Controversial autism researcher tells local Somalis disease is solvable

Controversial autism researcher tells local Somalis disease is solvable
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/17/somali-autism/

"Minnesota Somalis worried about autism rates among their children recently invited controversial British researcher Andrew Wakefield to Minneapolis to talk to their community."

Fast Lane to Autism: Living Near Freeways

Fast Lane to Autism: Living Near Freeways
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20101217/fast-lane-to-autism-living-near-freeways

"Having a mother who lived within 1,000 feet of a freeway while pregnant doubles a child's odds of having autism."

Ten Ways to Avoid Christmas Tree and Holiday Allergies

Ten Ways to Avoid Christmas Tree and Holiday Allergies
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/20/ways-avoid-christmas-tree-holiday-allergies/

Ten Steps to a Less Toxic Future

Ten Steps to a Less Toxic Future
http://www.progressive.org/williams1210.html

CONFERENCE: Making the Connection 2011: Translating Environmental Health Research into Clinical Practice and Prevention

February 18, 2011 - February 20, 2011
Making the Connection 2011: Translating Environmental Health Research into Clinical Practice and Prevention

http://www.psr.org/news-events/events/making-the-connection-2011.html
Madison, Wisconsin
This conference will educate health care professionals about important environmental factors affecting human health and how best to use that information in primary care practice. The conference will also build relationships between environmental advocates and health practitioners to advocate cooperatively for public policies that promote a healthy environment. Co-sponsored by PSR Wisconsin.

Toxic Toys Create Silver Lining for Green Toy Companies

Toxic Toys Create Silver Lining for Green Toy Companies
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/toxic-toys-create-silver-lining-for-green-companies-0834/

"You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Cadmium, mercury, arsenic and chlorine. But, do you recall…

Yes, they have been recalled. Again and again.

The epidemic of foreign-made toxic toys making its way onto retail shelves might be best described as something out of a science fiction movie rather than a beloved holiday song."

Ski wax chemicals build up in people's blood, pose risks

Ski wax chemicals build up in people's blood, pose risks
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/ski-wax-chemicals

"Ski wax can expose users to perfluorochemicals that build up in their bodies and carry potentially serious health risks. Racers, in particular, covet waxes with high amounts of fluorinated compounds because they make skis and snowboards go faster. But that extra speed could come at a cost. Wax technicians working for World Cup ski race teams had median levels of one compound that were up to 45 times higher than the general population's. Exposure could be risky, especially to thousands of junior ski racers and parents who may layer on highly fluorinated race wax week after week without knowing how to handle it safely."

Kroger recalls dog, cat food varieties that may contain toxic chemical

Kroger recalls dog, cat food varieties that may contain toxic chemical
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20101219/NEWS/12190367/Kroger-recalls-dog-cat-food-varieties-that-may-contain-toxic-chemical

 

"Kroger announced Saturday it is recalling select varieties of dog and cat food sold in some of its retail stores - including those in Mississippi - because the products may contain a substance that poses serious health risks to pets.

The items included in the recall may be contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic chemical byproduct that occurs naturally from the growth of fungus on corn and other crops."

Kids Who Live in Incense Burning Households Face Higher Asthma Risk

Kids Who Live in Incense Burning Households Face Higher Asthma Risk
http://baysidenews.net/news/kids-who-live-in-incense-burning-households-face-higher-asthma-risk-afc4261492.html

 

"A Taiwanese study has speculated upon the connection between burning of incense in homes and increased risk of children suffering from asthma."

Do you know what's in your coffee?

Do you know what's in your coffee?
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/do-you-know-whats-in-your-coffee/story-fn6ccwsa-1225973234502

"YOUR skinny cappuccino may come with several unwanted chemicals. Recent research shows some of our favourite brews can be laced with contaminants. An analysis by the nation's food regulator details a list of 14 substances that didn't surprise scientists, but will shock coffee lovers."

Precautions may ease sensitivities

Precautions may ease sensitivities
http://www.lfpress.com/travel/2010/12/16/16583636.html 
 

"Q I have severe chemical sensitivities, clinically diagnosed, and because of this, travelling has become a challenge. I would like to visit a warmer climate this winter and was wondering if you have any information on how an airline might treat my sensitivities and what resorts might cater to those of us with this condition?"

