Vergauwen, Kuni, Huijnen, Ivan P J, Kos, Daphne et al. · Disability and rehabilitation · 2015 · DOI
This study looked at different questionnaires and tests that doctors use to measure how much ME/CFS affects a person's daily activities and ability to participate in life. Researchers reviewed 68 studies and found that most of these tools haven't been properly tested to make sure they accurately measure ME/CFS limitations. They recommend using a disease-specific tool called the CFS-APQ if doctors need to measure these limitations, although even this tool needs more research to be fully validated.
Standardized, validated measurement tools are essential for clinicians to objectively assess the real-world impact of ME/CFS on patients' lives and for researchers to evaluate treatment effectiveness. This review identifies a significant gap in the field—most existing tools lack sufficient validation in ME/CFS populations—and provides evidence-based guidance for practitioners seeking reliable instruments.
This systematic review does not prove that current measurement instruments are ineffective; rather, it demonstrates that their psychometric properties have not been adequately evaluated in ME/CFS cohorts. It does not establish superiority of the CFS-APQ over other tools, only that it has the most favorable evidence available. The review cannot determine whether instruments perform differently based on ME/CFS severity or disease subtype.
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
Vergauwen, Kuni, Huijnen, Ivan P J, Kos, Daphne, Van de Velde, Dominique, van Eupen, Inge, & Meeus, Mira (2015). Assessment of activity limitations and participation restrictions with persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.. Disability and rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.978507
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-vergauwen-2015-assessment-activity,
author = {Vergauwen, Kuni and Huijnen, Ivan P J and Kos, Daphne and Van de Velde, Dominique and van Eupen, Inge and Meeus, Mira},
title = {Assessment of activity limitations and participation restrictions with persons with chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review.},
journal = {Disability and rehabilitation},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.3109/09638288.2014.978507},
note = {PubMed: 25365699},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/vergauwen-2015-assessment-activity},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/vergauwen-2015-assessment-activity
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