Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior - Volume 3, Issue 3, 2015

Volume 3, Issue 3, 2016

 * Chronic fatigue syndrome versus systemic exertion intolerance disease "Abstract - Background: The Institute of Medicine has recommended a change in the name and criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), renaming the illness systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID). The new SEID case definition requires substantial reductions or impairments in the ability to engage in pre-illness activities, unrefreshing sleep, post-exertional malaise, and either cognitive impairment or orthostatic intolerance. Purpose: In the current study, samples were generated through several different methods and were used to compare this new case definition to previous case definitions for CFS, the International Consensus Criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME-ICC), the Canadian myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) definition, as well as a case definition developed through empirical methods. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design with samples from tertiary care settings, a BioBank sample, and other forums. Seven hundred and ninety-six patients from the USA, Great Britain, and Norway completed the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire. Results: Findings indicated that the SEID criteria identified 88% of participants in the samples analyzed, which is comparable to the 92% that met the Fukuda criteria. The SEID case definition was compared to a four-item empiric criteria, and findings indicated that the four-item empiric criteria identified a smaller, more functionally limited and symptomatic group of patients. Conclusion: The recently developed SEID criteria appears to identify a group comparable in size to the Fukuda et al. criteria, but a larger group of patients than the Canadian ME/CFS and ME criteria, and selects more patients who have less impairment and fewer symptoms than a four-item empiric criteria."
 * Perceived fatigue interference and depressed mood: comparison of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients with fatigued breast cancer survivors. "Abstract - Objective: Persistent fatigue and depressive symptoms are both highly prevalent among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) as well as breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess and directly compare perceptions of fatigue as highly interfering in one's daily functioning in both patient populations to better understand their relationships with depressed mood. Methods: Participants were 95 female CFS/ME patients and 67 females who were approximately five years post-treatment for stage 0–III breast cancer presenting with clinically elevated fatigue severity. Self-report measures were obtained on participants' fatigue-related interference in daily functioning and fatigue severity as well as depressed mood. Hierarchical regression was used to test effects controlling for relevant demographic, psychosocial, and medical covariates. Results: CFS/ME patients endorsed greater depressed mood and fatigue interference than did fatigued breast cancer survivors, p < .001. These factors were significantly positively correlated among CFS/ME patients (β = .36, p < .001), but not among the fatigued breast cancer survivors (β = .18, p = .19). Conclusions: CFS/ME patients reported elevated fatigue symptoms and depression relative to fatigued breast cancer survivors. In the former group, greater depressed mood was highly and significantly associated with greater fatigue-related inference in daily activities. Potential targets for cognitive behavioral interventions are discussed."
 * Chronic fatigue syndrome and increased susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections and illnesses "Abstract - Background: Previous research has suggested that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients report more upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTIs) than controls. Aims: The present study aimed to replicate and extend this research. Method: A prospective study of the incidence of URTIs was conducted. This was similar to previous work involving diary studies but also included objective measures of illness severity (e.g. nasal secretion; sub-lingual temperature) and infection (virus isolation from nasal swabs and antibody changes). Fifty-seven patients with CFS, diagnosed according to the 1994 CDC criteria, were recruited randomly from a volunteer panel compiled of patients who had attended the Cardiff CFS outpatient clinic. A further 57 individuals without CFS were recruited from a general population research panel. Results: The results confirmed that CFS patients report more upper respiratory virus infections and the virological results showed that this was not due to a reporting bias but reflected greater susceptibility to infection. Conclusions: This increased susceptibility to infection in the CFS group can account for the increased reporting of URTIs found in this and previous studies."
 * Variability in symptoms complicates utility of case definitions. "Abstract - Background: Ambiguities in case definitions have created difficulties in replicating findings and estimating the prevalence rates for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). Purpose: The current study examined differences in occurrence rates for CFS and ME cardinal symptoms (i.e. post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and neurocognitive deficits). Results: Findings indicated that there is a wide range of occurrence rates on critical symptoms of the case definition, suggesting that either the types of patients recruited differ in various settings or the questions assessing core symptoms vary in their wording or criteria among different researchers. Conclusions: The polythetic nature of the case definition may contribute to the wide ranges of symptom occurrence that was found. In order to increase assessed reliability of the symptoms and case definitions, there is a need to better standardize data collection methods and operationalization of symptoms. This solution would reduce the heterogeneity often seen in populations of CFS patients."
 * Coping with chronic fatigue syndrome: a review and synthesis of qualitative studies. "Abstract - Background: Interventions that potentially improve coping with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are important for patients, clinicians, and researchers. Purpose: To identify factors experienced by patients to promote coping with CFS and to provide recommendations for adequate interventions in this patient group. Methods: A systematic review of qualitative studies was performed. Structured searches were conducted in major scientific databases. Two reviewers independently performed the study selection and assessment. Meta-ethnography was applied to review and synthesise the studies. The analysis provided key concepts that could be aggregated using second-order interpretations. Results: Fifteen studies were included. Findings suggested that coping strategies, including activity management and the use of cognitive and emotional strategies, and psychological processes, such as acceptance and the rebuilding of identities and lives, may promote coping with CFS. The use of adequate coping strategies appeared to be facilitated by progress in these psychological processes. Coping appeared to be facilitated mainly by self-management, occasionally complemented by treatments and social support. Conclusions: Interventions focusing on coping may include the use of adequate coping strategies and take into account progress in psychological processes, which may fluctuate over time. Interventions may be complemented by self-management, other types of treatments, and social support."