Knoop, Hans, Prins, Judith B, Stulemeijer, Maja et al. · Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry · 2007 · DOI
People with ME/CFS often report problems with concentration and memory. This study tested whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)—a type of talk therapy—could help improve these cognitive problems. The researchers found that CBT did reduce how much patients *felt* their thinking was impaired, but it did not actually improve their performance on memory and attention tests.
Cognitive dysfunction is a hallmark and distressing feature of ME/CFS. This study provides evidence that CBT's benefit in CFS may work partly by changing how patients perceive their cognitive abilities rather than by correcting underlying neurological impairment, which has important implications for understanding the mechanisms of CBT and setting realistic patient expectations.
This study does not prove that cognitive impairment in ME/CFS is purely psychological or not 'real.' It does not establish whether improved self-perception is beneficial, harmful, or neutral for patient outcomes. It also does not rule out the possibility that subjective and objective cognitive measures capture different aspects of cognitive function that warrant separate clinical attention.
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
Knoop, Hans, Prins, Judith B, Stulemeijer, Maja, van der Meer, Jos W M, & Bleijenberg, Gijs (2007). The effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome on self-reported cognitive impairments and neuropsychological test performance.. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2006.100974
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-knoop-2007-effect-cognitive,
author = {Knoop, Hans and Prins, Judith B and Stulemeijer, Maja and van der Meer, Jos W M and Bleijenberg, Gijs},
title = {The effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome on self-reported cognitive impairments and neuropsychological test performance.},
journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1136/jnnp.2006.100974},
note = {PubMed: 17369597},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/knoop-2007-effect-cognitive},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/knoop-2007-effect-cognitive
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.