In progress: CBT Based Group Therapy for Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), 2019 -

Brief Summary:
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a severe medical condition. It is characterized by long term fatique and other persisted symptoms, such as a cognitive disabilities and orthostatic intolerance. Symptoms limit a persons ability to carry out ordinary daily activities. In ICD- 10, disease is known as G93.3, postviral fatigue syndrome.

The purpose of this research (doctoral study) is to produce a psychological, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based group intervention for CFS- patients.

Research protocol: 70-80 patients with diagnosis G 93.3. Psychological and psychiatric evaluation for patients (SCID I and parts from SCID II). Depression diagnosis is allowed (on remission). Medication for depression is also allowed. Measurements for ortostathic intolerance (Somnotouch nimbTM) and laboratory measurements: complete blood count, CRP, alkaline phosphatase, GT, ALAT, CK, bilirubin, kidney and thyroid (TSH, T4V) function tests, serum ferritin, glucose, electrolytes and daily urine sodium excretion. Autonomic nervous system ganglio antibodies:

Anti-AT1R- Antibodies, Anti- ETAR- Antibodies, anti alpha-1 adrenergic Receptor Antibodies, anti alpha 2 adrenergic Receptor Antibodies, anti beta-1 adrenergic Receptor Antibodies, anti beta-2-adrenergic Receptor Antibodies, anti- Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor 1 (M1)- Antibodies, anti- Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor 2 (M2)- Antibodies, anti- Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor 3 (M3)- Antibodies, anti- Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor 4 (M4)- Antibodies, anti- Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor 5 (M5)- Antibodies.

Detailed Description:
Testing and inventories before treatment/ at the end of the treatment and 3 months follow-up:

Inventories: PHQ-4, HADS, BDQ,CFQ, PRMQ, FSS, WHODAS 2.0, SOC- 29, YSQ L3a, Compass31, Pichot, Promis (general health v 1.2 and fatique 7a) and PARKSLEEP.

1. Manual and patients experience. n =6-8 patients. Goal is to collect patients' personal experiences about CBT- treatment. Analysis included inventories, laboratory measurements and transcribed interviews. Mixed methods (comparing statistical data and qualitative content analysis/ agency speech transformation).
2. Therapeutic interventions and agency-speech transformation in CBT-therapy sessions. CBT- sessions are taped and transcribed. Research method: qualitative approach with discourse analysis (agency speech transformation during the intervention, therapeutical interventions in the group therapy)
3. Randomized controlled research. n=70. Treatment/research group n=35. Control- group (35) participates on health counselling (6 sessions). Research question: is CBT-treatment clinically statistically significance. Comparison is between research- and control groups but also between patients who are diagnosed 93.3, having also objective impairment in cognitive functions or orthostatic intolerance, comparing to patients only diagnosed on G93.3.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04151693