Work Memory Impairment in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Spleen Deficiency
- VernacularTitle:慢性疲劳综合征脾虚证患者的工作记忆损害
- Author:
Tian ZHOU
1
;
Yunhe ZHANG
;
Ziyao WU
;
Sitong FENG
;
Yanzhe NING
;
Hongxiao JIA
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Chronic fatigue syndrome; Spleen deficiency syndrome; Working memory; Spleen storing Yi
- From: World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(11):3148-3156
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Objective To characterize working memory performance in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS)and spleen-deficiency syndrome and to examine its associations with clinical symptoms by Sternberg working memory task(SWMT).Methods 31 CFS patients meeting both CDC-1994 criteria and consensus criteria for spleen-deficiency pattern were recruited from outpatient clinics and universities from September 2022 and June 2025.31 healthy controls were also recruited based on age,sex,and education.All subjects completed the SWMT.Group differences were analyzed.Within the CFS cohort,reaction time(RT)was correlated with scores on the checklist individual strength(CIS),36-item short-form health survey(sf-36),and fatigue scale-14(FS-14).Mediation was examined.Results RT lengthened with increasing memory load in both groups.CFS patients displayed slower RTs than controls in the baseline and 6-digit set(P<0.05).The 3-digit RT difference,though not significant(P>0.05),yielded a medium effect size(r=0.36).Accuracy did not differ between two groups.Among CFS patients,3-digit RT correlated positively with CIS total and the 4 sub-scale scores.6-digit RT correlated with the SF-36 health-transition dimension(r=0.396,P=0.027).CIS and FS-14 scores directly impaired SF-36 social functioning without working-memory mediating.Conclusion CFS patients with spleen-deficiency exhibit slowed processing speed rather than capacity loss.The close link between working-memory slowing and fatigue suggests a distinct neural basis.These results support the traditional concept"the spleen stores Yi"and integrate TCM pattern differentiation with modern cognitive neuroscience in CFS.