Sustainable Living: The lowdown on Toxics

Sustainable Living: The lowdown on Toxics
http://www.justmeans.com/Sustainable-Living-lowdown-on-Toxics/40322.html  

"We are living in an increasingly toxic world. People are being exposed to toxic substances like it is nobody's business. Babies are born with high levels of mercury, BPA etc in their blood stream. It is extremely worrying because a lot of the sources of toxics are directly linked with our lifestyle. A lot of these then go on to cause diseases like cancer, some are powerful enough to cause gene mutations that result in birth defects, other disturb ecological balance by causing reproductive problems in animals and plants. There are some sources where you can easily avoid contact with toxic chemicals and others are more difficult, let's focus on what can be done for now."

California Court: Toxic Pet Products Must Have Warning Labels

California Court: Toxic Pet Products Must Have Warning Labels
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/12/16-4

"December 16 - Major pet product retailers and manufacturers  will not sell flea and tick collars in California that contain a cancer-causing chemical without a warning label, according to a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council."

EPA and European Chemicals Agency Sign Agreement to Enhance Chemical Safety

EPA and European Chemicals Agency Sign Agreement to Enhance Chemical Safety
http://www.epa.gov/oppt

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have announced a partnership that will promote enhanced technical cooperation on chemical management activities. The partnership is part of EPA's commitment to improve chemical safety. ECHA is the agency that implements the European Union's chemical management program known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals)."

EPA Analysis Shows Reduction in 2009 Toxic Chemical Releases

EPA Analysis Shows Reduction in 2009 Toxic Chemical Releases
http://www.epa.gov/tri/

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), providing all Americans vital information about their communities.  The TRI program publishes information on toxic chemical disposals and releases into the air, land and water, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across the country.  In 2009, 3.37 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the environment, a 12 percent decrease from 2008.  TRI was recently recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the 10 major ways that EPA has strengthened America."

Exposure patterns of UV filters, fragrances, parabens, phthalates, organochlor pesticides, PBDEs, and PCBs in human milk: correlation of UV filters with use of cosmetics.

Exposure patterns of UV filters, fragrances, parabens, phthalates, organochlor pesticides, PBDEs, and PCBs in human milk: correlation of UV filters with use of cosmetics.

Schlumpf M, Kypke K, Wittassek M, Angerer J, Mascher H, Mascher D, Vökt C, Birchler M, Lichtensteiger W.  Chemosphere. 2010 Nov;81(10):1171-83. Epub 2010 Oct 27.
GREEN Tox and Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland. margret.schlumpf@access.uzh.ch

Abstract

In order to assess potential risks of exposure to environmental chemicals, more information on concomitant exposure to different chemicals is needed. We present data on chemicals in human milk of a cohort study (2004, 2005, 2006) of 54 mother/child pairs, where for the first time, cosmetic UV filters, synthetic musks, parabens and phthalate metabolites were analyzed in the same sample along with persistent organochlor pollutants (POPs), i.e., organochlor pesticides and metabolites, polybrominated diphenylethers and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The two groups of chemicals exhibited different exposure patterns. Six out of seven PCB congeners and a majority of pesticides were present in all milk samples, with significant correlations between certain PCB congener and pesticide levels, whereas the cosmetic-derived compounds, UV filters, parabens and synthetic musks, exhibited a more variable exposure pattern with inter-individual differences. UV filters were present in 85.2% of milk samples, in the range of PCB levels. Comparison with a questionnaire revealed a significant correlation between use of products containing UV filters and their presence in milk for two frequently used and detected UV filters, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and octocrylene, and for the whole group of UV filters. Concentrations of PCBs and organochlor pesticides were within ranges seen in Western and Southern European countries. For several POPs, mean and/or maximum daily intake calculated from individual concentrations was above recent US EPA reference dose values. Our data emphasize the need for analyses of complex mixtures to obtain more information on inter-individual and temporal variability of human exposure to different types of chemicals.

