Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Integrative Aroach to Evaluation and Treatment - Hardcover

"As a research reference, the text has appreciable value in graduate education and clinical practice. Clinicians who are regularly involved in the diagnosis and care of patients whose chief complaints suggest CFS will find the text essential to their informational database. Clinicians concerned about the specificity of differential diagnosis will require both the foundation that the text provides and its structure and direction of care." --David B. Adams, PhD, FAPM Atlanta Medical Psychology, Psychotherapy "The editors have done an outstanding job in collecting and organizing the background material to provide the reader with a complete history of this syndrome. The book also gives excellent criteria for diagnosing the syndrome and delineates its psychological aspects in an accurate and nonjudgmental manner." --Elaine Young in Science Books and Films ..".All [chapters] are excellently written, authoritative, and well referenced. The overview they provide is a real contribution to the current understanding of this most perplexing syndrome." --R.S. Kowalczyk, North Central Michigan College in Choice "This is a scholarly and yet practical overview on the subject written by more than a dozen clinical scientists working at the cutting-edge of expanding knowledge of this all-too-common and harrowing syndrome. CFS has evolved in recent years from an illness in search of an infectious etiology to one in which not only may a variety of common and ordinarily self-limited infections play a role, to one in which such diverse topics as psychoneuroendocrinology, immune dysregulation, sleep disorders, physical deconditioning, and many others bring important perspectives to our understanding of the syndrome. These and other new concepts are reviewed scientifically and dispassionately by experts. One of the underlying themes that is well-developed is that mental health professionals play an important role in management of patients with CFS; a concept that has been admitted only with reluctance by many patients. The medical and neuropsychiatric manifestations, assessments, and diagnostic criteria for the syndrome are carefully delineated. Psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment are covered in depth in three related chapters. Two excellent additional chapters concerning medical and psychopharmacologic therapy conclude the book and cover all that we know that is scientific about what you can do for patients who suffer from the malady, including excellent discussions about antidepressants and 'alternative therapies.' This book will be of value to everyone who does research on CFS or who treats patients with the syndrome." --Robert Fekety, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School "Drs. Demitrack and Abbey are to be congratulated for providing a timely and thoughtful overview of a rapidly changing field. This is a thorough review of a confusing literature. Especially valuable are the sections on the history of the concept chronic fatigue syndrome and the evolution of the definition and diagnostic criteria. The chapters on the central nervous system and its role in this final common pathway as well as multiple system involvement leads to a sophisticated and broad approach to people with these disorders. Treatment has to be multi-faceted and is thoroughly explored. The chapters on cognitive behavior therapy are noteworthy for their careful attention to practical details." --Paul E. Garfinkel, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C), Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry "College-level students and those involved in clinical health practices will find this an intriguing assembly of works from fields ranging from psychiatry and internal medicine to neuropsychology." --"The Midwest Book Review" "This text is a welcome addition to the controversial and perplexing field of chronic fatigue. In an area marked by disagreement and polarization, editors Demitrack and Abbey present a comprehensive and balanced view of the syndrome...."Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "is extremely well written and will be of value to clinicians and investigators experienced in the field as well as to those new to the area. This text brings a balanced voice of reason, science, and compassion to a condition that has generated considerable suffering and controversy." --"Psychiatric Services"

Chronic fatigue syndrome - a debilitating disorder associated with fatigue and a range of other constitutional complaints - has been the subject of much controversy in recent years. Originally conceptualized as a persistent viral infection, the disorder is now understood to be a much more complex phenomeon. This acclaimed volume assembles leading experts on CFS form the fields of psychiatry, infectious diseases, general internal medicine, and neuropsychology. Chapters explore the factors that contribute to the development of the disorder and present a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and clinical management.