CIRCADIAN-RHYTHMS OF ACTIVITY AND RECTAL TEMPERATURE AT HOME AND IN AHOSPITAL - EFFECTS OF LIFE-STYLE

Seventeen patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome have been s tudied twice for at least 24 h, once at home and again in the hospital . On both occasions, a diary of sleep and different types of activity was kept, and rectal temperature was measured regularly The circadian rhythm of temperature was assessed by cosinor analysis both before (ra w data) and after ''purification'' to reveal the endogenous component of the rhythm. Results indicated that there were changes in the amplit udes and acrophases of the temperature rhythm that could be attributed to differences in masking caused by the sleep/activity cycles in the two environments. Some implications of these findings for the choice o f ''control subjects,'' for the analysis of causes of alterations in c ircadian rhythms in aged and depressed patients, and for some current forms of treatment of such patients are considered.