Problem Statement: The prevalence of PSF in acute stroke is poorly understood despite the increasing number of patients with stroke.
Objective: This study aims to investigate PSF prevalence among patients with acute minor stroke and explore its associations with demographic and clinical factors.
Subjects between 21 to 80 years old were recruited from the Acute Stroke Unit. Inclusion criteria included NIHSS score of 0-4, can follow at least 1 step instructions and can ambulate with at least supervision +/- walking aids. Patients were excluded if they scored ≥ 4 on PHQ-9 or had recurrent strokes or communication deficits. Data collected included demographic and clinical information, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and SF36. A FSS score of ≥ 4 indicates PSF. The subjects were evaluated at baseline and at 6 weeks follow-up.
Its a ongoing study and the preliminary results are Twelve subjects were recruited with four completing the follow-up assessment. Post stroke fatigue was reported in 17% (2/12) and 50% (2/4) of the subjects at baseline and at 6 weeks, respectively. FSS scores for the non-PSF and PSF groups were 1.60 (0.87) and 5.33 (1.41) at baseline (p=0.145); 1.72 (1.02) and 5.83 (1.02) at 6 weeks (p=0.057), respectively. At 6 weeks, positive correlations were found between FSS and SF-36 fatigue domain (r = 0.731, p =0. 006), SF-36 emotional domain (r = 0.665, p= 0.018), and general health domain (r =0.671, p=0.016).
The data suggest no significant difference in the PSF scores at 6 weeks between subjects with and without fatigue. This is likely due to the small sample size. However, FSS and SF-36 domains were positively correlated at 6 weeks despite the small sample size indicating that post stroke fatigue does affect the quality of life in subjects with acute minor stroke. Further research with larger sample size would be helpful to better understand the effects of PSF.
Post stroke fatigue may negatively affect the quality of life in patients with acute minor stroke. The results indicate the need for further studies with bigger sample sizes, and also for healthcare providers to monitor and manage PSF in acute stroke recovery programs
Fatigue
Quality of Life
