Background
Material and methods
Design
Study population
CFS patients
CFS patients | Healthy control subjects | |
---|---|---|
Inclusion criteria: | Persisting or constantly relapsing fatigue lasting 3 months or more. | Age ≥ 12 years and < 18 years |
Functional disability resulting from fatigue to a degree that prevent normal school attendance | ||
Age ≥ 12 and < 18 years | ||
Exclusion criteria: | Another current process or chronic disease or demanding life event that might explain the fatigue | Another chronic disease |
Permanent use of pharmaceuticals (including hormones) | ||
Permanent use of pharmaceuticals (including hormones) possibly interfering with the measurements | ||
Permanently bed-ridden | ||
Positive pregnancy test | ||
Pheocromocytoma | ||
Evidence of reduced cerebral and/or peripheral circulation due to vessel disease | ||
Polyneuropathy | ||
Renal insufficiency | ||
Known hypersensitivity towards clonidine or inert substances (lactose, saccarose) in capsula | ||
Abnormal ECG (apart from ectopic beats) | ||
Supine heart rate < 50 beats/min | ||
Supine systolic blood pressure < 85 mmHg | ||
Upright systolic blood pressure fall > 30 mmHg |
A control group of healthy adolescents
Measures
Body Mass Index
PedsQL
The mood and feelings questionnaire
Ethical considerations
Statistical analyses
Results
NorCAPITAL study | Reinfjell et al. 2006 [24] | Diseth et al. 2011 [29] | Diseth et al. 2011 [29] | Diseth et al. 2011 [29] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CFS | 95 % CI | HCs | 95 % CI | HCs | 95% CI | HCs | 95 % CI | TX | 95 % CI | ALL | 95 % CI | |
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | |||||||
Variable | N = 120 | N = 39 | N = 425 | N = 42 | N = 38 | N = 40 | ||||||
Age | 12-18 | 12-18 | 13-15 | 3-19 | 3-19 | 3-19 | ||||||
Overall QoL | 49 (13) | 46-51 | 93 (8) | 89-96 | 85 (11) | 84-86 | 89 (8) | 87-91 | 69 (18) | 63-75 | 82 (13) | 78-86 |
Physical health | 37 (17) | 33-40 | 96 (8) | 92-99 | 91 (10) | 90-92 | 92 (6) | 90-94 | 75 (17) | 69-81 | 86 (12) | 82-90 |
Emotional functioning | 60 (18) | 56-63 | 88 (14) | 83-94 | 77 (17) | 75-79 | 83 (13) | 79-87 | 69 (16) | 61-74 | 75 (19) | 69-81 |
Social functioning | 70 (15) | 68-73 | 98 (4) | 97-99 | 88 (13) | 87-89 | 93 (8) | 90-96 | 74 (22) | 67-81 | 86 (14) | 82-90 |
School functioning | 36 (19) | 33-39 | 88 (14) | 81-93 | 78 (15) | 77-79 | 86 (13) | 82-90 | 63 (18) | 57-69 | 77 (16) | 72-82 |
Psychosocial functioning | 57 (15) | 54-60 | 91 (10) | 88-96 | 82 (13) | 81-83 | 87 (9) | 84-90 | 67 (18) | 61-73 | 79 (14) | 75-83 |
CFS patients | Controls | |
---|---|---|
N = 120 | N = 39 | |
Variable | n (%) | n (%) |
Male | 34 (28) | 11 (28.2) |
Female | 86 (72) | 28 (71.8) |
CDC criteria | 88 (74) | NA |
Lives together with both parents | 85 (73) | 26 (70) |
BMI (adjusted for age and gender) | ||
Normal weight (BMI <25) | 100 (83.3) | 37 (94.9) |
Moderate overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30) | 14 (11.7) | 2 (5.1) |
Severe overweight (BMI ≥30) | 6 (5.0) | 0 (0) |
MFQ (depressive symptoms)a
| 47 (39) | 3 (8) |
Parents highest education | ||
Primary school | 5 (4.3) | 0 (0) |
Secondary school | 30 (26) | 8 (23) |
Lower university | 34 (29) | 9 (23) |
Higher university | 48 (41) | 19 (54) |
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | |
Age | 15.4 (1.6) | 15.2 (1.6) |
Disease duration (months) | 21.4 (15.2) | NA |
School absence %b
| 65 (30) | 2.1 (6.8) |
Variable | Items | Estimate of B | 95 % CI |
p-value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall HRQOL | 23 | −44 | (−49; −40) | <0.001 |
Physical health | 8 | −60 | (−54; −66) | <0.001 |
Emotional functioning | 5 | −28 | (−22; −35) | <0.001 |
Social functioning | 5 | −27 | (−22; −33) | <0.001 |
School functioning | 5 | −52 | (−45; −58) | <0.001 |
Psychosocial functioning | 15 | −36 | (−31; −41) | <0.001 |
Scores, Mean (SD) | Scores, Mean (SD) | |
---|---|---|
Adolescents with CFS | Healthy Controls | |
(n = 114) | (n = 36) | |
Overall HRQOLa
| 48.8 (13.0) | 92.9 (8.2) |
Physical health | 36.5 (17.2) | 96.0 (8.1) |
Emotional functioning | 59.8 (18.2) | 88.1 (14.0) |
Social functioning | 70.0 (15.1) | 97.8 (3.9) |
School functioning | 36.0 (18.8) | 87.6 (13.9) |
Psychosocial functioningb
| 55.4 (13.1) | 91.2 (8.9) |