Citation

Holmqvist A, Lindstedt MB, Möller MC. J. Rehabil. Med. 2018; 50(8): 725-731.

Affiliation

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Stockholm, Danderyd University Hospital, , 18288 Stockholm, Sweden. anna.n.holmqvist@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Foundation for Rehabilitation Information)

DOI

10.2340/16501977-2365

PMID

30003267

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Fatigue after acquired brain injury may be related to the subcortico-frontal attention network. Depression is also strongly related to fatigue. This study investigates whether injury localization, diagnosis and depression are related to self-rated mental fatigue in patients with an acquired brain injury.

DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. SUBJECTS: Sixty-one patients diagnosed with stroke, subarachnoidal haemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, or brain tumour were included in the study.

METHODS: Patients who underwent a multidisciplinary team assessment during September 2011 to June 2012, and who were assessed with the Mental Fatigue Scale, were included in the study.

RESULTS: A significantly higher number of patients with posterior and non-specific lesions experienced fatigue compared with those with subcortical/frontal injuries. Fewer stroke patients experienced fatigue compared with the other patient groups. However, after logistic regression, only depression remained as an explanatory variable for self-rated fatigue. Nevertheless, although all patients with depression were fatigued, not all fatigued patients were depressed.

CONCLUSION: Although depression explains a high degree of fatigue after an acquired brain injury, mental fatigue after brain injury should be viewed as a condition partly separate from depression. Future extensive comparative studies are required, preferably including neuropsychological measures.

Language: en