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Review Article
A Review of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Cara Tomas,1 Julia Newton,1 and Stuart Watson1,2
1Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
2Wolfson Research Centre, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
Received 28 June 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013
Academic Editors: C. Bishop, P. de Gortari, G. Forster, and G. Hans
Copyright © 2013 Cara Tomas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction has been found in a high proportion of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients and includes enhanced corticosteroid-induced negative feedback, basal hypocortisolism, attenuated diurnal variation, and a reduced responsivity to challenge.
A putative causal role for genetic profile, childhood trauma, and oxidative stress has been considered. In addition, the impact of gender is demonstrated by the increased frequency of HPA axis dysregulation in females.
Despite the temporal relationship, it is not yet established whether the endocrine dysregulation is causal, consequent, or an epiphenomenon of the disorder.
Nonetheless, given the interindividual variation in the effectiveness of existing biological and psychological treatments, the need for novel treatment strategies such as those which target the HPA axis is clear.
Comment from Team Newton Facebook here.