title: Cognitive functioning in people with chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison between subjective and objective measures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between subjective and objective assessments of memory and attention in people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), using tests that have previously detected deficits in CFS samples and measures of potential confounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty people with CFS and 50 healthy controls were compared on subjective (memory and attention symptom severity, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Everyday Attention Questionnaires) and objective (California Verbal Learning Test, Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, Stroop task) measures of memory and attention. Fatigue, sleep, depression, and anxiety were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CFS group reported experiencing more cognitive problems than the controls, but the two groups did not differ on the cognitive tests. Scores on the subjective and objective measures were not correlated in either group. Depression was positively correlated with increased severity of cognitive problems in both the CFS and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is little evidence for a relationship between subjective and objective measures of cognitive functioning for both people with CFS and healthy controls, which suggests that they may be capturing different constructs. Problems with memory and attention in everyday life are a significant part of CFS. Depression appears to be related to subjective problems but does not fully explain them.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cockshell
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult