Post-exertional malaise in veterans with gulf war illness

Publication date: Available online 28 November 2019Source: International Journal of PsychophysiologyAuthor(s): Jacob B. Lindheimer, Aaron J. Stegner, Glenn C. Wylie, Jacquelyn C. Klein-Adams, Neda E. Almassi, Jacob V. Ninneman, Stephanie M. VanRiper, Ryan J. Dougherty, Michael J. Falvo, Dane B. CookAbstractPost-exertional malaise (PEM) is a potentially debilitating aspect of Gulf War Illness (GWI) that has received limited research attention. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine symptom severity changes following exercise in Veterans with GWI compared to control Veterans without GWI (CO). Sixty-seven Veterans (n = 39 GWI; n = 28 CO) underwent a 30-minute submaximal exercise challenge at 70% of heart rate reserve. Symptom measurements (e.g. fatigue, pain) occurred pre-, immediately post-, and 24-hour post-exercise. Self-reported physical and mental health, and physiological and perceptual responses to exercise were compared between groups using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests and repeated measures Analysis of Variance (RM-ANOVA). Post-exertional malaise was modeled using Group by Time (2 × 3) doubly-multivariate, RM-MANOVAs for (1) mood, (2) pain and (3) GWI-related symptoms, respectively (α = 0.05). Data were analyzed for the full sample of Veterans with GWI (n = 39) compared to CO (n = 28) and a subsample of Veterans (n = 18) who endorsed “feeling unwell after physical exercise or exertion” (“PEM en...
Source: International Journal of Psychophysiology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research