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The Impact of Fatigue on Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

John D. Fisk*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Camp Hill Medical Centre, Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Amanda Pontefract
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
Paul G. Ritvo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Camp Hill Medical Centre, Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University
Catherine J. Archibald
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University
T.J. Murray
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University
*
Department of Psychology, Camp Hill Medical Centre, 1763 Robie Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3G2
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Abstract:

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Although fatigue is recognized as a symptom of MS, there have been insufficient methods for evaluating this symptom. We administered the Fatigue Impact Scale to 85 MS patients and 20 hypertensive patients. Neurologic impairment, mental health, and general health status were also assessed. MS patients reported significantly higher fatigue impact than hypertensive patients. Most MS patients reported fatigue as either their worst (14%), or one of their worst (55%) symptoms. Disease classification and neurologic impairment had little bearing on Fatigue Impact Scale scores in the MS sample. The best predictive models for mental health and general health status in the MS sample both included the Fatigue Impact Scale as a significant factor. This study demonstrates that: 1) fatigue is a very prevalent and severe problem in MS, 2) fatigue impact cannot be predicted by clinical measures of neurologic impairment, 3) fatigue has a significant effect on the mental health and general health status of MS patients.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1994

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