Lim, Eun-Jin, Son, Chang-Gue · Journal of translational medicine · 2022 · DOI
This study compared two questionnaires used to measure fatigue: the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-K) and the modified Chalder Fatigue Scale (mKCFQ). Researchers asked 70 people with varying levels of fatigue to complete both questionnaires and then analyzed how similarly the two tools measured fatigue. Both questionnaires showed strong agreement overall, but they measured different aspects of fatigue with varying accuracy.
Since ME/CFS lacks biological diagnostic markers, accurate fatigue measurement tools are essential for diagnosis and monitoring. This comparison helps clinicians and researchers understand which questionnaire is most appropriate for different patient populations and fatigue severity levels, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy and clinical trial design in ME/CFS research.
This study does not establish which instrument is superior in absolute terms, nor does it validate either tool against biological markers of fatigue or ME/CFS-specific outcomes. The cross-sectional design cannot determine causality or longitudinal stability of these measurements. Additionally, the self-reported fatigue grouping itself was not independently validated.
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
Lim, Eun-Jin & Son, Chang-Gue (2022). Comparison of assessment scores for fatigue between multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-K) and modified chalder fatigue scale (mKCFQ).. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-021-03219-0
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-lim-2022-comparison-assessment,
author = {Lim, Eun-Jin and Son, Chang-Gue},
title = {Comparison of assessment scores for fatigue between multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-K) and modified chalder fatigue scale (mKCFQ).},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-021-03219-0},
note = {PubMed: 34980164},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lim-2022-comparison-assessment},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/lim-2022-comparison-assessment
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