Maroti Daniel, Westerberg Annika Fryxell, Saury Jean-Michel, Bileviciute-Ljungar Indre
ME/CFS-Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Karolinska Institutet Danderyd University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
J Rehabil Med. 2015 Aug 18;47(7):665-8. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1976.
Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome experience cognitive difficulties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of computerized training on working memory in this syndrome.
Non-randomized (quasi-experimental) study with no-treatment control group and non-equivalent dependent variable design in a myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-cohort.
Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome who participated in a 6-month outpatient rehabilitation programme were included in the study. Eleven patients who showed signs of working memory deficit were recruited for additional memory training and 12 patients with no working memory deficit served as controls.
Cognitive training with computerized working memory tasks of increasing difficulty was performed 30-45 min/day, 5 days/week over a 5-week period. Short-term and working memory tests (Digit Span - forward, backward, total) were used as primary outcome measures. Nine of the 11 patients were able to complete the training.
Cognitive training increased working memory (p = 0.003) and general attention (p = 0.004) to the mean level. Short-term memory was also improved, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.052) vs prior training. The control group did not show any significant improvement in primary outcome measures.
Cognitive training may be a new treatment for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
肌痛性脑脊髓炎/慢性疲劳综合征患者存在认知困难。本研究旨在评估计算机化训练对该综合征工作记忆的影响。
在肌痛性脑脊髓炎/慢性疲劳综合征队列中进行的非随机（准实验）研究，设有无治疗对照组和非等效因变量设计。
参与为期6个月门诊康复项目的肌痛性脑脊髓炎/慢性疲劳综合征患者纳入本研究。招募了11名有工作记忆缺陷迹象的患者进行额外的记忆训练，12名无工作记忆缺陷的患者作为对照。
在5周时间内，每天进行30 - 45分钟、每周5天的计算机化工作记忆任务认知训练，任务难度逐渐增加。短期和工作记忆测试（数字广度 - 顺背、倒背、总分）用作主要结局指标。11名患者中有9名能够完成训练。
认知训练使工作记忆（p = 0.003）和总体注意力（p = 0.004）提高到平均水平。短期记忆也有所改善，但与训练前相比差异无统计学意义（p = 0.052）。对照组在主要结局指标上未显示出任何显著改善。
认知训练可能是肌痛性脑脊髓炎/慢性疲劳综合征患者的一种新治疗方法。
