Potential use of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for the analysis and diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (Review)

Abstract

At present, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms. Although various psychological, endocrinological and immunological abnormalities of patients with CFS have been reported, no clear consensus exists regarding the symptoms for this disorder. Thus, an objective diagnostic method for CFS is urgently required. The present study investigated the diagnosis and analysis of CFS using visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of Vis-NIR spectroscopy for diagnosing CFS by analyzing either serum samples as an invasive approach or thumbs as a non-invasive approach. Analysis of the Vis-NIR spectra of blood and thumbs suggested that factors absorbing in this spectral region are altered in patients with CFS compared with healthy individuals. These findings are likely to facilitate the search for biomarkers associated with CFS and to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder. The current review aimed to outline the latest studies and discuss the future perspectives for CFS made possible by Vis-NIR spectroscopy.