Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32513266›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2020

Physical activity measures in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: correlations between peak oxygen consumption, the physical functioning scale of the SF-36 questionnaire, and the number of steps from an activity meter.

C M C van Campen, Peter C Rowe, Freek W A Verheugt, Frans C Visser

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Observational
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

C M C van CampenStichting CardioZorg, Planetenweg 5, 2132 HN, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Peter C RoweDepartment of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. prowe@jhmi.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-3586-2677
Freek W A VerheugtOnze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (OLVG), Oosterpark 9, 1091 AC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Frans C VisserStichting CardioZorg, Planetenweg 5, 2132 HN, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Johns Hopkins University · USOLVG · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost studies to assess effort intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have used questionnaires. Few studies have compared questionnaires with objective measures like an actometer or an exercise test. This study compared three measures of physical activity in ME/CFS patients: the physical functioning scale (PFS) of the SF-36, the number of steps/day (Steps) using an actometer, and the %peak VO

methodsFemale ME/CFS patients were selected from a clinical database if the three types of measurements were available, and the interval between measurements was ≤ 3 months. Data from the three measures were compared by linear regression.

resultsIn 99 female patients the three different measures were linearly, significantly, and positively correlated (PFS vs Steps, PFS vs %peak VO

conclusionsGiven the large variation in ME/CFS patients, the use of only one type of measurement is inadequate. Integrating the three modalities may be useful for patient care by detecting overt discrepancies in activity and may inform studies that compare methods of improving exercise capacity.

Indexed as

Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicExerciseExercise TestFemaleHumansOxygen ConsumptionSurveys and QuestionnairesChronic fatigue syndromeMyalgic encephalitisPeak VO2Sensewear™ armbandSF 36 questionnaireSpiro-ergometry

Identifiers

PMID32513266
PMCPMC7282044
OpenAlexW3033299224

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.