In de kategorie "hoe gek kun je het bedenken" wil ik U
de door Shevchuk voorgestelde "wondertherapie" zeker niet onthouden:
2 keer per dag 3 minuten koud douchen vermindert de
inspanningsintolerantie.
Alles overziend, luidt de beste therapie waarschijnlijk:
2 keer per dag 3 minuten onder de koude douche kruipen
en daarna een kop koffie (klik
hier) en een stuk pure chocola (klik
hier).
En het is nog een stuk goedkoper dan die dure gedragstherapie ook!
Possible use of repeated cold stress for reducing fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a hypothesis
Behavioral and Brain Functions 2007, 3:55
Nikolai A Shevchuk
Background
Physiological fatigue can be
defined as a reduction in the force output and/or energy-generating
capacity of skeletal muscle after exertion, which may manifest itself as an
inability to continue exercise or usual activities at the same intensity.
A typical example of a fatigue-related disorder is chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS), a disabling condition of unknown etiology and with
uncertain therapeutic options. Recent advances in elucidating
pathophysiology of this disorder revealed hypofunction of the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and that fatigue in CFS patients
appears to be associated with reduced motor neurotransmission in the
central nervous system (CNS) and to a smaller extent with increased
fatigability of skeletal muscle. There is also some limited evidence that
CFS patients may have excessive serotonergic activity in the brain and low opioid tone.
Presentation of the hypothesis
This work hypothesizes that
repeated cold stress may reduce fatigue in CFS because brief exposure to
cold may transiently reverse some physiological changes associated with
this illness. For example, exposure to cold can activate components
of the reticular activating system such as raphe nuclei and locus ceruleus,
which can result in activation of behavior and increased capacity of the
CNS to recruit motoneurons. Cold stress has also been shown to reduce the
level of serotonin in most regions of the brain (except brainstem), which
would be consistent with reduced fatigue according to animal models of
exercise-related fatigue. Finally, exposure to cold increases metabolic
rate and transiently activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as
evidenced by a temporary increase in the plasma levels of
adrenocorticotropic hormone, beta-endorphin and a modest increase in
cortisol. The increased opioid tone and high metabolic rate could diminish
fatigue by reducing muscle pain and accelerating recovery of fatigued muscle, respectively.
Testing the hypothesis
To test the hypothesis, a treatment
is proposed that consists of adapted cold showers (20 degrees Celsius, 3
minutes, preceded by a 5-minute gradual adaptation to make the procedure
more comfortable) used twice daily.
Implications of the hypothesis
If testing supports the proposed
hypothesis, this could advance our understanding of the mechanisms of fatigue in CFS.
doi:10.1186/1744-9081-3-55
Published: 24 October 2007
Samenvatting:
http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions.com/content/3/1/55
Uitgebreid studierapport:
http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions.com/content/pdf/1744-9081-3-55.pdf
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