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Paffrath A, Kim L, Kedor C, Stein E, Rust R, Freitag H, Hoppmann U, Hanitsch LG, Bellmann-Strobl J, Wittke K, Scheibenbogen C, Sotzny F. Impaired Hand Grip Strength Correlates with Greater Disability and Symptom Severity in Post-COVID Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2153. [PMID: 38610918 PMCID: PMC11012649 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13072153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) encompasses a diverse array of symptoms persisting beyond 3 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, with mental as well as physical fatigue being the most frequent manifestations. Methods: In 144 female patients with PCS, hand grip strength (HGS) parameters were assessed as an objective measure of muscle fatigue, with 78 meeting the Canadian Consensus Criteria for postinfectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The severity of disability and key symptoms was evaluated using self-reported questionnaires. Results: Patients with ME/CFS exhibited heightened overall symptom severity, including lower physical function (p < 0.001), a greater degree of disability (p < 0.001), more severe fatigue (p < 0.001), postexertional malaise (p < 0.001), and autonomic dysfunction (p = 0.004) compared to other patients with PCS. While HGS was impaired similarly in all patients with PCS and exhibited a significant correlation with physical function across the entire patient group, HGS of patients with ME/CFS uniquely demonstrated associations with key symptoms. Conclusions: Thus, impaired HGS serves as an objective marker of physical function in patients with PCS. Only in patients meeting ME/CFS criteria is impaired HGS also associated with the severity of hallmark symptoms. This suggests a common mechanism for muscle fatigue and other symptoms in the ME/CFS subtype, distinct from that in other types of PCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Paffrath
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Laura Kim
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Claudia Kedor
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Elisa Stein
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Rebekka Rust
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
- Experimental and Research Center (ECRC), Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Helma Freitag
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Uta Hoppmann
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Leif G. Hanitsch
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Judith Bellmann-Strobl
- Experimental and Research Center (ECRC), Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Kirsten Wittke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
| | - Franziska Sotzny
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.P.); (C.K.); (E.S.); (R.R.); (H.F.); (U.H.); (L.G.H.); (K.W.); (C.S.); (F.S.)
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Thoma M, Froehlich L, Hattesohl DBR, Quante S, Jason LA, Scheibenbogen C. Why the Psychosomatic View on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Inconsistent with Current Evidence and Harmful to Patients. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 60:83. [PMID: 38256344 PMCID: PMC10819994 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Since 1969, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) has been classified as a neurological disease in the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organization. Although numerous studies over time have uncovered organic abnormalities in patients with ME/CFS, and the majority of researchers to date classify the disease as organic, many physicians still believe that ME/CFS is a psychosomatic illness. In this article, we show how detrimental this belief is to the care and well-being of affected patients and, as a consequence, how important the education of physicians and the public is to stop misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and stigmatization on the grounds of incorrect psychosomatic attributions about the etiology and clinical course of ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Thoma
- German Association for ME/CFS, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (D.B.R.H.); (S.Q.)
| | - Laura Froehlich
- Research Center CATALPA, FernUniversität in Hagen, 58097 Hagen, Germany;
| | | | - Sonja Quante
- German Association for ME/CFS, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (D.B.R.H.); (S.Q.)
| | - Leonard A. Jason
- Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA;
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), 10117 Berlin, Germany;
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