Archived Comments for:
Chronic fatigue syndrome: Harvey and Wessely's (bio)psychosocial model versus a bio(psychosocial) model based on inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways
There is evidence that CFS patients don't engage in “boom and bust” activity patterns
Tom Kindlon, Irish ME/CFS Association - for Information, Support & Research
23 July 2010
As Maes and Twisk highlight[1], one part of the Harvey and Wessely model is the contention that CFS patients engage in “boom and bust” activity patterns. This claim has been repeated so often by various individuals that it has been seen as fact by some. But is there actual evidence for it?
What many people may not be aware of is we do have data on the issue. A Dutch study tested a relatively large cohort of CFS patients (n=277) along with 47 healthy controls [2]. The research used actometers to provide an objective measure of activity over 12 days. It found: "Compared to healthy controls, no indication was found that the CFS patients as a group were characterised by a high number of large day-to-day fluctuations in activity."
References: [1] Maes M, Twisk FN. Chronic fatigue syndrome: Harvey and Wessely's (bio)psychosocial model versus a bio(psychosocial) model based on inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways. BMC Med. 2010 Jun 15;8:35.
[2] van der Werf SP, Prins JB, Vercoulen JH, van der Meer JW, Bleijenberg G. Identifying physical activity patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome using actigraphic assessment. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Nov;49(5):373-9.
There is evidence that CFS patients don't engage in “boom and bust” activity patterns
23 July 2010
As Maes and Twisk highlight[1], one part of the Harvey and Wessely model is the contention that CFS patients engage in “boom and bust” activity patterns. This claim has been repeated so often by various individuals that it has been seen as fact by some. But is there actual evidence for it?
What many people may not be aware of is we do have data on the issue. A Dutch study tested a relatively large cohort of CFS patients (n=277) along with 47 healthy controls [2]. The research used actometers to provide an objective measure of activity over 12 days. It found: "Compared to healthy controls, no indication was found that the CFS patients as a group were characterised by a high number of large day-to-day fluctuations in activity."
References:
[1] Maes M, Twisk FN. Chronic fatigue syndrome: Harvey and Wessely's (bio)psychosocial model versus a bio(psychosocial) model based on inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways. BMC Med. 2010 Jun 15;8:35.
[2] van der Werf SP, Prins JB, Vercoulen JH, van der Meer JW, Bleijenberg G. Identifying physical activity patterns in chronic fatigue syndrome using actigraphic assessment. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Nov;49(5):373-9.
Competing interests
No competing interests