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Table 1 Data of the tests used in the cognitive evaluation

From: The maintained attention assessment in patients affected by Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a reliable biomarker?

VariableTest

CFS/ME

N = 84

µ(σ) range

Control

N = 22

µ(σ) range

p

CFS/ME

Women

N = 66

µ(σ) range

Men

N = 18

µ(σ)

range

p

Cognitive functionMoCA

25.76 (2.45)

18–30

27 (2.33)

21–30

*

26.06 (2.26)

18–30

24.66 (2.80)

18–29

*

Global Index Attention and Perception (GIAP)Toulouse−Piéron

1.94 (0.80)

0–3

3.04 (0.76)

1–5

***

1.98 (0.76)

0–3

1.77 (0.91)

0–3

 

Pre test- fatigueVAS

62.20 (17.10)

0–100

5.45 (16.43)

0–70

***

63.40 (16.76)

0–100

57.77 (17.57)

20–95

 

Post test- fatigueVAS

77.91 (17.84)

10–100

6.36 (18.71)

0–70

***

78.63 (17.87)

10–100

75.27 (17.51)

30–100

 

Perception of effort cognitiveBorg modified

7.70 (3.01)

3–10

1.77 (0.99)

1–5

***

8.12 (2.81)

3–10

6.16 (3.23)

3–10

*

  1. U Mann–Whitney test
  2. t-student test (CFS/ME: women pre test- fatigue vs. men pre test- fatigue, women post test- fatigue vs. men post test- fatigue)
  3. Cognitive function: Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Cut-off point: 26. Mild Cognitive Deterioration (< 21)
  4. Global Index Attention and Perception (GIAP): Toulouse-Piéron test. 0 = No evaluable (abandons the test due to very high fatigue), 1 = Very low, 2 = Low, 3 = Medium, 4 = High, 5 = Very high
  5. Fatigue: Visual analogue scale (VAS). 0 mm = No fatigue, < 40 mm = Mild, ≥ 40 mm–< 70 mm = Moderate, ≥ 70 mm = Severe, 100 mm = Maximum
  6. Perception of cognitive effort: Borg modified scale. 0 = Nothing at all, 1 = Very, very light, 2 = Very light, 3 = Moderate, 4 = Something hard, 5 = Hard, 6 = Hard, 7 = Very hard, 8 = Very hard, 9 = Very hard, 10 = Very very hard
  7. * p < 0.05
  8. ** P < 0.01
  9. *** P < 0.001