Cogan, E · Revue medicale de Bruxelles · 2002
This review examines how doctors approach patients with chronic fatigue. The authors note that most chronic fatigue cases stem from psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety. A small group of patients have ME/CFS, which involves fatigue, mood and thinking problems, and various other physical symptoms—but doctors still don't know what causes it. Current treatments with limited evidence include antidepressants, talk therapy, and graded exercise programs.
This review highlights the clinical challenge of diagnosing ME/CFS and the limited treatment options available, emphasizing that the condition remains poorly understood despite affecting a distinct patient population. Understanding the distinction between psychiatric fatigue, idiopathic chronic fatigue, and ME/CFS helps patients and clinicians recognize that ME/CFS is a specific condition worthy of targeted research and clinical attention.
This review does not establish the cause of ME/CFS or prove that psychiatric conditions cause ME/CFS—it simply notes that psychiatric issues are common in broader fatigue populations. The review does not provide rigorous evidence comparing the effectiveness of different treatments, nor does it establish that CBT and graded exercise are universally effective for ME/CFS patients. It reflects 2002 perspectives and does not address more recent research on potential biological mechanisms.
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
Cogan, E (2002). [Chronic fatigue syndrome: the point of view of the internist].. Revue medicale de Bruxelles. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12422467/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-cogan-2002-chronic-fatigue,
author = {Cogan, E},
title = {[Chronic fatigue syndrome: the point of view of the internist].},
journal = {Revue medicale de Bruxelles},
year = {2002},
note = {PubMed: 12422467},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cogan-2002-chronic-fatigue},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cogan-2002-chronic-fatigue
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