Abstract:
Aim: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling illness that frequently begins in adolescence, yet adolescents with ME/CFS remain an under-researched population. We aimed to characterise the cognitive and psychosocial wellbeing of adolescents with ME/CFS relative to normative benchmarks and unaffected age-peers.
Methods: Adolescents with mild-to-moderate ME/CFS (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 25) aged 10-19 years were recruited in Melbourne, Australia. Each completed a set of clinical questionnaires and cognitive assessments to assess ME/CFS symptomatology, school functioning, psychosocial wellbeing and cognition. Their caregivers also completed questionnaires regarding their psychosocial wellbeing and everyday executive functioning.
Results: Adolescents with ME/CFS showed significantly reduced information processing speed, though other measures of intellectual functioning did not differ consistently between groups. The ME/CFS group also reported significantly poorer sleep, quality of life and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Caregivers further identified significant attention and working memory concerns in the ME/CFS group, but reported no differences in internalising behaviours between groups.
Conclusion: Adolescents with ME/CFS experience substantial psychosocial and physical burden because of their illness. Cognitive difficulties in ME/CFS may reflect inefficiencies in information processing speed and fluctuating symptom burden. Discrepancies between adolescent self-report and caregiver ratings underscore the importance of inclusive perspectives in ME/CFS management. These findings support the need for flexible, paced educational and clinical accommodations and for further research into the dynamic cognitive profile of adolescents with ME/CFS across a more representative population.
Source: Chau T, Josev EK, Scheinberg A, Thomas N, McDonald F, Reveley C, Gooley PR, Armstrong C, Knight S. Clinical Symptomatology, Cognition and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Adolescents With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study. J Paediatr Child Health. 2026 Sep 20. doi: 10.1111/jpc.70587. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42764669. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.70587 (Full text)