Nijhof, Linde N, Nijhof, Sanne L, Bleijenberg, Gijs et al. · European journal of pediatrics · 2016 · DOI
This study looked at how ME/CFS affects thinking and concentration in teenagers. Researchers compared 59 teenagers with ME/CFS to 40 healthy teenagers and found that those with ME/CFS had lower scores on intelligence tests than their school grades would predict. When comparing teenagers' current test scores to their performance before they got sick, the ME/CFS group showed a significant decline, while healthy teens did not.
Cognitive decline is a frequently reported symptom in adolescent ME/CFS, yet few studies quantify its extent. This research provides objective evidence that cognitive impairment in ME/CFS is real and measurable, supporting the need for early diagnosis and intervention during a critical developmental period. Understanding cognitive impacts helps clinicians recognize CFS and guides educational planning for affected teenagers.
This study does not establish whether cognitive decline is permanent or reversible with treatment, nor does it clarify the mechanisms (neurobiological, deconditioning, etc.) underlying the decline. The cross-sectional design cannot prove causation or establish temporal relationships. Retrospective school performance data may be subject to recall bias or incomplete records.
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
Nijhof, Linde N, Nijhof, Sanne L, Bleijenberg, Gijs, Stellato, Rebecca K, Kimpen, Jan L L, Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E, et al. (2016). The impact of chronic fatigue syndrome on cognitive functioning in adolescents.. European journal of pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2626-1
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-nijhof-2016-impact-chronic,
author = {Nijhof, Linde N and Nijhof, Sanne L and Bleijenberg, Gijs and Stellato, Rebecca K and Kimpen, Jan L L and Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E and van de Putte, Elise M},
title = {The impact of chronic fatigue syndrome on cognitive functioning in adolescents.},
journal = {European journal of pediatrics},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1007/s00431-015-2626-1},
note = {PubMed: 26334394},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijhof-2016-impact-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijhof-2016-impact-chronic
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