PMID: 21030064 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Sensitivity-related illness: the escalating pandemic of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity.

Sensitivity-related illness: the escalating pandemic of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity.

Genuis SJ. Sci Total Environ. 2010 Nov 15;408(24):6047-61.
Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty Of Medicine, University Of alberta, Canada. sgenuis@ualberta.ca

Abstract

The prevalence of allergic-related diseases, food intolerance, and chemical sensitivities in both the pediatric and adult population has increased dramatically over the last two decades, with escalating rates of associated morbidity. Conditions of acquired allergy, food intolerance and chemical hypersensitivity are frequently the direct sequelae of a toxicant induced loss of tolerance (TILT) in response to a significant initiating toxic exposure. Following the primary toxicant insult, the individuals become sensitive to low levels of diverse and unrelated triggers in their environment such as commonly encountered chemical, inhalant or food antigens. Among sensitized individuals, exposure to assorted inciting stimuli may precipitate diverse clinical and/or immune sequelae as may be evidenced by clinical symptoms as well as varied lymphocyte, antibody, or cytokine responses in some cases. Recently recognized as a mechanism of disease development, TILT and resultant sensitivity-related illness (SRI) may involve various organ systems and evoke wide-ranging physical or neuropsychological manifestations. With escalating rates of toxicant exposure and bioaccumulation in the population-at-large, an increasing proportion of contemporary illness is the direct result of TILT and ensuing SRI. Avoidance of triggers will preclude symptoms, and desensitization immunotherapy or immune suppression may ameliorate symptomatology in some cases. Resolution of SRI generally occurs on a gradual basis following the elimination of bioaccumulated toxicity and avoidance of further initiating adverse environmental exposures. As has usually been the case throughout medical history whenever new evidence regarding disease mechanisms emerges, resistance to the translation of knowledge abounds.

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PMID: 20920818 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

American-Made Drywall Emerges as Potential Danger

American-Made Drywall Emerges as Potential Danger
http://www.propublica.org/article/american-made-drywall-emerges-as-potential-dange

"Two years after thousands of Americans learned that defective Chinese drywall had contaminated their houses, a new group of homeowners say they are experiencing similar problems—but their homes are built with drywall made in the United States."

Mother May Try Again in Pesticide Toxicity Case

Mother May Try Again in Pesticide Toxicity Case
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/12/15/32633.htm

"The 8th Circuit Court partly reinstated woman's claim that an insecticide caused her son's extensive disabilities when an exterminator."

Oh Christmas tree, please be allergy free

Oh Christmas tree, please be allergy free
http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=555660 
 
"Picking out the right Christmas tree may be a little tricky for allergy sufferers.  Both real and artificial trees can carry mold on them which can cause allergy symptoms like sneezing, itching, watery eyes, a runny nose, and even asthma."

Windham woman decries 'smart meter' installation

Windham woman decries 'smart meter' installation
http://www.keepmecurrent.com/lakes_region_weekly/news/article_2c5601d0-094d-11e0-ab1e-001cc4c002e0.html

"As Central Maine Power begins installing its "smart meters" in Windham, resident Betty McLeod doesn't think the introduction is such a smart idea, not when there are still unanswered questions regarding the health effects of the devices."

Cellular Inflammatory Responses to Indoor-Source Particulate Matter

Cellular Inflammatory Responses to Indoor-Source Particulate Matter
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/vogel/vogel.pdf

Christoph Vogel, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Toxicology and Center for Health and the Environment
University of California, Davis

"It is well established that exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with major health impacts such as adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. Most studies have correlated these effects with outdoor pollutant exposure; however, health effects associated with indoor PM exposures have received much less attention. Indoor PM may pose a considerable health risk: potential indoor sources of PM are numerous, people spend the majority of their time indoors, and children and the elderly are particularly susceptible. Therefore, this study investigated the potentially toxic effects of PM through its ability to induce inflammation, the body's normal response to injurious stimuli. Inflammation is a short-term protective mechanism involving a number of biological factors released from a variety of cells in the body. However, chronic inflammation often results in harmful effects such as cell damage and disease. The current study investigated the response of isolated macrophage cells, which comprise one of the body's early responses against foreign material, to PM generated by indoor activities including cooking and the burning of candles, wood, and incense. Our results showed increased levels of biological factors involved in inflammation as a result of PM exposures and will be presented in detail."

