Fatigue Scales and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Issues of Sensitivity and
Specificity.
Jason LA, Evans M, Brown M, Porter N, Brown A, Hunnell J, Anderson V, Lerch A.
SourceDePaul University.
Abstract
Few studies have explored issues of sensitivity and specificity for
using the fatigue construct to identify patients meeting chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS) criteria. In this article, we examine the
sensitivity and specificity of several fatigue scales that have
attempted to define severe fatigue within CFS. Using Receiver
Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we found most scales
and sub-scales had either significant specificity and/or sensitivity
problems. However, the post-exertional subscale of the ME/CFS Fatigue
Types Questionnaire (Jason, Jessen, et al., 2009) was the most
promising in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Among the more
traditional fatigue scales, Krupp, LaRocca, Muir-Nash, and Steinberg's
(1989) Fatigue Severity Scale had the best ability to differentiate
CFS from healthy controls. Selecting questions, scales and cut off
points to measure fatigue must be done with extreme care in order to
successfully identify CFS cases.
PMID:21966179[PubMed]
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