Navigation
Management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in a pediatric population: A scoping review
This 2020 paper looks at the therapeutic options for children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Up to now most of the research on CFS/ME has been on adult populations. The authors of this review examined all relevant peer-reviewed research investigating nutrition, exercise, and psychosocial factors within a pediatric population with CFS/ME. Psychosocial factors are characteristics related to the connection between social factors and individual thought and behaviour. Many of the articles identified focused on nutrition and dietary components, exercise therapy, psychosocial factors, and multifaceted treatment. The research papers exploring psychosocial factors of CFS/ME identified characteristics that could increase the chances of diagnosis as well as those that could act as barriers to treatment. In general, nutrition was assessed on its own as a strategy to decrease CFS/ME symptoms. Very few studies investigated nutritional deficiency or treatment in subjects under the age of 18. After taking part in graded exercise and resistance training sessions, adolescents with CFS/ME reported improvements in fatigue severity and depressive symptoms. The multifaceted treatment undertaken in studies often involved graded activities/exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutritional advice, and family sessions. These interventions increased school attendance and reduced the severity of the fatigue for adolescents. This review emphasizes the limited amount of literature available on CFS/ME within a prepubescent population. [NPID: CFS, ME, fatigue, pain, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, diet, psychosocial, nutrition, adolescents]
Year: 2020