PETITION: Pull Bayer's bee-killing pesticide.

PETITION

Pull Bayer's bee-killing pesticide.

http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5370

"On December 8, PAN joined Beyond Pesticides and beekeepers from around the country in breaking a story that is coming to be known as "Wik-Bee Leaks" or the "Clothianidin Controversy." As media are reporting, bees are dying off while EPA turns a blind eye.  See link for more information."

Organic Bytes: Cultivating and Expanding Organic

 

Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Donate Cultivating and Expanding Organic #255, December 16, 2010 In this issue: Quote of the Week: Organic to Feed the World, Empower the Poor, Mitigate Climate Change, & Preserve Biodiversity Holiday Appeal: Cultivating and Expanding Organic OCA's Strategic 2011 Campaigns: Millions Against Monsanto: Taking Down the World's Biotech Bully Through Truth-in-Labeling Save Organic Standards: Raising "USDA Organic" Standards on Beef and Poultry Zero Waste/Maximum Compost: Recycling Urban America's Food Waste to Fuel the Organic Revolution Video of the Week: Dive! Dumpster Diving Against Waste Little Bytes Quote of the Week The Financial Times: Organic to Feed the World, Empower Poor, Mitigate Climate Change & Preserve Biodiversity "So far, the world has always managed to meet the challenge of food productivity. In fact, today we have 25% oversupply measured in calories after losses. The challenge is to provide access to food for the poor. The strategy of ecological-intensification using organic principles and practices is a new paradigm to feed the world while empowering the poor and mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss." -Anne English, The Financial Times' Food Security Briefing, October 14, 2010 Read More   Holiday Appeal: Please Support the OCA Organic agriculture is our hope and security for the future, a wondrous gift from Mother Earth. OCA's mission is to promote and safeguard the organic way. We need your financial support now more than ever. Please help us raise $50,000 in our year-end fundraising drive to help fund our strategic 2011 campaigns. Please Donate Strategic 2011 Campaigns Millions Against Monsanto: Taking Down the World's Biotech Bully Through Truth-in-Labeling In 2010, the Organic Consumers Association mobilized organic activists to fight back against Monsanto and the biotech industry. Thanks to your volunteer efforts and financial support, the OCA fought the "good fight" on GM trees, wheat, salmon, alfalfa, sugar beets and rice. But now the time has come to go on the offensive. We can't wait for Congress, the USDA, EPA, or FDA to regulate GMOs, pesticides and Monsanto's growing seed monopoly. Over one-third of American farmland is now planted with GMOs. Eighty percent of all non-organic processed foods contain GM ingredients. It's time to mobilize consumer power at the local level. It's time to hit Monsanto and Big Ag where it hurts: at the cash register. We need to pressure city councils and state legislatures to label GM-tainted foods. If they won't do this, we need to organize ballot initiatives wherever possible. We need to pass local "Truth-in-Labeling" ordinances to inform 75% of the public - who are still in the dark about GMOs - what they're eating, and why it matters. Grocery stores and restaurants must be forced to admit to their customers that their processed foods, factory farmed milk, eggs and meat, and other junk food ingredients are GM-tainted. Supermarkets and health food stores must come clean and admit that all the non-organic, so-called "natural" foods that contain corn, soy, cottonseed oil, or canola, are likely contaminated with GMOs. As long as only a quarter of U.S. consumers understand that they're being force-fed GMOs, we'll never create the critical mass necessary to push organic over the tipping point. However, once a majority of consumers are educated about the risks and harms of GMOs, and once non-organic processed foods are truthfully labeled as "may contain GMOs," Monsanto's Biotech Bullying will come to an end. Please donate to help OCA's Millions Against Monsanto: Truth-in-Labeling Campaign for 2011 Strategic 2011 Campaigns Save Organic Standards: Help OCA Strengthen "USDA Organic" Standards on Beef and Poultry In 2010, the USDA finally bowed to pressure from the Organic Consumers Association and our allies, banning dairy confinement feedlots and requiring organic dairies to graze their animals on pasture. But the "USDA Organic" bar still needs to be raised significantly to guarantee stricter standards on animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Organic dairy cows may be on pasture more often now, but organic beef cattle still routinely spend the last months of their lives in feedlots, while most organic egg-laying hens go their whole lives without access to the outdoors. Not only is intensive confinement cruel