Article

This study aims to assess the prevalence of fatigue among persons who
have lived with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) for >20 years, and to compare
the results with fatigue scores found among the general population (GP). Another
objective was to study the association between fatigue and clinical variables,
including mental health, among the study population.Design:A cross-sectional
study.Setting:Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital (SunRH), Norway.Materials and
methods:All SCI survivors (n=237) admitted for rehabilitation at SunRH between
1961 and 1982 were asked to participate. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue
Questionnaire (FQ). Mental health was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and
Depression Scale (HADS). Linear regressions were used to examine those variables
with the potential to contribute to fatigue.Results:A total of 153 persons
responded to the FQ, and in 39 cases the scores were consistent with fatigue.
Surprisingly, the prevalence of fatigue (total fatigue (TF)) did not differ
between the study population and the norm. However, the results indicated
statistically significantly higher score of physical fatigue (PF) and
statistically significantly lower score of mental fatigue among the SCI group
when compared with the GP. Higher fatigue scores were associated with
fatigue-causing pharmaceuticals and with higher scores on the HADS-depression
subscale. Conclusions :The prevalence of fatigue was 25% among persons who had
lived with SCI for >20 years, and similar to that in the GP. Our results point to
medications and mental health aspects as possible contributors to PF severity in
SCI.

Langue : ANGLAIS