Kachaner, Alexandra, Lemogne, Cédric, Dave, Julie et al. · Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry · 2022 · DOI
This study examined whether patients with long-lasting neurological symptoms after COVID-19 meet diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder (SSD), a condition where psychological distress can amplify physical symptoms. Researchers evaluated 50 patients and found that about two-thirds met SSD criteria, though brain imaging and standard neurological tests were mostly normal. Most patients also had fatigue meeting chronic fatigue syndrome criteria, sleep problems, and significant work loss.
This research highlights the complex interplay between post-viral neurological symptoms and psychological factors in long COVID patients, many of whom overlap with ME/CFS populations. Understanding how SSD criteria apply to post-COVID neurological illness may improve diagnostic accuracy and help guide appropriate, multi-disciplinary clinical management. The findings underscore that psychological factors can coexist with organic pathology and do not negate the reality of patients' suffering or functional impairment.
This study does not prove that somatic symptom disorder is the primary cause of long COVID neurological symptoms, only that some patients meet diagnostic criteria for it. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or temporal relationships, and the high prevalence of prior trauma and psychiatric history does not determine whether these preceded or resulted from COVID-19 infection. The absence of structural brain abnormalities on MRI does not exclude functional or metabolic brain pathology.
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
Kachaner, Alexandra, Lemogne, Cédric, Dave, Julie, Ranque, Brigitte, de Broucker, Thomas, & Meppiel, Elodie (2022). <b>Somatic symptom disorder in patients with post-COVID-19 neurological symptoms: a preliminary report from the somatic study (Somatic Symptom Disorder Triggered by COVID-19</b>).. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2021-327899
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kachaner-2022-somatic-symptom,
author = {Kachaner, Alexandra and Lemogne, Cédric and Dave, Julie and Ranque, Brigitte and de Broucker, Thomas and Meppiel, Elodie},
title = {<b>Somatic symptom disorder in patients with post-COVID-19 neurological symptoms: a preliminary report from the somatic study (Somatic Symptom Disorder Triggered by COVID-19</b>).},
journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1136/jnnp-2021-327899},
note = {PubMed: 36008115},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kachaner-2022-somatic-symptom},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kachaner-2022-somatic-symptom
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