Abstract This is a comprehensive literature review of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We provide a description of the background, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management regarding CFS. CFS is a multifaceted illness that has many symptoms and a wide array of clinical presentations. As of recent, CFS has been merged with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Much of the difficulty in its management has stemmed from a lack of a concrete understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis. There is a potential association between dysfunction of the autoimmune, neuroendocrine, or autonomic nervous systems and the development of CFS. Possible triggering events, such as infections followed by an immune dysregulation resulting have also been proposed. In fact, ME/CFS was first described following Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infections, but it was later determined that it was not always preceded by EBV infection. Patient diagnosed with CFS have shown a noticeably earlier activation of anaerobic metabolism as a source of energy, which is suggestive of impaired oxygen consumption. The differential diagnoses range from tick-borne illnesses to psychiatric disorders to thyroid gland dysfunction. Given the many overlapping symptoms of CFS with other illnesses makes diagnosing it far from an easy task. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers it a diagnosing of exclusion, stating that self-reported fatigue for at minimum of six months and four of the following symptoms are necessary for a proper diagnosis: memory problems, sore throat, post-exertion malaise, tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes, myalgia, multi-joint pain, headaches, and troubled sleep. In turn, management of CFS is just as difficult. Treatment ranges from conservative, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and antidepressants, to minimally invasive management. Minimally invasive management involving ranscutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation of target points has demonstrated significant improvement in fatigue and associated symptoms in a 2017 randomized controlled study. The understanding of CFS is evolving before us as we continue to learn more about it. As further reliable studies are conducted, providing a better grasp of what the syndrome encompasses, we will be able to improve our diagnosis and management of it. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34540633/ eta: comprehensive??
What a strange abstract. Why would they pick out CBT, antidepressants and a single study of electrical stimulation of acupuncture points as treatments? The authors are all as far as I can see specialists in pain and anaesthesiology, so perhaps that skews their perspective.
This refers to a study that is only available in Chinese: Li J, Xie J, Pan Z, Guo X, Li Y, Fu R. [Chronic fatigue syndrome treated with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation: a randomized controlled trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2017;37(12):1276–9. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.2017.12.006. [PubMed: 29354991].
This is just an essay done by a trainee sent off as a review publication. The first author probably knows little or nothing about CFS.
Either that, or they have shares in a company planning to import and sell the transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation machines, and they needed a 'scientifically proven' paper in English to support the marketing...
I wondered what the exotic sounding "ranscutaneous" form of electrical acupoint stimulation was. Apparently, it's just a typo for "transcutaneous."
Sure. And then you will read this article cited in a year or 2, from someone who have done a poor job at lit. review. That’s the problem with scientific publications.