Serrador, Jorge M, Quigley, Karen S, Zhao, Caixia et al. · NeuroRehabilitation · 2018 · DOI
This study tested balance and dizziness in people with ME/CFS, comparing those with and without fibromyalgia. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had measurably worse balance than healthy controls, and their balance problems were linked to how well they could function physically. Interestingly, people with both ME/CFS and fibromyalgia had the most severe balance problems, suggesting these conditions together may affect the body differently than ME/CFS alone.
Balance problems and dizziness are common, often disabling symptoms in ME/CFS that have not been rigorously studied. This research provides objective evidence that balance deficits are measurable and real in ME/CFS, validating patient experiences and potentially opening avenues for rehabilitation interventions. The finding that ME/CFS+fibromyalgia may have distinct neurobiological mechanisms could inform more targeted treatment approaches.
This study does not establish whether balance deficits are a primary cause or a consequence of ME/CFS, nor does it explain the underlying biological mechanisms. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether balance problems develop before, during, or after ME/CFS onset. The small sample size and lack of longitudinal follow-up limit generalizability and prevent conclusions about disease progression or treatment response.
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
Serrador, Jorge M, Quigley, Karen S, Zhao, Caixia, Findley, Thomas, & Natelson, Benjamin H (2018). Balance deficits in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.. NeuroRehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-172245
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-serrador-2018-balance-deficits,
author = {Serrador, Jorge M and Quigley, Karen S and Zhao, Caixia and Findley, Thomas and Natelson, Benjamin H},
title = {Balance deficits in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with and without fibromyalgia.},
journal = {NeuroRehabilitation},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.3233/NRE-172245},
note = {PubMed: 29562557},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/serrador-2018-balance-deficits},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/serrador-2018-balance-deficits
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