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Cognitive dysfunction in adolescents with chronic fatigue: a cross-sectional study.
Dag Sulheim1, Even Fagermoen2, Øyvind Stople Sivertsen3
1Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Department of Paediatrics, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|March 21, 2015
Summary
Adolescents with chronic fatigue show significant cognitive impairments, particularly in working memory and processing speed, compared to healthy peers. These deficits persist even when accounting for mental health and sleep issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Psychology
Background:
- Chronic fatigue in adolescents is a growing concern.
- Cognitive function may be affected in this population.
- Understanding these deficits is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive function in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) versus healthy controls (HC).
- To identify specific cognitive domains affected by CFS in adolescents.
- To assess the impact of CFS on everyday executive functions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 120 adolescents with chronic fatigue and 39 healthy controls.
- Utilized a neurocognitive test battery assessing processing speed, working memory, and verbal learning.
- Employed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) for assessing everyday executive functions.
Main Results:
- Adolescents with chronic fatigue exhibited significantly impaired processing speed, working memory, cognitive inhibition, and verbal learning compared to HC.
- Everyday executive functions, as measured by BRIEF, were also significantly worse in the chronic fatigue group.
- These cognitive differences remained significant after adjusting for depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents with chronic fatigue experience clinically relevant cognitive impairments.
- Working memory and processing speed appear to be core cognitive difficulties in adolescent CFS.
- Objective cognitive testing highlights the impact of chronic fatigue on adolescent cognitive health.
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