Wyller, Vegard Bruun, Barbieri, Riccardo, Saul, J Philip · European journal of applied physiology · 2011 · DOI
This study looked at how the nervous system controls heart rate and blood pressure in teenagers with ME/CFS compared to healthy peers. Researchers found that teenagers with ME/CFS had less flexible blood pressure responses and their bodies shifted more toward 'fight or flight' nervous system activation when standing or experiencing mild stress, suggesting their autonomic nervous system (which controls these functions automatically) may not work as efficiently.
Dysautonomia (abnormal autonomic nervous system function) is a recognized but poorly understood feature of ME/CFS. This study provides objective physiological evidence of impaired cardiovascular regulation in adolescents, which may explain orthostatic intolerance symptoms and guide development of targeted interventions. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for validating objective biomarkers and improving diagnostic and treatment approaches.
This study does not prove that autonomic dysfunction causes ME/CFS symptoms or that correcting these abnormalities will improve patient outcomes. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or whether these findings are specific to CFS versus other conditions with similar autonomic features. Results are limited to adolescents and may not generalize to adult populations with ME/CFS.
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
Wyller, Vegard Bruun, Barbieri, Riccardo, & Saul, J Philip (2011). Blood pressure variability and closed-loop baroreflex assessment in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome during supine rest and orthostatic stress.. European journal of applied physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1670-9
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-wyller-2011-blood-pressure,
author = {Wyller, Vegard Bruun and Barbieri, Riccardo and Saul, J Philip},
title = {Blood pressure variability and closed-loop baroreflex assessment in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome during supine rest and orthostatic stress.},
journal = {European journal of applied physiology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1007/s00421-010-1670-9},
note = {PubMed: 20890710},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wyller-2011-blood-pressure},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wyller-2011-blood-pressure
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