Editor’s Note: The new journal, Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior is published on behalf of the International Association of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (IACFS). Fred Friedberg, current president of the IACFS, is an associate professor of psychology at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.
~Source: Taylor & Francis Online
The first fatigue journal
Fatigue is the first biomedical and behavioral journal focused on fatigue. We believe that high quality contributions in the area of fatigue are more likely to be submitted to a journal that clearly recognizes the importance of fatigue as a field of scientific study as well as an important clinical concern. Not infrequently, submitted papers on fatigue are not even sent out for review as editors often view fatigue as outside the purview of their journal's mission. This is understandable given that no medical journal has a primary focus on fatigue.
This new publication is intended to be a prominent vehicle to advance fatigue as an important field of study in its own right. Given that fatigue-focused peer review articles have increased 90% over the past decade (nearly 1000 published papers in 2011 alone), we believe that Fatigue is well-positioned to attract some proportion of these papers. Furthermore, with the guidance of our publisher, we plan to apply for Medline indexing when acceptance is likely. Our publisher is promoting the journal to medical libraries, conferences, and other professional events worldwide.
Journal aim and content
Our aim for the new journal is to address the symptom of fatigue in medical illnesses, behavioral disorders, and specific environmental conditions. These broadly conceived domains, all housed in one journal, are intended to advance interdisciplinary research on causation, pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment. The content that we seek includes original research papers, literature reviews, data-based theoretical papers, short reports, qualitative studies, innovative case studies, expert interactive commentary, and letters to the editor.
The list of topics covered in Fatigue includes: fatigue in diseases including cancer, autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS), pain conditions, mood disorders, and circulatory diseases. We will also accept papers on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), fibromyalgia, and related illnesses. In addition, specific issues involving fatigue in sleep, aging, exercise and sport, and occupations will be addressed. More generally, the journal will publish on the biology, physiology, and psychosocial aspects of fatigue as well as assessment and treatment.
We also welcome new topics such as clinical fatigue education in medical schools and papers on public health policy with respect to fatigue. Ultimately we plan to develop dedicated sections of the journal for specific research and clinical areas such as cancer and MS fatigue, CFS/ME and fibromyalgia, fatigue and sleep, fatigue and exercise, fatigue and aging, occupational fatigue, and athletic/sports fatigue.
Fatigue science and practice
Fatigue targets both science and practice. Fatigue science focuses on the study of acute and chronic fatigue states in healthy and ill populations. Fatigue practice refers to clinicians (largely physicians, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and nurses) who diagnose, evaluate, treat, and provide clinical care for patients with a wide range of fatiguing illnesses and conditions. Occupational fatigue encompasses both science and practice and refers to the study of the role of fatigue in worker errors, accidents, injuries, and impaired performance. Sports/athletic fatigue focuses on issues such as fatigue assessment and fatigue impact on performance.
Distinguished editorial board
As an international journal, we have assembled a distinguished multi-disciplinary editorial board of fatigue scientists and clinicians from North America, Europe, and Asia (Japan has its own professional fatigue society). The journal is sponsored by the IACFS/ME and administered through the journal editor and our editorial staff with an internet-based submission and review process.
Content of our inaugural issue
Our lead article by Fred Friedberg and colleagues is a brief empirical report documenting the increase in peer review fatigue articles over the past decade as well as pointing out initial signs of an emerging discipline of fatigue science and practice. Next Kirsten Avlund provides an informative overview of research on general fatigue, mobility-related fatigue, and fatigability in older adults, with a focus on fatigue as an early indicator of the aging process. In an interesting controlled study, Lianqi Liu, Sonia Ancoli-Israel and their research team present data on fatigue and circadian activity rhythms in breast cancer patients before and after chemotherapy.
In the following paper, Ann McNallen and colleagues compared 25 women with and 25 women without fibromyalgia utilizing a sleep study methodology to examine differences in fatigue, autonomic nervous system activity, perceived stress, sleep quality, and immune function. The subsequent article by Leonard Jason and co-authors describes energy conservation interventions based on envelope theory intended to help patients with CFS/ME. Next an informative review of fatigue in the workplace authored by Ann Williamson and Rena Friswell looks at causation and approaches to fatigue management. Rounding out this issue, Thomas Raslear and colleagues provide a comprehensive description of fatigue in US railroad workers employed in safety-sensitive positions.
I would like to thank all of the authors in this first issue for their important contributions. The journal welcomes new submissions. For further information, go HERE.
With best regards,
Fred
