title: Neurocognitive impairment in childhood chronic fatigue syndrome.
abstract: Neurocognitive impairment is a feature of childhood chronic fatigue syndrome (CCFS). Several studies have demonstrated reduced attention control in CCFS patients in switching and divided attention tasks. In students, the extent of deterioration in task performance depends on the level of fatigue. Poor performance in switching and divided attention is common in both fatigued students and CCFS patients. Additionally, attentional functions show dramatic development from childhood to adolescence, suggesting that abnormal development of switching and divided attention may be induced by chronic fatigue. The brain structures associated with attentional control are situated in the frontal and parietal cortices, which are the last to mature, suggesting that severe fatigue in CCFS patients and students may inhibit normal structural and functional development in these regions. A combination of treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressant medication is effective to improve attentional control processing in CCFS patients. Studies identifying the features of neurocognitive impairment in CCFS have improved our current understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of CCFS.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiological and Health Science Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies Kobe City, Hyogo, Japan ; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan ; Department of Medical Science on Fatigue, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
keywords: childhood chronic fatigue syndrome; cognitive development; divided attention; event-related potential; functional magnetic resonance imaging; kana pick-out test; modified advanced trail making test; switching attention