Health outcomes of sensory hypersensitivities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a poorly understood chronic illness with many case definitions that disagree on key symptoms, including hypersensitivities to noise and lights. The aim of the current study was to understand the prevalence rates and characteristics of these symptoms amongst people with ME/CFS and to compare them to people with another chronic illness, multiple sclerosis (MS). International datasets consisting of 2,240 people with either ME/CFS or MS have completed the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) and the Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). Hypersensitivities to noise and lights were indicated from items on the DSQ, and participants were analyzed against DSQ and SF-36 subscales through a multivariate analysis of covariance. There were significantly higher percentages of people with hypersensitivities in the ME/CFS sample compared to the MS sample. Regardless of illness, participants that exhibited both hypersensitivities reported greater symptomology than those without hypersensitivities. Healthcare providers and researchers should consider these symptoms when developing treatment plans and evaluating ME/CFS case diagnostic criteria.

KEYWORDS:

• Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
• multiple sclerosis
• auditory hypersensitivity
• light sensitivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, L. J., upon reasonable request.

Ethics approval

All analyses performed with human participants in the current study were in accordance with the ethical standards of DePaul University’s Institutional Review Board. All participants were provided informed consent by their respective sources.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Grant R01NS111105.