Penson, Maddison, Kelly, Kate · Psychology, health & medicine · 2026 · DOI
This study reviewed 34 research papers to understand how ME/CFS affects working memory—the ability to hold and use information in your mind briefly. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS have significant difficulties with verbal working memory (remembering words and language), but their ability to remember visual information (like images or patterns) appeared similar to people without ME/CFS. This suggests that cognitive problems in ME/CFS may affect certain types of thinking more than others.
Understanding which specific cognitive abilities are affected in ME/CFS is essential for validating patient experiences of 'brain fog' and cognitive impairment, which are often underrecognised in clinical settings. These findings can guide targeted cognitive interventions and help clinicians recognise and appropriately support cognitive manifestations as a core feature of ME/CFS rather than a secondary symptom.
This study does not establish the underlying biological mechanisms causing verbal working memory deficits in ME/CFS, nor does it prove that verbal cognitive impairment is present in every individual with ME/CFS. The meta-analysis synthesises group-level patterns and cannot determine whether observed deficits are permanent, reversible, or fluctuate with illness severity.
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
Penson, Maddison & Kelly, Kate (2026). Evaluating working memory functioning in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Psychology, health & medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2025.2606183
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-penson-2026-evaluating-working,
author = {Penson, Maddison and Kelly, Kate},
title = {Evaluating working memory functioning in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.},
journal = {Psychology, health & medicine},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1080/13548506.2025.2606183},
note = {PubMed: 41504224},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/penson-2026-evaluating-working},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/penson-2026-evaluating-working
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