The perception of young people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome is disrupted. They perceive fatigue to be more intense, and this is also true of pain and other symptoms. These findings have emerged from measurements that show these young people have lower pain thresholds and from “brain wave tests” or electroencephalograms (EEGs) that show they react too strongly to auditory stimuli. According to UMC Utrecht pediatrician Elise van de Putte in her doctoral thesis, this explains why pain and fatigue always occur together, also in healthy individuals. In her
doctoral research, Van de Putte also analyzed psychological factors that play a role in developing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Young people who think they can influence their health to only a small degree suffer more frequently from chronic fatigue than those who believe they can influence their health. It is more usual for them to have these ideas in common with their fathers than with their mothers, Van de Putte found. Because of this, she recommends involving the father in the treatment of CFS, something that rarely happens at the moment.
Elise van de Putte received a PhD from Utrecht University on September 19.
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