Major neurologic diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy or other disease requiring ongoing medication that could cause fatigue, stroke, head injury with residual neurologic deficits)
Diseases requiring systemic treatment (e.g. organ or bone marrow transplantation; systemic chemotherapy; radiation of brain, thorax, abdomen, or pelvis)
Major endocrine diseases (e.g. hypopituitarism, adrenal insufficiency)
Myocardial infarction, heart failure
Morbid obesity (body mass index \>40)
Permanent psychiatric exclusions: Lifetime diagnoses of bipolar affective disorders, schizophrenia or any subtype, delusional disorders of any subtype, dementias of any subtype, organic brain disorders, and alcohol or substance abuse within 2 years before onset of the fatiguing illness.
