Stress vulnerability in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: experimental study investigating heart rate variability and skin conductance responses.

摘要: BACKGROUND Stress vulnerability has been implicated in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), but rarely investigated directly. This study compared psychological and physiological responses to a laboratory social performance task adolescents with CFS illness (asthma) healthy control groups. METHODS Adolescents (n = 60), asthma (n = 31) (n = 78) completed questionnaires before after task. Skin conductance (SCR; mean SCR Max-Min) heart rate variability (low frequency/high frequency; LF/HF root square difference of successive RR intervals; RMSSD) was measured before, during the RESULTS Baseline (HRV) (RMSSD) significantly lower Asthma groups than HC. During speech, had higher HRV (LF/HF) HC, adjusting for baseline LF/HF. Although group showed subsequent reduction recovery, did not. Similarly, recovery task, continued increase skin (Min-Max), unlike HC Compared groups, expected find more difficult, were anxious beforehand afterwards, rated it as evaluated their negatively observer ratings performance. Parents that child would perform less well parents participants. CONCLUSIONS autonomic nervous system are consistent stress vulnerability, difficulty coping acute slower stress. Self-report measures also indicated greater trait, pre- posttask anxiety group.