The Conners Continuous Performance Test CPT3: Is it a reliable marker to predict neurocognitive dysfunction in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome?

INTRODUCTION

The main objective is to delimit the cognitive dysfunction associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in adult patients by applying the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3). Additionally, provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of this computerized neuropsychological test to assess ME/CFS.

METHOD

The final sample ( = 225; 158 Patients/67 Healthy controls) were recruited in a Central Sensitization Syndromes (CSS) specialized unit in a tertiary hospital. All participants were administered this neuropsychological test.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between ME/CFS and healthy controls in all the main measures of CPT3. Mainly, patients had a worse indicator of inattentiveness, sustained attention, vigilance, impulsivity, slow reaction time, and more atypical T-scores, which is associated with a likelihood of having a disorder characterized by attention deficits, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, relevant correlations were obtained between the CPT3 variables in the patient's group. The most discriminative indicators of ME/CFS patients were Variability and Hit Reaction Time, both measures of response speed.

CONCLUSION

The CPT3 is a helpful tool to discriminate neurocognitive impairments from attention and response speed in ME/CFS patients, and it could be used as a marker of ME/CFS severity for diagnosing or monitoring this disease.