The role of environmental factors in medically unexplained symptoms and related syndromes: conference summary and recommendations.
This monograph of peer-reviewed articles is based on presentations at the conference "Environmental Factors in Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms and Related Syndromes" held 10-12 January 2001 in Piscataway, New Jersey, USA. The purpose of the conference was to determine research priorities for elucidating the role of environmental factors in medically unexplained symptoms and symptom syndromes. These include conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, sick building syndrome, Gulf War illness, and the like. Approximately 1 1/2 days were devoted to plenary talks and 1 day was devoted to break-out sessions to discuss epidemiologic, psychosocial, and experimental research. Recommendations were made for a series of epidemiologic, psychosocial, and experimental research approaches, with acknowledgment that nosology issues are clearly fundamental to advancing understanding of these conditions.
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, University of Medicine and Dentistry-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA. kipen@eohsi.rutgers.edu
Howard M
HM
Kipen
Nancy
N
Fiedler
D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000503:physiopathology; D018923:Persian Gulf Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D012107:Research Design; D013577:Syndrome
D004785:Environmental Pollutants