Araja, Diana, Murovska, Modra, Krumina, Angelika et al. · Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026 · DOI
This review examined how digital tools—such as apps and online platforms—might help people with ME/CFS monitor and manage 'brain fog', a common cognitive difficulty patients report. The authors found that while some digital assessment tools show promise, most approaches for using technology to help with brain fog remain under-studied and limited in evidence. Digital monitoring and rehabilitation approaches are less well-established than cognitive assessment tools.
Cognitive dysfunction is a frequently reported and poorly understood symptom in ME/CFS, and digital tools offer potential for remote, longitudinal monitoring that may reduce burden on patients and clinicians. This review identifies gaps in the evidence base and suggests directions for future research and implementation of digital technologies in ME/CFS care.
This evidence map does not establish that any digital tool is effective for managing brain fog in ME/CFS; it identifies the current state of limited evidence rather than demonstrating treatment efficacy. It does not provide clinical recommendations for which tools should be used in practice. It does not explain the biological mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in ME/CFS.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Araja, Diana, Murovska, Modra, Krumina, Angelika, Eory, Ajandek, & Berkis, Uldis (2026). Digital Approaches for Managing Brain Fog in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Interventions, Monitoring, and Future Directions.. Life (Basel, Switzerland). https://doi.org/10.3390/life16040571
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-araja-2026-digital-approaches,
author = {Araja, Diana and Murovska, Modra and Krumina, Angelika and Eory, Ajandek and Berkis, Uldis},
title = {Digital Approaches for Managing Brain Fog in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Interventions, Monitoring, and Future Directions.},
journal = {Life (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3390/life16040571},
note = {PubMed: 42073381},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/araja-2026-digital-approaches},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-05. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/araja-2026-digital-approaches
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