Attree, Elizabeth A, Dancey, Christine P, Pope, Alison L · Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society · 2009 · DOI
This study examined memory problems in women with ME/CFS using a computer-based virtual environment. Researchers tested two types of memory: remembering things after they happen (like recalling a list of words) and remembering to do something in the future (like remembering to take medication). Women with ME/CFS showed noticeable difficulties with both types of memory, particularly with recalling information, though some future-memory tasks showed only subtle differences.
This study provides empirical evidence that ME/CFS-related cognitive dysfunction extends beyond the commonly reported 'brain fog' to measurable deficits in memory retrieval, which may significantly impact daily functioning. Understanding the specific patterns and severity of cognitive impairment helps validate patient experiences and may inform development of better assessment tools and rehabilitation strategies.
This study does not establish whether memory deficits are caused by ME/CFS or are secondary to depression, anxiety, or deconditioning, as these confounders were not systematically controlled. The small sample size (11 CFS participants) limits generalizability, and the virtual environment may not fully capture real-world memory demands. Cross-sectional design prevents determination of whether cognitive deficits predate illness onset or develop after disease onset.
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
Attree, Elizabeth A, Dancey, Christine P, & Pope, Alison L (2009). An assessment of prospective memory retrieval in women with chronic fatigue syndrome using a virtual-reality environment: an initial study.. Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2009.0002
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-attree-2009-assessment-prospective,
author = {Attree, Elizabeth A and Dancey, Christine P and Pope, Alison L},
title = {An assessment of prospective memory retrieval in women with chronic fatigue syndrome using a virtual-reality environment: an initial study.},
journal = {Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1089/cpb.2009.0002},
note = {PubMed: 19591619},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/attree-2009-assessment-prospective},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/attree-2009-assessment-prospective
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