Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome
Open Access
- 1 January 2013
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Frontiers Media SA in Frontiers in Physiology
- Vol. 4, 87
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00087
Abstract
Neurocognitive impairment is a feature of childhood chronic fatigue syndrome (CCFS). Several studies have demonstrated reduced attention control in CCFS patients in switching and divided attention tasks. In students, the extent of deterioration in task performance depends on the level of fatigue. Poor performance in switching and divided attention is common in both fatigued students and CCFS patients. Additionally, attentional functions show dramatic development from childhood to adolescence, suggesting that abnormal development of switching and divided attention may be induced by chronic fatigue. The brain structures associated with attentional control are situated in the frontal and parietal cortices, which are the last to mature, suggesting that severe fatigue in CCFS patients and students may inhibit normal structural and functional development in these regions. A combination of treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressant medication is effective to improve attentional control processing in CCFS patients. Studies identifying the features of neurocognitive impairment in CCFS have improved our current understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of CCFS.Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Relationship between cognitive functions and prevalence of fatigue in elementary and junior high school studentsBrain & Development, 2011
- Changes in cognitive functions of students in the transitional period from elementary school to junior high schoolBrain & Development, 2011
- Exposure to parental verbal abuse is associated with increased gray matter volume in superior temporal gyrusNeuroImage, 2011
- Severe Versus Moderate Criteria for the New Pediatric Case Definition for ME/CFSChild Psychiatry and Human Development, 2009
- Increase in prefrontal cortical volume following cognitive behavioural therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndromeBrain, 2008
- On the Importance of Inhibition: Central and Peripheral Manifestations of Nonlinear Inhibitory Processes in Neural SystemsDose-Response, 2006
- Learning and memorization impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome manifesting as school phobia in JapanBrain & Development, 2004
- Audiospatial and Visuospatial Working Memory in 6–13 Year Old School ChildrenLearning & Memory, 2003
- Development of a fatigue scaleJournal of Psychosomatic Research, 1993
- Developmental norms for the wisconsin card sorting testJournal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 1986