Schur, Ellen, Afari, Niloofar, Goldberg, Jack et al. · Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies · 2007 · DOI
This study looked at whether fatigue and ME/CFS run in families by studying twins. Researchers asked over 1,000 pairs of identical twins and 800 pairs of fraternal twins about their fatigue symptoms. They found that in men, genetics played a bigger role in fatigue, while in women, life circumstances and personal experiences were more important.
Understanding whether fatigue and ME/CFS have genetic components could help identify who is at risk and guide future research into biological mechanisms. The finding that genetic and environmental contributions differ by sex suggests that treatment approaches or prevention strategies may need to be tailored differently for men and women.
This study does not prove what specific genes cause fatigue or ME/CFS, nor does it identify which environmental factors are responsible. Twin studies can show that genetics matter, but they cannot pinpoint causal mechanisms or determine whether associations reflect true biological inheritance versus shared family environments and behaviors.
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
Schur, Ellen, Afari, Niloofar, Goldberg, Jack, Buchwald, Dedra, & Sullivan, Patrick F (2007). Twin analyses of fatigue.. Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.10.5.729
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-schur-2007-twin-analyses,
author = {Schur, Ellen and Afari, Niloofar and Goldberg, Jack and Buchwald, Dedra and Sullivan, Patrick F},
title = {Twin analyses of fatigue.},
journal = {Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1375/twin.10.5.729},
note = {PubMed: 17903114},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/schur-2007-twin-analyses},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/schur-2007-twin-analyses
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