Table 1.
Summary of the findings of the trials in the Cochrane review.
| Studies | Treatment | No. of participants | Selection criteria | Control group | Psychiatric comorbidity | Objective outcomes/work | Quality of life | Missing data/dropouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett, 1992 | Unpublished study | |||||||
| Deale et al., 1997 | CBT | 60 | Oxford | Relaxation; poorly matched | 38.5% | No differences (at 5 years) between groups (employment status, physical functioning, fatigue, general health, meeting CFS criteria) | Not used | 10% CBT, 13% (relax) dropouts at 6 months; 16.7% CBT, 6.7% relax at 5 year (non-completers) |
| Huibers et al., 2004 | CBT delivered by GPs | 66 CFS patients (fatigue study: n = 151) | Fukuda | No treatment | Unclear | At 4 months: 50% (CBT) and 61% (NT); at 12 months: 59% and 65% resumed work; Clinical recovery at 12 months: 33% and 44%. Actometer results not published | Not used | Did not complete: 33% CBT 0% no treatment |
| Jason et al., 2007 | CBT | 114 (54% self-selected) | Fukuda | Relaxation | 38.6% depression | +6.1% (6MWT) | −5% CBT vs relax | 25% (dropouts) |
| Lloyd et al., 1993 | Immunological and CBT | 90 | Lloyd | Non-specific | 74% depression 3% anxiety | No improvement (T-lymphocyte count + activity diary) | Not used | No information |
| O’Dowd et al., 2006 | Group CBT | 153 | Fukuda | No treatment; poorly matched | 48% depression; 48% on SSRIs,11% on benzodiazepines | No improvement (neurocognitive performances, work status or shuttles walked); walking speed improved more (CBT) | No improvement | Missing cognitive test data: 28.9% CBT and 13.7% no treatment |
| Prins et al., 2001 | CBT | 278 | Oxford | No treatment; not evenly matched | No information provided | No improvement (actometer, work status, neuropsychological tests) | No improvement | 40.9% CBT and 23.1% no treatment (dropouts) |
| Ridsdale et al., 2001 | CBT | 45 CFS patients (fatigue study, n = 160) | Fukuda | Counselling | 58% anxiety and/or depression | Not used | Not used | 36% counselling and 31% CBT (dropouts) |
| Ridsdale et al., 2004 | CBT and GET | 36 CFS patients (fatigue study: n = 123) | Fukuda | Post hoc added non-randomised prospective no treatment control group; poorly matched | History of anxiety or depression: 60% CBT and 57% GET | Step test results not published | Not used | 28.6% CBT and 40% GET (missing data) |
| Russell et al., 2001 | Unpublished study | |||||||
| Sharpe et al., 1996 | CBT | 60 (35% no impairments of daily activity at trial entry) | Oxford | No treatment; poorly matched | 67% depression or anxiety; 10% somatisation disorder | 6MWT: 9.9% (5 months), additional 3.1% (12 months); depression improved by 29.9% (12 months) | Not used | No information |
| Stevens et al., 1999b | Unpublished study | |||||||
| Strang, 2002 | CBT (unpublished non-peer-reviewed study) | 51 | Only abstract available on the Internet | Waitlist | Unclear | No changes in fatigue or functional impairment | Unclear | 25.5% (missing data) |
| Surawy et al., 2005 | Mindfulness | 41 (18 + 12 + 11) | Oxford | Study 1: waitlist; study 2 + 3: non-randomised no control group | No information provided | Study 1 + 2: no improvement (fatigue and physical functioning) | Not used | 25% study 2 and 18.2% study 3 (dropouts) |
| Whitehead and Campion, 2002 | CBT delivered by GPs | 65 | Fukuda | No treatment; not evenly matched | No information provided | Patients remained highly disabled over the 12-month study period | Not used | 30.8% CBT and 28.2% no treatment (missing data) |
CBT: cognitive-behavioural therapy; CFS: chronic fatigue syndrome; GP: general practitioner; NT: no treatment; 6MWT: 6-minute walk test; GET: graded exercise therapy.