Post-Exertional Malaise: Cognitive Task Performance Studies / Video 5 of 7

This video series is intended to review the clinical presentation, scientific underpinnings, and treatment approach for patients with post-exertional malaise (PEM)/post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE).

For an abbreviated version highlighting the clinical pearls, please watch videos 1, 2, and 7. Videos 3-6 offer a deeper dive into the scientific and evidence-based pathophysiology of PEM/PESE.
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Post-exertional malaise (PEM)/post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE) is an altered physiological state and pathognomonic finding unique to ME/CFS that is now being recognized in those with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), also known as Long COVID.

It is critical that healthcare professionals recognize PEM/PESE and support the patient in avoiding a push-crash-cycle which can exacerbate disease processes and contribute to worsened long-term functional prognoses.

In video five of this seven-part series Brayden Yellman, MD, and Lucinda Bateman, MD, review a study by Cook, et al., which investigated the relationship between a resting state and post-exercise induced PEM by evaluating performance upon several cognitive tasks, by imaging of the brain with functional MRI, and by patient-reported symptoms.

Video details:
Paced Auditory Serial Task Addition (PASAT) cognitive task findings
Post-exercise brain activity in the inferior and superior parietal and cingulate cortices
Impact of PEM on neurophysiology

This video was made possible by the OMF-funded Medical Education Resource Center (MERC) at BHC, our generous donors, and viewers like you.

Citations:
Cook DB, Light AR, Light KC, Broderick G, Shields MR, Dougherty RJ, Meyer JD, VanRiper S, Stegner AJ, Ellingson LD, Vernon SD. Neural consequences of post-exertion malaise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Brain Behav Immun. 2017 May;62:87-99. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.02.009. Epub 2017 Feb 17. PMID: 28216087.