Exertion Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Are Two Distinct Constructs in People Post-Stroke

Background and Purpose— Post-stroke fatigue is a common and neglected issue despite the fact that it impacts daily functions, quality of life, and has been linked with a higher mortality rate because of its association with a sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to identify the contributing factors of exertion fatigue and chronic fatigue in people post-stroke. Methods— Twenty-one post-stroke people (12 males, 9 females; 59.5±10.3 years of age; time after stroke 4.1±3.5 years) participated in the study. The response variables included exertion fatigue and chronic fatigue. Participants underwent a standardized fatigue-inducing exercise on a recumbent stepper. Exertion fatigue level was assessed at rest and immediately after exercise using the Visual Analog Fatigue Scale. Chronic fatigue was measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale. The explanatory variables included aerobic fitness, motor control, and depressive symptoms measured by peak oxygen uptake, Fugl-Meyer motor score, and the Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively. Results— Using forward stepwise regression, we found that peak oxygen uptake was an independent predictor of exertion fatigue (P=0.006), whereas depression was an independent predictor of chronic fatigue (P=0.002). Conclusion— Exertion fatigue and chronic fatigue are 2 distinct fatigue constructs, as identified by 2 different contributing factors.