Assessment of Post-Stroke Fatigue: The Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions

Abstract

Background/Aims: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is an important but still controversial issue since knowledge on its nature is still humble. The aim of the present study was to characterize PSF beyond the subacute phase. Methods: Thirty-one stroke patients (gender: 6 female, 25 male; age range: 35–76 years; 28 patients with ischemic stroke, 3 patients with hemorrhagic stroke; mean delay after stroke: 50.65 ± 31.57 days) were recruited and assessed by measures of fatigue (Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions [FSMC], Fatigue Severity Scale, and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory Fast Screen), cognition (Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests) and upper and lower extremity functions (Nine-Hole Peg Test and 25-foot walk). Results: Depending on the different scales, PSF prevalence ranged from 16.1 to 58.1%. Depression measures correlated significantly (r(29) ≥ 0.46; p < 0.01) with the results of all fatigue scales. Seventy-one percent of patients showed cognitive deficits in at least one cognitive domain. Cognitive fatigue measured by one subscale of the FSMC correlated most significantly with mental speed, working memory, and verbal short-term memory, while the motor subscale was associated with upper and lower extremity functions, mental speed, visual short-term memory, and working memory. A differentiation between lesion localization and fatigue severity in the motor or cognitive domain was only possible when applying the FSMC. Patients with cortical lesions scored higher on the cognitive subscale, while patients with subcortical lesions showed higher physical subscale scores. Conclusion: The present pilot study revealed differences between lesion localization and subdomains of fatigue after stroke by applying a new fatigue scale (FSMC). The results underline the necessity for separate assessment of motor and cognitive fatigue in stroke patients.

Psychometric Properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…The relationship between these outcomes provides further evidence that perceptions of fatigue and measures of executive control may be related (61, 62). Previous studies that demonstrated a similar relationship between subjective ratings of fatigue and performance on measures of executive functions (63, 64) were limited to populations with MS (64, 61) or a history of stroke (63). The current study extends these findings to a healthy, community-dwelling, aging population.…”

The effect of single session bi-cephalic transcranial direct current stimulation on gait performance in sub-acute stroke: A pilot study

“…Cognitive impairment is a common sequela following stroke (Douiri et al, 2013). Screening for mild cognitive impairment was completed using the MMSE (Folstein et al, 1975) with both groups demonstrating a similar reduction in cognition, although lower than average scores may reflect a degree of cognitive fatigue that is often seen in the subacute stroke phase (Hubacher et al, 2012).…”

Poststroke Fatigue: Emerging Evidence and Approaches to Management: A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association

“…A cross-sectional study showed that attention deficits are associated with PSF. 22 Others found that processing speed was correlated with mental fatigue at 3 and 6 months after stroke 34,83,84 and that memory dysfunction was related to PSF at 6 months after stroke. 34 Thus, although PSF is not likely to be associated with general e162 Stroke July 2017…”