Neuroaetiology of chronic fatigue syndrome: An overview.
Journal: World J Biol Psychiatry. 2007 May 8;:1-7 [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Sanders P, Korf J.
Affiliation: University Centre of Psychiatry, University of
Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
NLM Citation: PMID: 17853290
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is now recognized as a medical
disorder. In contrast to recent related reports, the present review
focuses primarily on aetiological aspects of CFS.
Four major hypotheses are reviewed.
(1) Although CFS is often associated with viral infection, the
presence of viruses has as yet not consistently been detected.
(2) It is not clear whether anomalies of the HPA axis often observed
in CFS, are cause or the consequences of the disorder.
(3) Immune dysfunction as the cause of CFS is thus far the weakest hypothesis.
(4) The psychiatric and psychosocial hypothesis denies the existence
of CFS as a disease entity. Accordingly, the fatigue symptoms are
assumed to be the consequence of other (somatic) diseases.
Other possible causes of CFS are oxidative stress and genetic predisposition.
In CFS cognitive behavioural therapy is most commonly used. This
therapy, however, appears to be ineffective in many patients.
The suggested causes of CFS and the divergent reactions to therapy
may be explained by the lack of recognition of subgroups.
Identification of subtypes may lead to more effective therapeutic
interventions.
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