Autonomic nervous system function, activity patterns, & sleep after physical or cognitive challenge

Andy · Oct 23, 2017

Personally I don't know the researchers but it's been suggested to me that at least one has previously been firmly in the BPS camp, the fact that it is published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research is a red flag as well. But, until proven otherwise, I'm putting it in the Biomedical research sub-forum.

Autonomic nervous system function, activity patterns, and sleep after physical or cognitive challenge in people with chronic fatigue syndrome

Erin Cvejic , Carolina X. Sandler, Andrew Keech, Benjamin K. Barry, Andrew R. Lloyd, Ute Vollmer-Conna

Highlights

•Substantive and prolonged exacerbation of fatigue was triggered by physical or cognitive challenges.

•A greater proportion of daytime hours were spent lying down post-challenge.

•Sleep duration and quality were comparable pre- and post-challenge.

•Nocturnal parasympathetic activity was reduced post-challenge.

Abstract
Objective
To explore changes in autonomic functioning, sleep, and physical activity during a post-exertional symptom exacerbation induced by physical or cognitive challenge in participants with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Methods
Thirty-five participants with CFS reported fatigue levels 24-h before, immediately before, immediately after, and 24-h after the completion of previously characterised physical (stationary cycling) or cognitive (simulated driving) challenges. Participants also provided ratings of their sleep quality and sleep duration for the night before, and after, the challenge. Continuous ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG) and physical activity was recorded from 24-h prior, until 24-h after, the challenge. Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV, as high frequency power in normalized units) was derived from the ECG trace for periods of wake and sleep.

Results
Both physical and cognitive challenges induced an immediate exacerbation of the fatigue state (p < 0.001), which remained elevated 24-h post-challenge. After completing the challenges, participants spent a greater proportion of wakeful hours lying down (p = 0.024), but did not experience significant changes in sleep quality or sleep duration. Although the normal changes in HR and HRV during the transition from wakefulness to sleep were evident, the magnitude of the increase in HRV was significantly lower after completing the challenge (p = 0.016).

Conclusion
Preliminary evidence of reduced nocturnal parasympathetic activity, and increased periods of inactivity, we found during post-exertional fatigue in a well-defined group of participants with CFS. Larger studies employing challenge paradigms are warranted to further explore the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of post-exertional fatigue in CFS.
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Paywalled at http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(17)30498-1/abstract

arewenearlythereyet · Oct 23, 2017

Looks fairly limited study with a lot of self reporting for fatigue and sleep quality. Not sure that it says an awful lot. Perhaps I'm missing something mthats burried in the full report?

Valentijn · Oct 24, 2017

Andy said: ↑

Personally I don't know the researchers but it's been suggested to me that at least one has previously been firmly in the BPS camp, the fact that it is published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research is a red flag as well. But, until proven otherwise, I'm putting it in the Biomedical research sub-forum.
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They're BPS fatigue researchers - fans of CBT and GET, plus subjective outcomes. Two are psychiatrists, two are from a CBT/GET "fatigue clinic", and the other two seem like general fans of the healing powers of exercise. Most of them co-authored a letter where they expressed the belief that psychiatric disorders (among others) can result in autonomic disturbance.

Lloyd seems particularly quack-flavored:

Prolonged fatigue is often associated with neuropsychological and musculoskeletal symptoms that form the basis of several syndromal diagnoses including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and neurasthenia, and is clearly not simply the result of a lack of force generation from the muscle.
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arewenearlythereyet · Oct 24, 2017

Seems to have the hallmark "vague results to draw any conclusions you want" type study that they normally churn out.

Valentijn · Oct 24, 2017

arewenearlythereyet said: ↑

Seems to have the hallmark "vague results to draw any conclusions you want" type study that they normally churn out.
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Yeah. If there's any doubt regarding whether it's a BPS or Biomedical study, it's almost always BPS They thrive on doubt, whereas biomedical research tends to be about seeking clarity.

Dolphin · Nov 29, 2017

This paper seems to me to be fairly reported. Also no promotion of CBT or GET that I recall.

Personally I am more excitable (physically) with the illness and it can take quite a while if I have got excited to calm down so it seems plausible to me that the parasympathetic response may be lower and disturbed compared to healthy people.

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Autonomic nervous system function, activity patterns, & sleep after physical or cognitive challenge

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