Abstract
Mental fatigue is for many a distressing and long-term problem after stroke. This mental fatigue will make it more difficult for the person to return to work and previous activities. The intention with this study is to investigate mental fatigue in relation to depression and cognitive functions. We examined 24 well-rehabilitated stroke subjects, who suffered from mental fatigue one year or more after a stroke, and 24 healthy controls. Subjects were examined using self-assessment scales for mental fatigue, depression and anxiety, and cognitive tests. The results showed a highly increased rating for mental fatigue for the stroke group (P < 0.001). These participants also had a significantly higher rating on the depression (P < 0.001) and anxiety (P < 0.001) scales. Furthermore, they had a slower information processing speed (P < 0.001) and made more errors in a demanding attention and speed test (P < 0.05). Among the cognitive tests, processing speed and errors made in an attention and speed test were significant predictors for mental fatigue. We suggest mental fatigue following a stroke to be related to cognitive impairments, primarily information processing speed. Mental fatigue should also be treated as a separate phenomenon and should be differentiated from, and not confused with, depression, even if overlapping symptoms exist.
Highlights
Mental fatigue is common and can be a disabling longtime condition following a stroke
With the intention to increase knowledge about mental fatigue and cognitive difficulties related to stroke, we examined well-rehabilitated stroke participants, who had suffered from long-term mental fatigue for at least one year prior to examination
The only significant gender difference found was that the control females were faster in the Digit Symbol-Coding test, and an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for sex, was conducted for this variable
Summary
Mental fatigue is common and can be a disabling longtime condition following a stroke. It has been estimated that about 30–70% of stroke survivors complain of fatigue [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] Even for those with an almost recovered stroke and without neurological and neuropsychological impairments, mental fatigue can be a distressing problem. The person who suffers from mental fatigue is able to perform mental effort just for short periods, and, notably, it will take longer than normal to regain energy after being exhausted. Accompanying symptoms, such as irritability, sensitivity to stress, concentration difficulties, and emotional instability may further impair social interactions [8,9,10,11]. Problems connected to return to work and everyday activities are common
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