Title |
A narrative review on the similarities and dissimilarities between myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and sickness behavior
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Published in |
BMC Medicine, March 2013
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DOI | 10.1186/1741-7015-11-64 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Gerwyn Morris, George Anderson, Piotr Galecki, Michael Berk, Michael Maes |
Abstract |
It is of importance whether myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a variant of sickness behavior. The latter is induced by acute infections/injury being principally mediated through proinflammatory cytokines. Sickness is a beneficial behavioral response that serves to enhance recovery, conserves energy and plays a role in the resolution of inflammation. There are behavioral/symptomatic similarities (for example, fatigue, malaise, hyperalgesia) and dissimilarities (gastrointestinal symptoms, anorexia and weight loss) between sickness and ME/CFS. While sickness is an adaptive response induced by proinflammatory cytokines, ME/CFS is a chronic, disabling disorder, where the pathophysiology is related to activation of immunoinflammatory and oxidative pathways and autoimmune responses. While sickness behavior is a state of energy conservation, which plays a role in combating pathogens, ME/CFS is a chronic disease underpinned by a state of energy depletion. While sickness is an acute response to infection/injury, the trigger factors in ME/CFS are less well defined and encompass acute and chronic infections, as well as inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. It is concluded that sickness behavior and ME/CFS are two different conditions. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 22 | 22% |
United Kingdom | 21 | 21% |
Australia | 2 | 2% |
Canada | 2 | 2% |
Belgium | 2 | 2% |
Curaçao | 2 | 2% |
Spain | 1 | 1% |
Germany | 1 | 1% |
Comoros | 1 | 1% |
Other | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 44 | 44% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 85 | 86% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 6 | 6% |
Scientists | 5 | 5% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | 1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Ireland | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 159 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 29 | 18% |
Student > Bachelor | 21 | 13% |
Student > Master | 20 | 12% |
Other | 18 | 11% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 18 | 11% |
Other | 31 | 19% |
Unknown | 26 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 35 | 21% |
Psychology | 23 | 14% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 16 | 10% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 15 | 9% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 13 | 8% |
Other | 28 | 17% |
Unknown | 33 | 20% |