title: Fatigue among stroke patients on long-term follow-up. The Bergen Stroke Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate characteristics and mortality related to post-stroke fatigue (PSF).
  
  
  METHODS
  All surviving stroke patients admitted to the Stroke Unit, Haukeland University Hospital, between February 2006 and November 2008 were sent a postal questionnaire including the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADSD), and the Barthel Index (BI) at least 6 months after stroke onset. Survival among patients returning the questionnaire was determined by November 2009. PSF was defined as FSS score ≥5.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 377 patients returning the questionnaire, 42.3% had PSF. Logistic regression showed that PSF was independently associated with pre-stroke depression, leucoaraiosis, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, pain, and sleeping disturbances. Mean FSS score was lower among TIA patients than among patients with minor cerebral infarction (patients with BI=100) (P=.002). Cox regression analysis showed mortality to be associated with PSF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a multifactorial basis for PSF suggesting different therapy options. Cerebral lesions may cause PSF in some patients. Post-stroke fatigue is associated with higher mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. halvor.naess@haukeland.no
authors.forename: Halvor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naess
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lunde
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brogger
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Waje-Andreassen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000401:mortality; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000401:mortality; D005221:Fatigue / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors