A systematic review of 27 case-control studies demonstrated differences in autonomic responses, particularly heart rate dynamics during head-up tilt testing, between patients with CFS and controls.
Systematic Review
Does the autonomic nervous system respond differently to stressors in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared with healthy controls?
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome exhibit altered autonomic nervous system responses, particularly during head-up tilt testing, which may aid in diagnosis and supports an increased prevalence of POTS.
INTRODUCTION: It is hypothesised that the autonomic nervous system responds differently to various stressors in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared with healthy controls. The goal is to systematically review the scientific literature addressing the functioning of the autonomic nervous system in patients with CFS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All studies that were identified through electronic databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were screened for eligibility based on the selection criteria and assessed (two independent raters) for methodological quality using a methodological checklist for case-control studies. RESULTS: Twenty-seven case-control studies were included. The methodological quality varied between 50% and 71·4%. Some studies showed different responses to head-up tilt and other autonomous testing. CONCLUSION: Although comparison between the included case-control studies was difficult, we can conclude that there are differences in autonomous response between patients with CFS and healthy controls. The heart rate dynamic response during the head-up tilt test differs between patients with CFS and healthy controls, supporting the increased prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The autonomic response can be useful for the diagnosis of CFS.
Cauwenbergh et al. (Fri,) conducted a systematic review in Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Autonomic nervous system testing (e.g., head-up tilt test) vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Autonomous response to stressors. A systematic review of 27 case-control studies demonstrated differences in autonomic responses, particularly heart rate dynamics during head-up tilt testing, between patients with CFS and controls.