Newton, J L, Okonkwo, O, Sutcliffe, K et al. · QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians · 2007 · DOI
This study looked at whether people with ME/CFS have problems with their autonomic nervous system (the part that controls automatic body functions like heart rate and blood pressure). Researchers used a questionnaire called COMPASS to measure autonomic symptoms in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls. They found that autonomic dysfunction symptoms were significantly more common in ME/CFS patients and were linked to how severe their fatigue was.
This study provides empirical evidence that autonomic dysfunction is a common feature of ME/CFS and develops a quantifiable diagnostic criterion (COMPASS >32.5) that could help identify patients who might benefit from targeted autonomic-focused treatments. Understanding the autonomic component of ME/CFS may lead to more personalized therapeutic approaches and better patient stratification in future clinical trials.
This study does not establish that autonomic dysfunction causes ME/CFS—only that the two are associated. The cross-sectional design prevents determination of temporal relationships or causality. The study also does not prove that all ME/CFS patients have autonomic dysfunction; the authors explicitly note that autonomic dysfunction was not present in all CFS patients studied.
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
Newton, J L, Okonkwo, O, Sutcliffe, K, Seth, A, Shin, J, & Jones, D E J (2007). Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.. QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcm057
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-newton-2007-symptoms-autonomic,
author = {Newton, J L and Okonkwo, O and Sutcliffe, K and Seth, A and Shin, J and Jones, D E J},
title = {Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1093/qjmed/hcm057},
note = {PubMed: 17617647},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/newton-2007-symptoms-autonomic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/newton-2007-symptoms-autonomic
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