title: Are Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome different illnesses? A preliminary analysis.
abstract: Considerable discussion has transpired regarding whether chronic fatigue syndrome is a distinct illness from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. A prior study contrasted the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis International Consensus Criteria with the Fukuda and colleagues' chronic fatigue syndrome criteria and found that the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis International Consensus Criteria identified a subset of patients with greater functional impairment and physical, mental, and cognitive problems than the larger group who met Fukuda and colleagues' criteria. The current study analyzed two discrete data sets and found that the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis International Consensus Criteria identified more impaired individuals with more severe symptomatology.
authors: Center for Community Research, DePaul University, USA ljason@depaul.edu.
authors: Leonard A
authors: LA
authors: Jason
authors: Center for Community Research, DePaul University, USA.
authors: Madison
authors: M
authors: Sunnquist
authors: Center for Community Research, DePaul University, USA.
authors: Abigail
authors: A
authors: Brown
authors: Center for Community Research, DePaul University, USA.
authors: Meredyth
authors: M
authors: Evans
authors: Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, UK.
authors: Julia L
authors: JL
authors: Newton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D032921:Consensus; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic illness; diagnosis; grounded theory; methodology