A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between symptoms of anxiety/depression and P50 sensory gating in adult patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

Xinyi Liu; Sitong Liu; Runtao Ren; Xue Wang; Chunyu Han; Zhandong Liu

doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1286340

A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between symptoms of anxiety/depression and P50 sensory gating in adult patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

Front Neurosci. 2024 Jan 5:17:1286340. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1286340. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xinyi Liu¹, Sitong Liu¹, Runtao Ren¹, Xue Wang², Chunyu Han², Zhandong Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Health Care Centre, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Neurology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a clinical disease that affects multiple body systems. It is characterized by persistent or recurring fatigue, which may be linked to immune, neuroendocrine, and energy metabolism dysfunctions. Individuals with CFS may experience pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. This research analyzed the fundamental characteristics of anxiety/depression symptoms in patients with CFS and investigated the association between these symptoms and the P50 SG (sensory gate) ratio.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-nine subjects fulfilled the CDC-1994 criteria for CFS and were included in the study. The subjects successively completed the Symptom CheckList-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale-14 (HAMA-14), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 (HAMD-24). Auditory-evoked potential P50 were measured using the 128-lead-electroencephalograph.

Result: According to HAMA and HAMD, 17.3% (n = 43) of the patients did not exhibit anxiety/depression, with a threshold score of 7 and 7 for HAMA and HAMD. When the threshold score was 14 and 20 respectively, 43.3% (n = 108) of the patients did not exhibit anxiety/depression. The SCL-90-R results indicated that 69.5% (n = 173) of these individuals with the score arranging from 0 to 160 did not present mental problems. There was a correlation between somatization scores and P50 SG ratio in the overall sample and no anxiety or depression (NAOD) group delimited by 14 and 20, respectively, (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that anxiety and depression were risk factors associated with an abnormal P50 SG ratio.

Discussion: A significant correlation exists between the P50 SG ratio and clinical symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Abnormalities in brain function among patients with CFS may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the condition, leading to their classification as being prone to functional neurological disorders. The P50 SG ratio cannot be used as a diagnostic marker for CFS but show some significance on the mechanism, classification, treatment, and prognosis of CFS.

Keywords: anxiety; auditory evoked potential P50; chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis; depression; functional neurological disorder.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Fund project: Capital Health Development Research Project (2018-1-221); National priority. R&D Program Science and Technology Winter Olympics Special (2019YFF0301700).