COGNITIVE IDIOSYNCRASIES AMONG CHILDREN WITH THE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME - ANOMALIES IN SELF-REPORTED ACTIVITY LEVELS

The possibility that children with the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and their parents tend to display idiosyncratic cognitive processing c oncerning levels of activity was examined by means of subjective and o bjective measures of current activity, together with subjective and ob jective measures of desired and expected future activity. The degree t o which subjective reports of current activity level reflect objective ly measured activity level was examined in a group of children with CF S and a healthy control group. All subjects were assessed over a 3-day period by means of ambulatory activity monitoring, and self-reports a nd parent-reports of current activity level were collected by means of visual analog scales. Analysis of variance revealed a significant int eraction between the method of measurement (objective versus subjectiv e) and the participant group (CFS versus Healthy) with the CFS childre n and their parents underestimating actual level of activity relative to the healthy group. Desired and expected levels of future activity w ere also assessed by means of subjective report. Child and parent expe cted levels of future activity were compared with their desired levels . Although expected levels of future activity were similar in the two groups, the divergence between expected levels and corresponding desir ed levels was significantly greater in the CFS group. These results ar e discussed in terms of idiosyncratic cognitive processes, which are h ypothesized to be associated with CFS and which may play a role in the maintenance of the disorder.