Tiersky, L A, DeLuca, J, Hill, N et al. · Applied neuropsychology · 2001 · DOI
Researchers tracked 35 people with ME/CFS over about 3.5 years to see how they changed over time. They found that attention, mood, fatigue, and disability improved somewhat during this period. However, most people remained significantly disabled and unemployed at the end of the study, suggesting that while some aspects may get better, ME/CFS typically leaves people unable to work long-term.
This study provides evidence that some ME/CFS symptoms and cognitive function may improve over time, offering patients realistic hope for partial recovery. However, it also demonstrates that functional improvement does not typically translate to return-to-work status, highlighting the persistent disabling nature of the condition and the need for better rehabilitation and employment support strategies.
This study does not establish causation or mechanisms underlying improvement—only that change occurs in certain domains. The small sample size and lack of control group limit generalizability, and the study does not define what 'improvement' means clinically or whether participants ever fully recovered normal functioning. The findings apply only to those meeting 1988/1994 CDC criteria and may not represent more recent or broader diagnostic definitions.
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
Tiersky, L A, DeLuca, J, Hill, N, Dhar, S K, Johnson, S K, Lange, G, et al. (2001). Longitudinal assessment of neuropsychological functioning, psychiatric status, functional disability and employment status in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Applied neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324826AN0801_6
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-tiersky-2001-longitudinal-assessment,
author = {Tiersky, L A and DeLuca, J and Hill, N and Dhar, S K and Johnson, S K and Lange, G and Rappolt, G and Natelson, B H},
title = {Longitudinal assessment of neuropsychological functioning, psychiatric status, functional disability and employment status in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Applied neuropsychology},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1207/S15324826AN0801_6},
note = {PubMed: 11388123},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tiersky-2001-longitudinal-assessment},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tiersky-2001-longitudinal-assessment
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