Cockshell, Susan J, Mathias, Jane L · Neuropsychology · 2013 · DOI
Researchers compared thinking and memory skills between 50 people with ME/CFS and 50 healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS were slower at processing information (like reaction time), but performed normally on other thinking tasks like memory and attention. Interestingly, this slowness was not explained by depression, anxiety, fatigue, or sleep problems.
This study helps clarify the nature of cognitive problems in ME/CFS by identifying a specific, measurable deficit (processing speed) that appears to be distinct from psychological factors or general fatigue. Understanding which cognitive symptoms are primary to the disease rather than secondary to depression or anxiety may help guide more targeted clinical assessment and management strategies.
This study does not prove that processing speed deficits are caused by any particular biological mechanism—it only describes the pattern of cognitive impairment. The cross-sectional design cannot establish whether cognitive slowing develops early in ME/CFS or changes over time. It also does not clarify whether this slowing is unique to ME/CFS or shared with other post-viral or fatiguing conditions.
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 →
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Primary citation
Cockshell, Susan J & Mathias, Jane L (2013). Cognitive deficits in chronic fatigue syndrome and their relationship to psychological status, symptomatology, and everyday functioning.. Neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032084
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-cockshell-2013-cognitive-deficits,
author = {Cockshell, Susan J and Mathias, Jane L},
title = {Cognitive deficits in chronic fatigue syndrome and their relationship to psychological status, symptomatology, and everyday functioning.},
journal = {Neuropsychology},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1037/a0032084},
note = {PubMed: 23527651},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cockshell-2013-cognitive-deficits},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cockshell-2013-cognitive-deficits
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