Chronic fatigue syndrome: new insights and old ignorance

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition characterized by impairment o f neurocognitive functions and quality of sleep and of somatic symptoms suc h as recurrent sore throat, muscle aches, arthralgias, headache, and postex ertional malaise. A majority of patients describe an infectious onset but t he link between infections and CFS remains uncertain. Findings show an acti vation of the immune system, abberations in several hypothalamic-pituitary axes and involvement of other parts of the central nervous system. The orig in is bound to be complex and it may well be that the solution will come to gether with a more generally altered view about mind-body dualism, and the concept of illness and disease.