Interventions from RCTs for the chronic fatigue syndrome*
| Interventions | Number of RCTs | Number of patients | Overall effect (improvement v no difference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| *CBT = cognitive behavioural therapy; RCTs = randomised controlled trials. Intervention duration ranged from 2 weeks to 1 year (mean 16 wks); follow up ranged from 2 weeks to 5 years. | |||
| Behavioural | 8 | 883 | 6 v 2 |
| Graded exercise | 3 | 350 | 3 v 0 |
| CBT | 5 | 533 | 3 v 2 |
| Immunological | 9 | 440 | 4 v 5 |
| Pharmacological | 12 | 896 | 2 v 10 |
| Supplements | 5 | 174 | 2 v 3 |
| Complementary or alternative | 2 | 84 | 1 v 1 |