Post-stroke fatigue in young adults after ischemic stroke

Abstract

Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) could have a negative impact on the rehabilitation potential, quality of life, and work capacity of younger ischemic stroke patients. The available quantitative and qualitative research on the prevalence, predictors, and interventions associated with PSF have not explicitly focused on young adults. This scoping review aimed to summarise the available evidence on PSF in young adults after ischemic stroke (prevalence, predictors, and consequences, assessment tools, as well as interventions to reduce fatigue in young stroke survivors). The following methodological procedures were used for this scoping review: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the Joanna Briggs Institute updated methodological guidance. A total of 3483 studies were identified through a bibliographic search in the Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Central, APA PsycINFO, SocINDEX, and CINAHL Plus databases. Ten studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the scoping review. Only four studies explicitly addressed PSF in young adults after ischemic stroke. The prevalence of fatigue among young adults who had suffered an ischemic stroke ranged from 41.0% to 57.8%. Seven studies found a significant association between PSF, depression, and anxiety. Fatigue in young stroke survivors significantly affects their return to work and it is an independent predictor of poor quality of life. The number of research studies on fatigue in young adults after ischemic stroke is small and they mainly focus on fatigue as a predictor of quality of life after stroke. There is a need for further studies that address the phenomenon of fatigue after ischemic stroke and validate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce fatigue in young stroke survivors.