This paper reviews French concepts of fatigue syn dromes, with a special emphasis on a reputedly unique ly French diagnosis: spasmophilia. Neurasthenia has virtually no place in contemporary French nosology of fatigue states, and chronic fatigue syndrome has not been accepted by all French researchers. The contro versies on neurasthenia and spasmophilia illustrate some of the social uses of diagnostic categories (e.g., legitimation of symptoms) and the ambivalence of physicians toward diagnostic labels based on clinical criteria.
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