Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26510728›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2015

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is different in children compared to in adults: a study of UK and Dutch clinical cohorts.

Simon M Collin, Roberto Nuevo, Elise M van de Putte, Sanne L Nijhof, Esther Crawley

Erratum issued Registry-linked trialAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT00893438 (Fatigue in Teenagers on the Internet), which is not on this map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT00893438 nacompletednot on this map

Fatigue in Teenagers on the Internet (FitNet); Efficacy of Web-based Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for Adolescents With the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

TypeinterventionalSponsorUMC UtrechtRan2008 to 2011Enrolled135ConditionsChronic Fatigue SyndromeArmsFitNet treatment, Usual care
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  17. Management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in a pediatric population: A scoping review.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community · 2020
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Simon M CollinCentre for Child & Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Roberto NuevoCentre for Child & Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Elise M van de PutteDepartment of Paediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Sanne L NijhofDepartment of Paediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Esther CrawleyCentre for Child & Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Funding

Department of Health CS/08/08/06Department of Health PDF-2013-06-011Department of Health SRF-2013-06-013Medical Research Council MR/K020269/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate differences between young children, adolescents and adults with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). STUDY

designComparison of clinical cohorts from 8 paediatric and 27 adult CFS/ME services in the UK and a paediatric randomised controlled trial from the Netherlands. Outcome measures include: fatigue (the UK-Chalder Fatigue Scale); Disability (the UK-SF-36 physical function subscale; the Netherlands-CHQ-CF87); school attendance, pain, anxiety and depression (the UK-Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale; the Netherlands-Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Children's Depression Inventory); symptoms; time-to-assessment; and body mass index. We used multinomial regression to compare younger (aged <12 years) and older (aged 12-18 years) children with adults, and logistic regression to compare UK and Dutch adolescents.

resultsYounger children had a more equal gender balance compared to adolescents and adults. Adults had more disability and fatigue, and had been ill for longer. Younger children were less likely to have cognitive symptoms (OR 0.18 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.25)) and more likely to present with a sore throat (OR 1.42 (1.07 to 1.90). Adolescents were more likely to have headaches (81.1%, OR 1.56 (1.36% to 1.80%)) and less likely to have tender lymph nodes, palpitations, dizziness, general malaise and pain, compared to adults. Adolescents were more likely to have comorbid depression (OR 1.51 (1.33 to 1.72)) and less likely to have anxiety (OR 0.46 (0.41 to 0.53)) compared to adults.

conclusionsPaediatricians need to recognise that children with CFS/ME present differently from adults. Whether these differences reflect an underlying aetiopathology requires further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: FITNET trial registration numbers are ISRCTN59878666 and NCT00893438. This paper includes secondary (post-results) analysis of data from this trial, but are unrelated to trial outcomes.

Indexed as

Age FactorsAdolescentAdultAnxietyChildCohort StudiesDepressionFatigueFatigue Syndrome, ChronicFemaleHeadacheHumansLymph NodesMaleNetherlandsPainEPIDEMIOLOGYPAEDIATRICS

Identifiers

PMID26510728
PMCPMC4636651

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.