An agent model for temporal dynamics analysis of a person with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract

This paper presents a dynamic agent model of chronic fatigue syndrome for an individual. Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name to define a group of cognitive and medical disorders caused by persistent fatigue. Based on several personal characteristics, viral infection, and a representation of events (i.e. psychological and physiological stressors), the agent model can simulate whether a human agent that experience certain scenarios will fall into a chronic fatigue condition. A number of well-known relations between events and the course of chronic fatigue are summarized from the literature and it is shown that the model exhibits those patterns. In addition, the agent model has been mathematically analyzed to find out which stable situations exist. Finally, it is pointed out how this model can be used in therapy, supported by a software agent. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.