De kognitieve klachten bij ME/CVS-patienten (met name problemen met de koncentratie en

de hogere kontrolefunkties van de hersenen) staan geheel los van depressieve gevoelens.

En daarmee verdwijnt weer een biopsychosociaal "verklaringsmodel" in de prullenbak...

The role of depression in cognitive impairment

in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. [Article in Spanish]

Med Clin (Barc). 2010 Dec 8. doi:10.1016/j.medcli.2010.07.022.

Santamarina-Pérez P, Freniche V, Eiroa-Orosa FJ, Llobet G, Sáez N, Alegre J, Jacas C.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To analyze

the role of depression in cognitive deficits of

patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

57 women with CFS

were assessed by neuropsychological tests that included measures of

• attention:
  • CalCap,
  • Mental control of the WMS-III,
  • PASAT,
  • forward and backward digits (WAIS-III),
  • symbol digit modalities test (SDMT);
• executive functions:
  • Stroop Test,
  • Trail Making Test (TMT A y B),
  • FAS,
  • Tower of London;
• memory:
  • Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (AVL),
  • Rey Complex Figure (RCF), and
• psychomotor skills:
  • Grooved Pegboard.

The raw scores on the tests

were adjusted according to normative data and transformed to T scores.

The sample was divided into two groups

based on the presence or absence of depression,

assessed by clinical interview and administration of

the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

This study

compared neuropsychological test scores

between the two groups.

RESULTS:

CFS patients showed

cognitive deficit in

attention and executive functions,

regardless of the presence of depression.

There were no significant differences between the two CFS groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

The cognitive impairments in patients with CFS

are not secondary to the presence of depression.

These results should be taken into account

in the implementation of therapeutic programs

in these patients.

PMID: 21145567

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022510X10005666