Abstract
BackgroundFatigue is a crucial sensation that triggers rest, yet its underlying neuronal mechanisms remain unclear. Intense long-term fatigue is a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome, which is used as a model to study the mechanisms underlying fatigue.MethodsUsing magnetic resonance imaging, we conducted voxel-based morphometry of 16 patients and 49 age-matched healthy control subjects.ResultsWe found that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome had reduced gray-matter volume in the bilateral prefrontal cortex. Within these areas, the volume reduction in the right prefrontal cortex paralleled the severity of the fatigue of the subjects.ConclusionThese results are consistent with previous reports of an abnormal distribution of acetyl-L-carnitine uptake, which is one of the biochemical markers of chronic fatigue syndrome, in the prefrontal cortex. Thus, the prefrontal cortex might be an important element of the neural system that regulates sensations of fatigue.
Highlights
Fatigue is a crucial sensation that triggers rest, yet its underlying neuronal mechanisms remain unclear
We observed a significant reduction in gray-matter volume in the bilateral prefrontal areas of CSF patients (Figure 1)
The affected areas extended from BA8 to 9 in the right cerebral hemisphere, and from BA9 to 11 in the left
Summary
Fatigue is a crucial sensation that triggers rest, yet its underlying neuronal mechanisms remain unclear. Intense long-term fatigue is a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome, which is used as a model to study the mechanisms underlying fatigue. In contrast with neuromuscular or peripheral fatigue, represents a failure to complete physical and mental tasks that require self-motivation and internal cues, in the absence of demonstrable cognitive failure or motor weakness [3]. Based on this definition, Chaudhuri and Behan [2] proposed a conceptual model for central fatigue. The work output of voluntary activity depends on the applied voluntary effort, which is controlled by motivational input and perceived effort via feedback from motor, sensory and cognitive systems. Any dissociation between the level of internal input (motivational and limbic) and that of the perceived effort from applied voluntary effort results in the sense of fatigue
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