• Hans Knoop, Judith B Prins, Maja Stulemeijer, Jos W M van der Meer, and Gijs Bleijenberg.
• Expert Centre Chronic Fatigue, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P O Box 9011, 6525 EC Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.knoop@nkcv.umcn.nl
• J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. 2007 Apr 1;78(4):434-6.

BackgroundPatients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often have concentration and memory problems. Neuropsychological test performance is impaired in at least a subgroup of patients with CFS. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for CFS leads to a reduction in fatigue and disabilities.AimTo test the hypothesis that CBT results in a reduction of self-reported cognitive impairment and in an improved neuropsychological test performance.MethodsData of two previous randomised controlled trials were used. One study compared CBT for adult patients with CFS, with two control conditions. The second study compared CBT for adolescent patients with a waiting list condition. Self-reported cognitive impairment was assessed with questionnaires. Information speed was measured with simple and choice reaction time tasks. Adults also completed the symbol digit-modalities task, a measure of complex attentional function.ResultsIn both studies, the level of self-reported cognitive impairment decreased significantly more after CBT than in the control conditions. Neuropsychological test performance did not improve.ConclusionsCBT leads to a reduction in self-reported cognitive impairment, but not to improved neuropsychological test performance. The findings of this study support the idea that the distorted perception of cognitive processes is more central to CFS than actual cognitive performance.

17 keywords...

hide…