Blockmans, Daniel, Persoons, Philippe · Acta clinica Belgica · 2016 · DOI
This study looked at whether a medication called methylphenidate (also known as Ritalin) could help ME/CFS patients with concentration problems and fatigue over the long term. Researchers sent surveys to patients who had been prescribed this medication and found that about one-third of those still taking it reported significant improvement in both fatigue and concentration difficulties, and were able to work more hours.
Concentration problems and fatigue are major disabling symptoms in ME/CFS, and this study provides real-world evidence that methylphenidate may benefit a subset of patients over extended periods. Understanding which treatments help which patients is crucial for developing personalized management approaches and improving quality of life.
This observational study cannot establish causation or determine why patients stopped or continued methylphenidate, as it lacks a control group and does not control for confounding variables. The high discontinuation rate (65.3%) suggests potential selection bias—patients who continued may differ systematically from those who stopped. The findings cannot be generalized to all ME/CFS patients, particularly those with different symptom profiles.
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
Blockmans, Daniel & Persoons, Philippe (2016). Long-term methylphenidate intake in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Acta clinica Belgica. https://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.2016.1200816
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-blockmans-2016-long-term,
author = {Blockmans, Daniel and Persoons, Philippe},
title = {Long-term methylphenidate intake in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Acta clinica Belgica},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1080/17843286.2016.1200816},
note = {PubMed: 27351244},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/blockmans-2016-long-term},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/blockmans-2016-long-term
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