to the animals, it's also bad for the environment. Confined animals produce mountains of waste that contaminate water, spread disease, and spew greenhouse gases. In contrast, animals that graze on pasture produce more nutritious food, are less likely to harbor diseases like E. coli, and stimulate the growth of healthy pastures that clean CO2 from the atmosphere. There's no doubt that "USDA Organic" promotes animal welfare, sustainability, and climate-friendly practices, but the National Organic Program has yet to require that beef be grass-fed as well as grass-finished and that poultry be allowed to exhibit their natural behaviors and have access to the outdoors. In 2011, OCA will step up the pressure on the NOP to require pasture and grass-finishing for beef cattle and outdoor access for poultry. Please donate to OCA's Save Organic Standards campaign, and help us to press the USDA to raise organic standards for beef and poultry Strategic 2011 Campaigns Zero Waste/Maximum Compost: Urban Food Waste Transformed into Compost Can Fuel the Organic Revolution What is it going to take to launch an organic revolution in a country where 125,000 industrial mega-farms account for three quarters of all agricultural production and only about 25,000 of our 2.2 million farms are organic? First, we need more organic farmers. Peak oil theorist Richard Heinberg says we'll need tens of millions of backyard gardeners and small farmers. Next, we need compost - billions of pounds, augmented by billions of gallons of compost tea. That's the amount of organic compost and compost tea we'll need to replace the 24 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizer that chemical and GMO farmers use each year to keep their crops on life support, even as they destroy the living soil. That's a lot of compost! Where's it all going to come from? How about making compost from the 96 billion pounds of food we throw away each year in this country? We need to reduce the amount of food we waste - our food waste alone would feed 20 million people - and use the rest to make organic compost. Let's take San Francisco's lead and adopt mandatory food and yard waste composting laws in every city. Please donate to help OCA's Zero Waste/Maximum Compost campaign as we move to phase out chemical fertilizers Video of the Week Dive! Living Off America's Trash "The kind of society that would waste this much food is one that doesn't value the earth or the products it produces. It's in our own personal detriment to continue the process." - Dr. Timothy Jones Facts About Food Waste From Dive! A Film by Jeremy Seifert Every year in America, we throw away 96 billion pounds of food. Over half of all food prepared in the US and Europe never gets eaten. The Department of Agriculture estimated in 1996 that recovering just 5 percent of the food that is wasted could feed 4 million people a day; recovering 25 percent would feed 20 million people. Today, we recover less than 2.5 percent. Watch Now Little Bytes Book Review of Meat: A Benign Extravagance READ MORE Top Organic Food and Farming Trends in 2011 READ MORE Debate Rages in China Over Production of GM Products READ MORE GE Mosquitoes Soon to Be Released in Malaysia READ MORE Whole Foods and Trader Joe's Throwing Out Millions of Pounds of Edible Food READ MORE LOCAL HI NEWS OF THE WEEK HI - Get Involved Locally Learn more about OCA related action alerts and other news in HI here. Message from our Sponsors Give The Gift of Ode This Holiday Season From organic food companies promoting eco-restoration and economic justice to micro-credit, a Nobel-prize winning solution to poverty; from U2's Bono on Africa, terrorism, and God to how a large-scale switch to organic agriculture will feed the world. Find out why leading thinkers have described Ode as "essential reading" and "a way of life." Give Ode as a gift to yourself and others and save 25% off the normal subscription price! Find out more now. Message from our Sponsors Boulder's Best Organics Wake up with pure fair-trade coffee accompanied by fresh from the farm jam that tastes like old fashioned apple pie. Share the wholesome goodness of organic oats, creamy peanut butters and spicy almonds. A touch of precious organic essences in a luscious lip balm starts you off on a glorious day. http://www.bouldersbestorganics.com/ Become an OCA Sponsor! Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 250,000 organic consumers with a thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA. Please contact us if you want more information! (Note: select "Sponsorship Coordinator" from the dropdown menu) Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! Organic Bytes is a publication of Organic Consumers Association 6771 South Silver Hill Drive - Finland, MN 55603 - Phone: 218-226-4164 - Fax: 218-353-7652 Read past issues and print- friendly PDF versions of Organic Bytes Subscribe | Connect with us:

