Memory impairments in chronic fatigue syndrome patients

Abstract:

Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients often report memory problems. Prior research has produced conflicting results on this topic. Episodic memory impairments appear to be robust, but tasks assessing other aspects of memory (e.g., working and semantic memory) show slower speed but no decrease in accuracy. This study examined whether the memory problems of CFS patients reflect slower responses. Methods: CFS patients were recruited from a specialist clinic. Sixty-seven patients carried out tasks measuring immediate recall, delayed recognition memory, logical reasoning and semantic processing. The control group were 126 healthy volunteers recruited from the general population.

Results: The CFS patients recalled fewer words and had poorer delayed recognition. The other tasks showed slower speed but no effect on accuracy.

Conclusions: CFS patients have poorer immediate recall and delayed recognition memory. The delayed recognition memory probably reflected the poorer immediate recall. Slower responding was present in three of the tasks, and it is possible that this also accounted for the reduced immediate recall.

Source:  Smith, Andrew. Memory impairments in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. wjpmr, 2022, 8(6), 50-54. ISSN 2455-3301 https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/150176/1/article_1654063780_pub.pdf (Full text)

Cognitive functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 35 outpatients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). They were compared to 33 normal controls matched for age, gender, intelligence, and education.

The patients displayed psychomotor slowing and impaired attention. The learning rate of verbal and visual material for patients with CFS was slower, and delayed recall of verbal and visual information was impaired. Because there was a high variability in cognitive impairment within the CFS group, it would be inappropriate to generalize results to the entire CFS population. Two neuropsychological variables indicating aspects of psychomotor performance and verbal memory were found to discriminate best between patients and controls.

 

Source: Michiels V, Cluydts R, Fischler B, Hoffmann G, Le Bon O, De Meirleir K. Cognitive functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1996 Oct;18(5):666-77. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8941852