Childhood Trauma and Risk for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

[article writer]

http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_c/Cfs_fm-child_abuse_can_lead_to_cfs_fibromyalgia.html
http://childabusedata.blogspot.com/2011/05/childhood-trauma-and-risk-for-chronic.html

Childhood Trauma and Risk for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Association
With Neuroendocrine Dysfunction - Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry.
2009;66(1):72-80 Authors: Christine Heim, PhD; Urs M. Nater, PhD;
Elizabeth Maloney, MS, DrPH; Roumiana Boneva, MD, PhD; James F. Jones,
MD; William C. Reeves, MD, MSc


Context
Childhood trauma appears to be a potent risk factor for chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS). Evidence from developmental neuroscience
suggests that early experience programs the development of regulatory
systems that are implicated in the pathophysiology of CFS, including
the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, the contribution of
childhood trauma to neuroendocrine dysfunction in CFS remains
obscure.

Objectives
To replicate findings on the relationship between childhood trauma and
risk for CFS and to evaluate the association between childhood trauma
and neuroendocrine dysfunction in CFS.
Design, Setting, and Participants
A case-control study of 113 persons with CFS and 124 well control
subjects identified from a general population sample of 19 381 adult
residents of Georgia....

Results
Individuals with CFS reported significantly higher levels of childhood
trauma and psychopathological symptoms than control subjects. Exposure
to childhood trauma was associated with a 6-fold increased risk of
CFS. Sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect were most
effective in discriminating CFS cases from controls. There was a
graded relationship between exposure level and CFS risk. The risk of
CFS conveyed by childhood trauma further increased with the presence
of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Only individuals with CFS
and with childhood trauma exposure, but not individuals with CFS
without exposure, exhibited decreased salivary cortisol concentrations
after awakening compared with control subjects.

Conclusions
Our results confirm childhood trauma as an important risk factor of
CFS. In addition, neuroendocrine dysfunction, a hallmark feature of
CFS, appears to be associated with childhood trauma. This possibly
reflects a biological correlate of vulnerability due to early
developmental insults. Our findings are critical to inform
pathophysiological research and to devise targets for the prevention
of CFS.
http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_c/Cfs_fm-child_abuse_can_lead_to_cfs_fibromyalgia.html