Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging & Volumetric Measurements of Brain in Post-Cancer fatigue

[Dolphin]

This paper is available for free at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0074638

There is quite a lot of talk about CFS in this and how CBT increased brain volume. However, that was an uncontrolled studies (letters were published highlighting this issue and others with the study). One can't assume CBT caused the increased the brain volume - it could have been due to the passage of time, with some people with CFS improving (for example).

Gijs Bleijenberg was involved in both studies.

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging and Volumetric Measurements of the Brain in Patients with Postcancer Fatigue: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hetty Prinsen mail,

Arend Heerschap,

Gijs Bleijenberg,

Machiel J. Zwarts,

Jan Willem H. Leer,

Jack J. van Asten,

Marinette van der Graaf,

Mark Rijpkema,

Hanneke W. M. van Laarhoven

Abstract

Background

Postcancer fatigue is a frequently occurring problem, impairing quality of life. Until now, little is known about (neuro) physiological factors determining postcancer fatigue. For non-cancer patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, certain characteristics of brain morphology and metabolism have been identified in previous studies. We investigated whether these volumetric and metabolic traits are a reflection of fatigue in general and thus also of importance for postcancer fatigue.

Methods

Fatigued patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention condition (cognitive behavior therapy) or the waiting list condition. Twenty-five patients in the intervention condition and fourteen patients in the waiting list condition were assessed twice, at baseline and six months later. Baseline measurements of 20 fatigued patients were compared with 20 matched non-fatigued controls. All participants had completed treatment of a malignant, solid tumor minimal one year earlier. Global brain volumes, subcortical brain volumes, metabolite tissue concentrations, and metabolite ratios were primary outcome measures.

Results

Volumetric and metabolic parameters were not significantly different between fatigued and non-fatigued patients. Change scores of volumetric and metabolic parameters from baseline to follow-up were not significantly different between patients in the therapy and the waiting list group. Patients in the therapy group reported a significant larger decrease in fatigue scores than patients in the waiting list group.

Conclusions

No relation was found between postcancer fatigue and the studied volumetric and metabolic markers. This may suggest that, although postcancer fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome show strong resemblances as a clinical syndrome, the underlying physiology is different.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01096641

Citation: Prinsen H, Heerschap A, Bleijenberg G, Zwarts MJ, Leer JWH, et al. (2013) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging and Volumetric Measurements of the Brain in Patients with Postcancer Fatigue: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS ONE 8(9): e74638. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074638

Editor: Gayle E. Woloschak, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of America


Received: February 15, 2013; Accepted: August 5, 2013; Published: September 11, 2013

 

[Snow Leopard]

I don't really agree with the conclusions as the studies are apples/oranges (the CFS study did not have a control group etc).

It seems sad that almost everyone seems to want to exclude the other fatigue syndromes as being completely different physiologically. Sure there will be some differences, but there also necessarily must be some similarities.