Who’s made the most difference in the chronic fatigue syndrome research field? A measure called the ‘H-index’ attempts to determine the impact a researcher has had on a field based on how often his/her work is cited by others. Researchers publishing ‘seminal’ papers in highly read journals will do the best. The index does not measure who’s right..it measures who’s work is read and cited the most by other researchers. The higher the score the bigger the impact.
The index is not perfect; flaws have been pointed out but it does give us a good sense of who’s had the most impact in the CFS research field. One thing to note, early important papers can wrack up a lot of points if they become standards for the field.
To get the H-index for researchers studying chronic fatigue syndrome, each researchers name and the phrase ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’ was entered in the Google citations search boxes
The Top Five – the Old Guard
The work of the top five most influential CFS researchers all dates back at least to the early 1990’s. Each of these authors, with the exception of Dr. Reeves, published early studies which have been cited hundreds of times by other researchers and their work has played a major role in determining how CFS is perceived inside the research community. Two of them played major roles in instituting the chokehold CBT/GET has on treatment studies.
Dr. Reeves is the odd man out; he didn’t start published regularly until the late 1990’s, but his publication of several seminal papers during the 2,000’s cemented his grip on the top five. Only one researcher with a predominantly pathophysiological approach to ME/CFS, Dr. Natelson, was in the top five.
Simon Wessely – H-index 62
Simon Wessely may say he’s retired but he’s still very active with 6 papers published on chronic fatigue syndrome in the last year and a half. If the Google citation index is anywhere near accurate Simon Wessely has been the force that many people have thought him to be; his papers have been regularly cited in major journals for many years and his H-index is 50% higher than the next researcher.
Wessely’s most cited paper, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for CFS (1998) (377 times) is just ahead of his 1998 book Chronic Fatigue and its Syndromes (cited 366 times). Wessely’s appeal, however, is not entirely based on his behavioral orientation; four of his top six cited documents are on subjects like neuroendocrine responses, low dose hydrocortisone, prognosis and prevalence.
Dr. Benjamin Natelson – H-index 41
The leader of one of most productive NIH sponsored CFS research groups in the 1990’s, Dr. Natelson has investigated many aspects of ME/CFS. His most cited papers are on information processing, neuropsychological impairments, cognitive functioning and brain MRI’s. Natelson believes everyone – and he literally means everyone with a chronic illness (and he may go further than that) would benefit from CBT, but he’s forged a career looking at the physiological side, in particular, the central nervous system side of ME/CFS. His work suggests that CFS and FM may be very different and after 25 years of research he remains quite active; he’s currently engaged in studies that could break up ME/CFS into patients with and without depression and is working on a follow-up to his spinal fluid magnetic spectroscopy studies.
Dr. Dedra Buchwald – University of Washington, Seattle – H-index – 39
Dr. Buchwald ran the NIH funded CFS Research Center in Seattle in the 1990’s. (The fact the two of the top three researchers in the field ran NIH funded research centers speaks of the centers productivity -and the corresponding loss when they were shut down in the early 2,000’s). A proponent of CBT, Buchwald also believes that biological abnormalities are present in the disorder. Dr. Buchwald has become more and more focused over time on identifying conditions that are co-morbid with CFS. Buchwald’s most cited paper, a 2003 Review of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, clearly made an impression as it’s rare to have a relatively recent paper with so many citations (except see Dr. Reeves, below).
William Reeves – former CDC CFS Chief Investigator – H-Index – 39
Reeves came to CFS later than the top 3 investigators and published less but clearly made his mark while he was there. Perhaps the most influential researcher during his time Reeves top six papers all were published from 2003-2010. His most cited paper identified problems with the Fukuda Definition; his 2005 follow-up paper on the ‘Empirical Definition’ estranged the CDC from much of the research community but his next most cited paper, a 2003 prevalence paper, suggested that CFS was a “major health problem’ and a 2004 paper on indicated ME/CFS cost the economy billions of dollars in losses.
Gus Bleijenberg – H-index 39
One of the most active CBT researchers, Bleigenberg’s 2001 CBT Trial in Lancet has been cited over 330 times but it’s his 1994 “Dimensional Assessment of CFS’ paper examining the behavioral, cognitive, emotional and social aspects of CFS which has drawn the most attention. (It’s the six most cited CFS paper of all time (440 times). ) Other than that his most cited papers have been on fluoxetine, prognosis of CFS abd the measurement of fatigue. His 2005 CBT study was a big hit garnering 120 citations in 7 years. Bleijenberg has reportedly retired.
The Top Fifteen
Things even out a bit after the top five. Of the next ten, three focus on behavioral issues while 7 are focused on pathophysiological issues.
Next comes Dr. Komaroff of Harvard (37) who has examined many different areas of ME/CFS: CBT specialist Chalder (and originator of the Chalder Fatigue Scale); the immunologist Dr. Nancy Klimas (33); Dr. White with his behavioral focus (32); psychiatrist Dr. Michael Sharpe; former head of NIH CFS Research, Dr. Stephen Straus (32); immunologist Mary Fletcher (32); psychoneuroimmunologist Dr Maes (31); epidemiologist Dr. Leonard Jason (28) and then Dr. Andrew Lloyd (28).
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