The relations among body consciousness, somatic symptom report, and information processing speed in chronic fatigue syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of body consciousness and levels of somatic symptom report upon information processing speed in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).


BACKGROUND
According to a model of a fixed information processing capacity, it was predicted that in a group of patients with CFS, high body consciousness in combination with a high report of somatic symptoms would affect information-processing speed negatively.


METHODS
Information- and motor-processing speed were simultaneously measured with a simple- and a choice-reaction time task, whereas cognitive complaints were rated with two questionnaires. The hypothesized influence of private body consciousness and somatic symptom report upon information-processing speed was tested in a model. A symptom-validity test was used to screen for possible illness behavior.


RESULTS
Private body consciousness was directly related to information-processing speed and somatic symptom report. Somatic symptom report was related to both test performance and memory and concentration complaints.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of private body consciousness directly affected somatic symptom report and information-processing speed. This finding supports the role of attentive processes in CFS, and offers, besides possible cerebral dysfunction, an alternative explanation for slowing of information processing in CFS.
van der Werf
Sieberen P
SP
Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, the Netherlands. S.vanderWerf@cksmps.AZN.NL
de Vree
Berna
B
van Der Meer
Jos W M
JW
Bleijenberg
Gijs
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D001828:Body Image; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*