Open AccessThe Associations Between Basal Salivary Cortisol and Illness Symptomatology in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Author(s) -
TorresHarding Susan,
Sorenson Matthew,
Jason Leonard,
Reynolds Nadia,
Brown Molly,
Maher Kevin,
Fletcher Mary Ann
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied biobehavioral research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.448
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1751-9861
pISSN - 1071-2089
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9861.2008.00033.x
Subject(s) - chronic fatigue syndrome , neurocognitive , psychology , basal (medicine) , etiology , medicine , chronic fatigue , hydrocortisone , circadian rhythm , analysis of variance , chronic pain , cortisol awakening response , cognition , psychiatry , insulin
Hypocortisolism has been reported in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), with the significance of this finding to disease etiology unclear. This study examined cortisol levels and their relationships with symptoms in a group of 108 individuals with CFS. CFS symptoms examined included fatigue, pain, sleep difficulties, neurocognitive functioning, and psychiatric status. Alterations in cortisol levels were examined by calculation of mean daily cortisol, and temporal variation in cortisol function was examined by means of a regression slope. Additionally, deviation from expected cortisol diurnal pattern was determined via clinical judgment. Results indicated that fatigue and pain were associated with salivary cortisol levels. In particular, variance from the expected pattern of cortisol was associated with increased levels of fatigue. The implications of these findings are discussed.