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Cognitive and Neurological Aspects of CFS Flashcards

7 cards from real CFS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in CFS most commonly presents as:

    Answer: Orthostatic intolerance with symptoms worsening upon standing

    Orthostatic intolerance—where symptoms worsen when standing upright—is the most common manifestation of autonomic dysfunction in CFS, often accompanied by heart rate changes.

  2. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which frequently co-occurs with CFS, is characterized by:

    Answer: A heart rate increase of ≥30 bpm within 10 minutes of standing

    POTS is defined by a heart rate increase of ≥30 bpm within 10 minutes of standing (or ≥40 bpm in adolescents) without a significant drop in blood pressure.

  3. Central sensitization, observed in many CFS patients, primarily affects:

    Answer: Pain processing pathways in the central nervous system

    Central sensitization refers to amplification of pain signals within the central nervous system, causing heightened pain perception in CFS patients even without tissue damage.

  4. Neuroinflammation research in CFS has primarily implicated which type of brain cells in the inflammatory process?

    Answer: Microglia

    Microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, have been found to be activated in CFS neuroinflammation studies, suggesting an ongoing neuroinflammatory process.

  5. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis abnormality most commonly found in CFS is:

    Answer: Blunted or reduced cortisol response to stress

    Many CFS patients show a blunted or reduced cortisol response to stress, suggesting HPA axis hypofunction rather than the elevated cortisol typically seen in depression.

  6. Sensory hypersensitivity in CFS most commonly includes sensitivity to:

    Answer: Light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia)

    Photophobia (sensitivity to light) and phonophobia (sensitivity to sound) are among the most commonly reported sensory hypersensitivities in CFS patients.

  7. Small fiber neuropathy (SFN), found in a subset of CFS patients, affects which type of nerve fibers?

    Answer: Small unmyelinated or thinly myelinated nerve fibers

    Small fiber neuropathy affects the smallest nerve fibers (unmyelinated C-fibers and thinly myelinated Aδ-fibers) responsible for pain, temperature, and autonomic signaling.