Memory problems

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Memory problems in myalgic encephalomyelitis can be very disabling. Mental fatigue makes memory problems worse but does not account for all memory deficiencies in people with ME/CFS. A 2006 study by the CDC found that patients with CFS and high complaints of mental fatigue exhibited significant impairment in working memory.[1]

Fibromyalgia patients also report having problems with memory and refer to it as fibro fog.

Presentation[edit | edit source]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

  • In a 2001 Belgian study, 85.6% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 89.3% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 CFS patients, reported memory problems.[2]

Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]

  • In the Canadian Consensus Criteria, impairment of concentration and short-term memory consolidation is an optional criteria for diagnosis, under the section Neurological/Cognitive Manifestations.[3]
  • In the Fukuda criteria, the symptom of substantial impairment in short-term memory can be used to help form a diagnosis.[4]
  • In the Holmes criteria, forgetfulness is an optional criteria for diagnosis, under the section Minor Symptom Criteria - Neuropsychologic Complaints.[5]

Memory issues that begin after COVID-19 are a potential symptom of Long COVID in the World Health Organization's definition.[6]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

Possible causes[edit | edit source]

Potential treatments[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

Brian Vastag was able to prove with qEEG and cognitive tests he had "significant problems with visual perception and analysis, scanning speed, attention, visual motor coordination, motor and mental speed, memory, and verbal fluency" winning his long term disability (LTD) claim.[7]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Capuron, Lucile; Welberg, Leonie; Heim, Christine; Wagner, Dieter; Solomon, Laura; Papanicolaou, Dimitris A; Craddock, R Cameron; Miller, Andrew H; Reeves, William C (2006), "Cognitive Dysfunction Relates to Subjective Report of Mental Fatigue in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Neuropsychopharmacology, 31: 1777–1784, doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301005
  2. De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). "A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome". Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
  3. A Clinical Case Definition and Guidelines for Medical Practitioners: An Overview of the Canadian Consensus Document Pg 8. 2005.
  4. "Fukuda (1994) Definition for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)". cfids-me.org. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  5. "Holmes Definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, U.S. CDC 1988". cfids-me.org. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  6. Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization
  7. 7.0 7.1 Tillman, Adriane (June 4, 2018). "Victory for ME Disability Claim - U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff's Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability". #MEAction. Retrieved February 2, 2019.