PLoS ONE：改善慢性疲劳综合征患者认知障碍的新疗法

2012年11月20日 讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --近日，来自澳大利亚新南威尔士大学的研究者首次研究发现了，降低心率变异性或心搏时间的改变可以很好地预测患者的认识障碍，比如慢性疲劳综合征人群（CFS）经常出现的注意力集中困难等情况，同时也帮助研究者更深入地认识了自主神经系统失衡所引发的相应症状。相关研究成果刊登于国际杂志PLoS One上。

慢性疲劳综合征的主要特征是，出现至少6个月的疲劳无力以及神经精神症状，引发此病的原因目前并不清楚。研究者表示，我们对CFS患者进行研究发现，CFS患者的压力效应神经系统以及生理系统的完整性出现了缺失的情况，而且有这种情况的患者对于机体或者外部环境的刺激表现出非常高的敏感性表现。尽管患者处于睡眠之中，其压力效应敏感系统依然处于高度警觉状态。

文章中，研究者对30名CFS病人以及40名健康个体进行研究，研究者记录了参与者的心搏次数并且分析了其对于认知挑战的心脏反应以及精神表现结果。结果表明，CFS患者相比正常人来说完成测试所花费的时间要更长，而且其心率反应性较高，心率变异性较低或无响应，而且其进行认知挑战后心脏复苏速度发生了明显延长。

当疲劳水平及其它症状和认知行为无关时，研究者就可以通过特殊的指示器来检测出患者的静息心率的可变性。这篇研究报告中，研究者首次揭示了CFS患者心脏迷走紧张程度的降低和认知损伤直接相关，而且研究结果有助于研究者开发出新型的改善CFS患者认知困难的疗法。

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Reduced Cardiac Vagal Modulation Impacts on Cognitive Performance in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Background Cognitive difficulties and autonomic dysfunction have been reported separately in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). A role for heart rate variability (HRV) in cognitive flexibility has been demonstrated in healthy individuals, but this relationship has not as yet been examined in CFS. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between HRV and cognitive performance in patients with CFS. Methods Participants were 30 patients with CFS and 40 healthy controls; the groups were matched for age, sex, education, body mass index, and hours of moderate exercise/week. Questionnaires were used to obtain relevant medical and demographic information, and assess current symptoms and functional impairment. Electrocardiograms, perceived fatigue/effort and performance data were recorded during cognitive tasks. Between–group differences in autonomic reactivity and associations with cognitive performance were analysed. Results Patients with CFS showed no deficits in performance accuracy, but were significantly slower than healthy controls. CFS was further characterized by low and unresponsive HRV; greater heart rate (HR) reactivity and prolonged HR-recovery after cognitive challenge. Fatigue levels, perceived effort and distress did not affect cognitive performance. HRV was consistently associated with performance indices and significantly predicted variance in cognitive outcomes. Conclusions These findings reveal for the first time an association between reduced cardiac vagal tone and cognitive impairment in CFS and confirm previous reports of diminished vagal activity.