsMatthias Majer (Emory University), Leonie A M Welberg, Leonie Welberg (0000-0001-7619-9149, Emory University), Lucile Capuron (0000-0002-2060-5918, Institute of Neuroimmunology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences), Abraham H Miller (0000-0001-8260-7997, Emory University), Andrew H Miller (0009-0000-0426-0297), Giuseppe Pagnoni (0000-0002-8272-8091, Emory University), William C Reeves (Global Viral, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume70
Issue7
Pages829-836
Publication date2008-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/psy.0b013e31817b9793
PMID18606722
OpenAlexW2024553822
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited63

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. CFS = chronic fatigue syndrome; MFI = Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory; SCID = Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV; SDS = Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale; WRAT-3 = Wide Range Achievement Test 3; CANTAB = Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery; RTI = reaction time; RVIP = rapid visual information processing; SWM = spatial working memory; PRM = pattern recognition memory; SRM = spatial recognition memory; EDS = extra-dimensional shift; ANCOVA = analysis of covariance; MANCOVA = multivariate analysis of covariance

Audiology · Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery · Cognition · Confounding · Neuropsychological assessment · Neuropsychological test · Neuropsychology · Physical medicine and rehabilitation · Population · Psychiatry · Spatial memory · Working memory · Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Psychology · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments · Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue

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