Leonard Jason

Leonard A. Jason, PhD, is a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, USA and Director of the Center for Community Research at DePaul University which includes the Depaul University Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Project.

Dr. Jason developed chronic fatigue syndrome after contracting infectious mononucleosis in 1989, necessitating a leave of absence from his university job for a year and a half. After recovering enough to return to work, he began studying chronic fatigue syndrome: “What I found was that the illness had a lousy name, chronic fatigue syndrome,” he recalled. “It had an even worse case definition. The tests used to assess people’s psychological conditions were inappropriate. The treatments being used were inappropriate. And the prevalence data was not very good. So I said to myself, ‘Boy, I’m gonna have business for the next 20 years.’” He has become one of the most respected and prolific researchers of chronic fatigue syndrome.

In 2008, David Tuller profiled for The New York Times Dr. Jason's experience as both living with and researching myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Education

• 1975 - Ph.D., Clinical/Community Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
• 1971 - B.A., Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts

Awards

• 2015, American Psychological Association’s award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research
• 2013, DePaul University College of Science and Health award for Excellence in Research
• 2011, Rudy Perpich Senior Lectureship Award, presented to a distinguished CFS/FM scientist, physician or healthcare worker awarded by International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• 2011, Tom Fellows award for outstanding contributions to the Oxford House organization
• 1997, CSN ACTION Champion Award from the Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America (CAA)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee

Dr. Jason served as a voting member of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from April 1, 2004 to April 1, 2011.

Open letter to The Lancet

Two open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial, which the journal had published in 2011. The first, written in 2015, was sign by Dr. Jason and 5 of his colleagues. In 2016, thirty-six additional colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter.

• 13 November 2015, An open letter to Dr. Richard Horton and The Lancet
• 10 February 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog

Pediatric case definition

Dr. Jason is one of the authors of the Pediatric Case Definition for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• 2006, "A Pediatric Case Definition for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"

  "Summary: For a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), most researchers use criteria that were developed by Fukuda et al. (1994), with modifications suggested by Reeves et al. (2003). However, this case definition was established for adults rather than children. A Canadian Case Definition (ME/CFS; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS) has recently been developed, with more specific inclusion criteria (Carruthers et al., 2003). Again, the primary aim of this case definition is to diagnose adult CFS. A significant problem in the literature is the lack of both a pediatric definition of ME/CFS and a reliable instrument to assess it. These deficiencies can lead to criterion variance problems resulting in studies labeling children with a wide variety of symptoms as having ME/CFS. Subsequently, comparisons between articles become more difficult, decreasing the possibility of conducting a meta-analysis. This article presents recommendations developed by the International Association of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Pediatric Case Definition Working group for a ME/CFS pediatric case definition. It is hoped that this pediatric case definition will lead to more appropriate identification of children and adolescents with ME/CFS."

Notable studies

Dr. Leonard Jason is a prolific researcher of ME/CFS. Listings of his numerous studies can be accessed via the following links.

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2016 & 2017

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2014 & 2015

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2012 & 2013

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2010 & 2011

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2008 & 2009

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2006 & 2007

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2004 & 2005

• Studies by Leonard Jason for 2000 - 2003

• Studies by Leonard Jason up to 2000

Talks & Interviews

• Mar 2017, Leonard Jason's Presentation to European Network on "Current Situation on Prevalence and Diagnostic Crieria for ME and CFS"
• Jan 2017, Leonard Jason's talk to the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago on "Understanding Unexplained Illness: From Knowledge to Action" Slides for "Understanding Unexplained Illness: From Knowledge to Action"
• 2016, Leonard Jason's comments at Sept. 27th, 2016 #millionsmissing protest in Chicago
• 2016, 12th International IACFS/ME Biennial Clinical and Research Conference, Emerging Science and Clinical Care, Behavioral Assessment and Treatment of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia(Workshop given with Fred Friedberg, Ph.D.)
• 2016 - "qEEG LORETA CFS Case study - Sci Forschen Inc." with Leonard Jason, Marcie Zinn, and Mark Zinn
• Oct 2015, Defining essential features of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (Sweden)]
• 2015, DePaul Chili Challenge video
• 2014, Leonard Jason answering questions from members of the Institute of Medicine panel on case definition issues

Invest in ME International ME Conference

• 2010, Speaker at the 5th Invest in ME International ME Conference on Key Note Speech: How Case Definitions Can Stigmatize: Implications for Epidemiology, Etiology, and Pathophysiology DVD available
• 2008, Speaker at the 3rd Invest in ME International ME Conference on Case Definitions of ME/CFS – including paediatric case definition DVD available

ME/CFS Alert

• 2011, ME/CFS Alert Episode 10 - Dr. Leonard Jason, Pt. 3
• 2011, ME/CFS Alert Episode 09 - Dr. Leonard Jason, Pt. 2
• 2011, ME/CFS Alert Episode 08 - Dr. Leonard Jason, Pt. 1

Web seminars Science for Patients / Wetenschap voor patienten (The Netherlands, english spoken, dutch subtitles)

• 2014, 50. Introduction - Experience with ME / Introductie - Ervaring met ME Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 51. Criteria and Diagnosis part 1 / Criteria en diagnose deel 1 - Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 52. Criteria and Diagnosis part 2 / Criteria en diagnose deel 2 - Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 53. ME versus Psychiatric Disorders / ME versus psychiatrische aandoeningen - Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 54. Treating and managing ME / Behandelen van en omgaan met ME -Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 55. Symptoms of ME and treatments / Symptomen van ME en behandelingen - Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 56. Population and Social Impact / Populatie en sociale gevolgen - Prof. Leonard Jason
• 2014, 57. Future and Teaching about ME / Toekomst en onderwijs geven over ME - Prof. Leonard Jason

Books

• 2008, Fatigue Science for Human Health, edited by Yatanabe, Y., Evengard, B., Natelson, B.H., Jason, L.A., & Kuratsune, H.
• 2003, The Handbook of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Leonard Jason, Patricia Fennell and Renée R. Taylor.
• 2001, Clinician's Guide To Controversial Illnesses: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, by Renée R. Taylor, Fred Friedberg, and Leonard A. Jason
• 1998, Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Empirical Guide to Assessment and Treatment, by Fred Friedberg and Leonard Jason

Articles

• 18 September 2017, "To Serve or Not to Serve: Ethical and Policy Implications"

Online Presence

• Website
• Twitter
• YouTube Channel

Learn More

• Wikipedia - Leonard Jason
• Leonard Jason's Home Page at DePaul University

See Also

• DePaul symptom questionnaire

Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome is another term for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but one which emphasizes the immunological aspects of the disease. Popular in the 1990s, this term has apparently fallen into disuse.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

etiology The cause of origin, especially of a disease.