Article

Fatigue is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis patients,
but is difficult to measure; quantification thus relies on self-assessed
questionnaires. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a battery of neuropsychological tests
regarding their capacity to objectify self-reported fatigue. METHODS: We assessed
the correlation between age, gender, education, Kurtzke's Expanded Disability
Status Scale, depression, fatigue and neuropsychological testing using a
cross-sectional approach in 110 multiple sclerosis patients. Fatigue was measured
with the Fatigue Severity Scale. Cognition was measured using a series of
neuropsychological tests including three subtests of the Test of Attentional
Performance, the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests and the
Faces Symbol Test. RESULTS: According to the Fatigue Severity Scale 51.4% of the
cohort were fatigued (scores > or =4). Age, education and depression showed a
significant correlation with the Fatigue Severity Scale. Only 5.5% of the cohort
exhibited cognitive impairment in the Brief Repeatable Battery of
Neuropsychological Tests scores. After correction for age, education, Expanded
Disability Status Scale and depression, Fatigue Severity Scale scores were an
independent predictor of performance in the alertness subtest of the Test of
Attentional Performance (standardized coefficient beta = 0.298, p = 0.014).
CONCLUSION: The alertness subtest of the Test of Attentional Performance may
offer an objective method of evaluating self-reported fatigue, and may therefore
- in addition to the Fatigue Severity Scale - be a suitable tool for the
assessment of multiple sclerosis patients complaining of fatigue.

Langue : ANGLAIS

Tiré à part : OUI