a cohort of teens who contracted ME and CFS following an EBV trigger
and those who did not. The CDC did a separate study in 2006 showing
that severity of the acute phase is key in determining who goes on to
contract ME and CFS. Although more difficult to fund longitudinal
studies are very important. A longitudinal study is a correlational
research study that involves repeated observations of the same
variables over long periods of time. In this study, the central
objective was to compare young people who did and did not recover from
glandular fever, in terms of occupational participation and
health-related quality of life during infection and 6 months, 12
months and 24 months following infection.
A key observation is that these teens did not vary at baseline
(premorbid) from controls. All of the issues reported developed
following contracting ME and CFS. The study also indicates that
limitations in perceived competency at occupation may be related to
actual impairment level and diagnostic status. Emotional issues
appeared to peak at 12 months, but subsided by 24 months. As well, the
authors state that the experience of developing CFS/ME did not appear
to be significantly associated with any behavioural difficulties that
the young people might have had.
The authors state that there may have been variables that were not
accounted for due to study design as well as the possibility of
statistical error as the cohort size varied due to recovery and
changes in developmental stages.
According to the authors, this study supports the need for
occupation-focused rehabilitation programmes that focus on changing
young people=92s attitudes about their own performance, supporting their
re-engagement in personally relevant occupations and assisting them in
accommodating to their functional limitations so that they can
experience improved quality of life.
Br J Occup Ther. 2010 Nov 1;73(11):524-530.
The occupational and quality of life consequences of chronic fatigue
syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in young people.
Taylor RR, O'Brien J, Kielhofner G, Lee SW, Katz B, Mears C.
Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois
at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Chronic fatigue syndrome, termed myalgic encephalomyelitis in the
United Kingdom (CFS/ME), is a debilitating condition involving severe
exhaustion, cognitive difficulties, educational and vocational losses,
and disruption of social activities and relationships. CFS/ME may
affect volition (that is, value, interest and sense of competence).
PURPOSE:
To test Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) concepts by comparing young
people with and without CFS/ME in terms of occupational participation,
volition and health-related quality of life during infection and over
time.
METHOD:
Three hundred and one people (12-18 years old) diagnosed with
glandular fever were evaluated at the time of acute infection
(baseline). Six months following diagnosis, 39 of them met the
criteria for CFS/ME. A further 39 who recovered were randomly selected
and matched to CFS/ME participants. Both groups were re-evaluated at
12 months and 24 months. The Occupational Self Assessment and the
Child General Health Questionnaire were used to compare occupational
participation.
RESULTS:
Those with CFS/ME reported lower levels of perceived competency, more
difficulties with physical functioning and poorer general health
status than those who recovered.
CONCLUSION:
Those with CFS/ME report lower perceived competency, and compromises
in physical functioning, school performance, social activities,
emotional functioning and general health. This supports the MOHO
assertion that impairments affect volition and quality of life.
PMID: 22102767 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC3217273
Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of
Health grant number R01 HD043301 and by the National Institutes of
Health National Center for Research Resources Grant number M01
RR-00048.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217273/?tool=3Dpubmed
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