title: Severe versus Moderate criteria for the new pediatric case definition for ME/CFS.
abstract: The new diagnostic criteria for pediatric ME/CFS are structurally based on the Canadian Clinical Adult case definition, and have more required specific symptoms than the (Fukuda et al. Ann Intern Med 121:953-959, 1994) adult case definition. Physicians specializing in pediatric ME/CFS referred thirty-three pediatric patients with ME/CFS and 21 youth without the illness. Those who met ME/CFS criteria were separated into Severe and Moderate categories. Significant differences were found for symptoms within each of the six major categories: fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep, pain, neurocognitive difficulties, and autonomic/neuroendocrine/immune manifestations. In general, the results showed participants who met the Severe ME/CFS criteria reported the highest scores, the Moderate ME/CFS group show scores that were a little lower, and the control group evidenced the lowest scores. Findings indicate that the Pediatric Case Definition for ME/CFS can distinguish between those with this illness and controls, and between those with Severe versus Moderate manifestations of the illness.
authors.affiliation: Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. Ljason@depaul.edu
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jason
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shelleby
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Till
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lapp
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Kenny
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Meirleir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires