Jain, Vageesh, Arunkumar, Amit, Kingdon, Caroline et al. · BMC neurology · 2017 · DOI
This study compared cognitive problems (like trouble concentrating and memory issues) and sleep difficulties in people with ME/CFS and people with MS. Researchers found that cognitive and sleep problems were much more common in ME/CFS patients—98% reported trouble concentrating, and 55% reported severe unrefreshing sleep. The study also identified that ME/CFS patients who were older, current smokers, or had lower incomes were more likely to experience severe symptoms.
Cognitive dysfunction and sleep problems are debilitating features of ME/CFS that significantly impact quality of life, yet little is known about risk factors for severe presentations. This study quantifies the burden of these symptoms in ME/CFS compared to other conditions and identifies vulnerable subgroups who may benefit from early intervention, informing potential therapeutic targets and patient stratification strategies.
This study cannot establish causal relationships between identified risk factors and severe symptoms—for example, it cannot prove that smoking causes severe cognitive symptoms, only that they are associated. The cross-sectional design means we cannot determine whether symptom severity changes over time or precedes/follows the identified risk factors. Results are also specific to this UK cohort and may not generalize to other populations.
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
Jain, Vageesh, Arunkumar, Amit, Kingdon, Caroline, Lacerda, Eliana, & Nacul, Luis (2017). Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.. BMC neurology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-017-0896-0
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jain-2017-prevalence-risk,
author = {Jain, Vageesh and Arunkumar, Amit and Kingdon, Caroline and Lacerda, Eliana and Nacul, Luis},
title = {Prevalence of and risk factors for severe cognitive and sleep symptoms in ME/CFS and MS.},
journal = {BMC neurology},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1186/s12883-017-0896-0},
note = {PubMed: 28633629},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jain-2017-prevalence-risk},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jain-2017-prevalence-risk
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