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Core body temperature is normal in chronic fatigue syndrome
D L Hamilos1, D Nutter, J Gershtenson
1National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|March 26, 1998
Summary
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients often report temperature irregularities, but this study found their core body temperature (CBT) is normal. This research clarifies that subjective temperature sensations in CFS are not linked to objective CBT abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Medical Research
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is often associated with patient-reported symptoms of abnormal body temperature, including low-grade fever or feeling cold.
- These subjective temperature complaints in CFS warrant investigation to determine if they correlate with objective physiological changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate core body temperature (CBT) regulation in individuals diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
- To determine if objective abnormalities in CBT can be identified in CFS patients to explain reported temperature dysregulation.
Main Methods:
- Continuous 24-hour core body temperature (CBT) monitoring using ingestible radio frequency transmitter pills in 7 CFS subjects.
- Comparison groups included normal controls, seasonal allergy, and major depression subjects (n=7 each), matched for key physiological parameters.
- CBT data were collected every 5 minutes, with pills factory and field-calibrated for accuracy.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in the 24-hour mean, peak, or trough core body temperatures (CBT) between CFS subjects and control groups.
- Circadian rhythms of CBT and serum cortisol levels were similar across all study groups, including CFS patients.
- Objective CBT measurements did not support the subjective reports of temperature abnormalities in CFS.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) exhibit normal core body temperature (CBT) regulation.
- Subjective reports of feeling feverish or having a low-grade fever in CFS are not supported by objective CBT measurements.
- Further research is needed to understand the physiological basis of temperature dysregulation symptoms in CFS.
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