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Virus Induced CNS Dysfunction describes the subset of Chronic Fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients who have elevated HHV-6 and EBV titers and clinical symptoms of a viral syndrome with neurocognitive complaints and sustained fatigue. Other viruses may also play a role in defining CFS patient subsets. CFS is a debilitating chronic illness of uncertain etiology. It is a clinically defined condition characterized by severe disabling fatigue and a combination of symptoms that prominently features self-reported impairment of concentration and short-term memory, sleep disturbances, and musculoskeletal pain. CFS occurs in men and women, in all age groups and in all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups (Buchwald et al., 1995; Jason et al., 1995, 1999; Dobbins et al., 1997; Steele et al., 1998; Reyes et al., 2003; Bierl et al., 2004; Jones et al., 2004).
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CFS often begins with a “flu-like” illness although some surveys indicate many cases have a more gradual onset. Patients with CFS have profound impaired functional status; similar to or worse than patients with several chronic illnesses including congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and major depression (Komaroff et al., 1996; Buchwald et al., 1996; Hardt et al., 2001; Solomon et al., 2003). It is estimated that, independent of whether patients have sought medical attention for the illness, between 1 and 8 in 1000 US adults meet the CDC criteria for the syndrome (Reyes et al., 2003). The CDC estimates that the cost to the US economy from lost productivity alone (not including medical care costs) is $9 billion annually (Reynolds et al., 2004). While the pathogenesis of CFS is unknown, there is substantial evidence of an underlying biological process involved. Published evidence illustrates that patients with CFS have abnormalities in the central and autonomic nervous systems, and evidence of chronic activation of antiviral pathways and T-cells. |
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