Zwarts, M J, Bleijenberg, G, van Engelen, B G M · Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2008 · DOI
This review explains what fatigue is and how doctors can measure it in patients with nerve and muscle disorders. Fatigue has both physical and mental components, and scientists can assess it using muscle tests, electrical measurements, and questionnaires. The study found that in many neurological conditions, fatigue comes mainly from problems with how the brain activates muscles, rather than from the muscles themselves.
Understanding the neurophysiological basis of fatigue is critical for ME/CFS research, since ME/CFS is characterized by chronic fatigue without a clearly identified somatic disease. This review provides a framework for distinguishing central versus peripheral mechanisms of fatigue, which could help researchers identify whether ME/CFS involves similar central nervous system dysfunction seen in other neurological conditions.
This review does not establish a specific cause of fatigue in ME/CFS, nor does it include original data from ME/CFS patients. It is a synthesis of existing knowledge across multiple conditions and does not prove that the assessment methods described are equally effective or applicable to ME/CFS specifically. The review does not demonstrate causal relationships between the neurophysiological findings and clinical fatigue severity.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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