title: Post polio syndrome: fatigued patients a specific subgroup?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the characteristics of fatigued and non-fatigued post-polio patients and to define potential subgroups across the fatigue continuum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multi-centre study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 143 post-polio patients were subdivided on the basis of percentile distribution into a fatigue group, a intermediate group, and a non-fatigue group, using the Multi Fatigue Inventory 20 general fatigue ratings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on background, quality of life, fatigue and pain were collected. Descriptive statistics and correlations in each group and analysis of variance and χ2 for group comparisons were performed. Non-linear regressions were employed to evaluate differences in the strength of associations between physical and mental fatigue, on the one hand, and vitality on the other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fatigued group was younger, had shorter polio duration, more pain, higher body mass index, lower quality of life and was more physically and mentally fatigued. A higher proportion of this group had contracted polio after 1956 and was under 65 years of age. Mental fatigue had a relatively higher explanatory value than physical fatigue for differences in vitality in the fatigued group, whereas reversed patterns were seen in the other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatigued post-polio patients can be considered as a subgroup.
authors.affiliation: Divison of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Gunilla.Ostlund@ki.se
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Östlund
authors.forename: Åke
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Wahlin
authors.forename: Katharina S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sunnerhagen
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016262:Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report