Gasperi, Marianna, Panizzon, Matthew, Goldberg, Jack et al. · Psychosomatic medicine · 2020 · DOI
This study looked at whether trauma-related stress (PTSD) and chronic pain conditions share common causes in twins. Using data from nearly 5,000 male twins, researchers found that both genetics and life experiences contribute to why people with PTSD often also develop chronic pain. The study suggests these two problems frequently occur together because they share some of the same underlying risk factors.
For ME/CFS patients, this study is relevant because chronic fatigue syndrome was included among the comorbid pain conditions examined, and the findings suggest that genetic predisposition may partially explain why ME/CFS frequently co-occurs with trauma-related conditions. Understanding shared genetic mechanisms could inform more targeted interventions for patients with both PTSD and ME/CFS.
This study does not prove that PTSD causes chronic pain or vice versa—it only shows genetic and environmental overlap. The study was conducted exclusively in male Vietnam-era veterans, so results may not apply to women, younger populations, or those without military trauma exposure. The specific biological mechanisms driving the genetic correlation remain unknown.
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
Gasperi, Marianna, Panizzon, Matthew, Goldberg, Jack, Buchwald, Dedra, & Afari, Niloofar (2020). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Chronic Pain Conditions in Men: A Twin Study.. Psychosomatic medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000899
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-gasperi-2020-posttraumatic-stress,
author = {Gasperi, Marianna and Panizzon, Matthew and Goldberg, Jack and Buchwald, Dedra and Afari, Niloofar},
title = {Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Chronic Pain Conditions in Men: A Twin Study.},
journal = {Psychosomatic medicine},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1097/PSY.0000000000000899},
note = {PubMed: 33337593},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gasperi-2020-posttraumatic-stress},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gasperi-2020-posttraumatic-stress
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