Neil Shapiro: FDA has slim reach over cosmetics

Neil Shapiro: FDA has slim reach over cosmetics
http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/ci_16863411?nclick_check=1

"Who would start the day by brushing her teeth with a neurotoxin, shampooing with a carcinogen, conditioning with a lovely immunotoxin, slathering her skin with an endocrine disrupter, and finishing off with her favorite lipstick laced with lead?"

Dirty Little Secret in Natural Soyfoods Industry - Toxic Chemical Use - Organics Offers Alternative

Dirty Little Secret in Natural Soyfoods Industry - Toxic Chemical Use - Organics Offers Alternative
http://thetruthaboutmcs.blogspot.com/2010/12/dirty-little-secret-in-natural-soyfoods.html



Key Words: multiple chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivity, chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivities, MCS, EI, environmental illness, sick building syndrome, idiopathic environmental intolerance, fibromyalgia, chronic fatiuge, FM, CFS, mold illness, clinical ecology, alternative medicine, environmental medicine, neuropathy, encephalopathy, toxic, chemical

Land of Leather 'toxic sofa' customers win payout

Land of Leather 'toxic sofa' customers win payout
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/dec/15/consumer-land-of-leather-win-settlement-toxic-sofas

"More than 400 customers who suffered burns and injuries from sofas bought from collapsed firm finally win compensation."

Allergy Treatments Containing Aluminum May Cause New Allergy, Study Suggests

Allergy Treatments Containing Aluminum May Cause New Allergy, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101214085545.htm

"Allergic contact dermatitis from aluminium has previously been considered very unusual. However, there are now reports of pruritic nodules and aluminium allergy arising after vaccinations or treatments for allergies. Researcher Eva Netterlid has studied the problem in a thesis recently defended at Lund University in Sweden."

Scientists: Asthma Sufferers Often Have Garden Mold Growing on Lungs

Scientists: Asthma Sufferers Often Have Garden Mold Growing on Lungs
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/15/scientists-asthma-sufferers-garden-mold-growing-lungs/

 

"A common garden mold that causes an allergic reaction in asthmatics might actually be growing in sufferers' lungs, British scientists claimed."

[The role of depression in cognitive inpairment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.]

[The role of depression in cognitive impairment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.]
[Article in Spanish]

Santamarina-Pérez P, Freniche V, Eiroa-Orosa FJ, Llobet G, Sáez N, Alegre J, Jacas C.

Med Clin (Barc). 2010 Dec 8. [Epub ahead of print]
Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of depression in cognitive deficits of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 57 women with CFS were assessed by neuropsychological tests that included measures of attention: CalCap, Mental control of the WMS-III, PASAT, forward and backward digits (WAIS-III), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT); executive functions: Stroop Test, Trail Making Test (TMT A y B), FAS, Tower of London; memory: Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (AVL), Rey Complex Figure (RCF), and psychomotor skills: Grooved Pegboard. The raw scores on the tests were adjusted according to normative data and transformed to T scores. The sample was divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of depression, assessed by clinical interview and administration of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This study compared neuropsychological test scores between the two groups.

RESULTS: CFS patients showed cognitive deficit in attention and executive functions, regardless of the presence of depression. There were no significant differences between the two CFS groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive impairments in patients with CFS are not secondary to the presence of depression. These results should be taken into account in the implementation of therapeutic programs in these patients.

PMID: 21145567 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]