title: Fatigue level in spinal cord injury AIS D community ambulatory subjects.
abstract: METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to determine the level of fatigue in ASIA impairment scale (AIS) D spinal cord injury (SCI) in community ambulatory subjects and correlate fatigue with other clinical symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient Rehabilitation Unit, FLENI Institute, Escobar. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included twenty-six patients with AIS D SCI that attended therapies at FLENI Institute between 2002 and 2009. We measured the demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects. All patients were administered the fatigue severity scale (FSS). A cut-score for over four was indicative of significant fatigue. We used the Spearman's coefficient correlation to analyze associations among the FSS with pain (Visual analog scale), depression (Beck depression inventory), and physical activity (hours per week).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median score of the FSS scale was 2.82 (1-5). Fatigue was found in 5 individuals (19.2%). There was a significant correlation between FSS scale and the Beck questionnaire. No association was found between FSS and pain or physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that fatigue is a relevant problem for people with SCI AIS D, and is a disabling symptom when present. There is a significant relationship between fatigue and depression.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  FLENI Rehabilitation Institute.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Unit, FLENI Rehabilitation Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ofreixes@fleni.org.ar
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Freixes
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Agrati
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bochkezanian
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Waldman
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Olmos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult