Table 9.

Executive functions: Hedge’s g effect sizes for each test, in descending order.

Test name	N studies	N CFS	N controls	Hedges'g	S.E	95% CI	p value	Q	p	I2 (%)	Study references
Planning
Stockings of Cambridge	2	101	157	− 0.14	0.13	− 0.390 to 0.109	0.271	0.21	0.65	0.00	Capuron et al.13, Majer et al.33
Flexibility
TMT B	8	255	205	0.42	0.10	0.230–0.603	0.0001	5.06	0.65	0.00	Claypoole et al.15, De Luca et al.21, Krupp et al.30, Lawrie et al.31, Michiels et al.40, Michiels et al.39, Robinson et al.44, Vercoulen et al.54
TMT B-A	2	102	73	0.10	0.16	− 0.209 to 0.403	0.536	0.26	0.61	0.00	Robinson et al.44, Vercoulen et al.54
Inhibition
Stroop
Interference (corrects)	2	51	61	− 0.51	0.19	− 0.885 to − 0.136	0.008	0.97	0.33	0.00	Beaumont11, Di Clementi et al.57
Interference (s) Cotation 2	2	78	40	0.40	0.20	0.004 to 0.788	0.048	0.42	0.52	0.00	Mahurin et al.32, Smith et al.51
Interference (s) Cotation 1	3	124	124	0.41	0.13	0.159 to 0.657	0.001	0.00	1.00	0.00	Cockshell et al.17, Cockshell et al. (2014), Ray et al.60
Generation of information
FAS fluencies	5	180	130	− 0.37	0.12	− 0.603 to − 0.142	0.002	7.73	0.10	48.27	Cockshell et al.17, Joyce et al.29, Lawrie et al.31, Marcel et al.34, Robinson et al.44
Category fluencies	3	99	95	− 0.35	0.14	− 0.635 to − 0.072	0.014	2.47	0.29	19.15	Cockshell et al.17, Joyce et al.29, Marcel et al.34
Controlled oral word	2	42	42	− 0.02	0.22	− 0.448 to 0.406	0.922	5.77	0.02	82.68	Claypoole et al.15, Krupp et al.30
Abstraction
WAIS-R similarities	2	34	33	0.04	0.24	− 0.425 to 0.510	0.86	0.06	0.80	0.00	Claypoole et al.15, DeLuca et al.20

TMT trail making test, WAIS Wechsler adult intelligence scale, ME/CFS myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, N number.