Kuczyk, Charlotte, Nöhre, Mariel, Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph et al. · Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025 · DOI
Researchers tested a German-language questionnaire designed to measure post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS and long COVID. They found the questionnaire is reliable and accurately distinguishes between people with and without long COVID, making it a useful tool for German-speaking patients and doctors.
Having validated symptom measurement tools in multiple languages is essential for consistent diagnosis and research across countries. This study confirms the DSQ-PEM is a reliable German-language instrument for measuring PEM in both ME/CFS-related conditions and long COVID, enabling better clinical assessment and comparative research in German-speaking regions.
This study does not prove that the DSQ-PEM can diagnose ME/CFS or long COVID alone—it only validates that it reliably measures the specific symptom of post-exertional malaise. The study also does not explain why gender and age affected scores differently in the general population versus the PCC sample, nor does it establish what causes PEM itself.
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
Kuczyk, Charlotte, Nöhre, Mariel, Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph, Stolz, Maike, Krauth, Christian, Brähler, Elmar, et al. (2025). Reliability and validity of the German version of the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire Post-Exertional Malaise (DSQ-PEM).. Frontiers in psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1647040
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kuczyk-2025-reliability-validity,
author = {Kuczyk, Charlotte and Nöhre, Mariel and Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph and Stolz, Maike and Krauth, Christian and Brähler, Elmar and Jason, Leonard A and de Zwaan, Martina},
title = {Reliability and validity of the German version of the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire Post-Exertional Malaise (DSQ-PEM).},
journal = {Frontiers in psychiatry},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1647040},
note = {PubMed: 40980044},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kuczyk-2025-reliability-validity},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kuczyk-2025-reliability-validity
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