Review of clinical and psychobiological dimensions of the chronic fatigue syndrome英文电子书.pdf

Sleep Medicine Reviews, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp 131-146, 1999 SLEEP MEDICINE ~TzzF REV IEW ART ICLE Review of clinical and psychobiological di mensions of the chronic fatigue syndrome: differentiation fro m depression and contribution of sleep dysfunctions Benjamin Fischler Department of Liaison Psychiatry, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disabling condition characterized by subjective fatigue, mental and physical fatigability, a whole range of somatic symptoms and a poor quality of sleep. Its pkysiopathology is largely unknown. Several clinical and biological diffrences were observed between CFS and major depression. A classical conceptualization of masked (or somatized expression of depression is therefore no longer tenable. Sleep anomalies were reported in all studies published to date. However, these sleep anomalies do not seem to explain a major part of the symptomatology of CFS. The contribution of sleep abnormalities to the development and ckronicity of CFS should befurther studied. CFS can be considered as a somatoform condition. CFS is like mostfunctional disorders a clinically and biologically heterogeneous condition. The best available treatment to date is cognitive-behavioural therapy. Key words: fatigue, sleepiness, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, sleep Definitions of fatigue Fatigue in general is