Search

Study design:Cross-sectional.Objectives:To determine the prevalence and severity of fatigue in persons with subacute spinal cord injury (SCI), assess whether demographic and lesion characteristics are related to fatigue and determine the relationship with physical fitness and physical behavior.Setting:Measurements were performed 2 months before discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.Methods:Thirty-six persons with subacute SCI, dependent on a manual wheelchair, mean age 43±15 and 83% men, completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). FSS scores >4 indicated fatigue. We recorded age and lesion characteristics, measured body mass index, measured peak power output and peak oxygen uptake during a maximal handcycling test and determined physical behavior using an accelerometer-based activity monitor. T-tests were used to test for differences in fatigue between subgroups based on age and lesion characteristics, and regression analyses to assess the relationship with physical fitness and physical behavior.Results:Mean FSS was 3.3±1.3. Fatigue, including severe fatigue, was prevalent in 31% (95% confidence interval: 16-46) of participants compared with 18% in the general population. Furthermore, mean fatigue was significantly higher in persons with incomplete compared with complete lesions (t=2.22, P=0.03). Mean scores between other subgroups did not differ significantly. Of the physical fitness and physical behavior measures, only peak oxygen uptake tended to be related to more fatigue (B=−1.47, P=0.05).Conclusion:Fatigue was prevalent and is of concern in persons with subacute SCI. Those with incomplete lesions seem to be at higher risk. Because fatigue is known to persist among persons with SCI, interventions to reduce fatigue seem necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a lifestyle intervention on fatigue, participation, quality of life, gross motor functioning, motivation, self-efficacy and social support, and to explore mediating effects of physical behavior and physical fitness. Design: A randomized controlled trial with intention to treat analysis. Setting: Rehabilitation centers in university hospitals in the Netherlands. Subjects: Adolescents and young adults with spastic cerebral palsy. Interventions: A six-month lifestyle intervention that consisted of physical fitness training combined with counseling sessions focused on physical behavior and sports participation. Main measures: Fatigue, social participation, quality of life and gross motor functioning. Results: The lifestyle intervention was effective in decreasing fatigue severity during the intervention (difference = -6.72, p = 0.02) and in increasing health-related quality of life with respect to bodily pain (difference = 15.14, p = 0.01) and mental health (difference = 8.80, p = 0.03) during follow-up. Furthermore, the domain participation and involvement of the social support increased during both the intervention (difference = 5.38, p = 0.04) and follow-up (difference = 4.52, p = 0.03) period. Physical behavior or physical fitness explained the observed effects for 22.6%, 9.7% and 28.1% of improvements on fatigue, bodily pain and mental health, but had little effect on social support (2.6%). Interpretation: Fatigue, bodily pain, mental health and social support can be improved using a lifestyle intervention among adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy. Furthermore, substantial mediating effects were found for physical behavior and physical fitness on fatigue, bodily pain and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed physical fitness and its relationships with everyday physical activity (PA) and fatigue in cerebral palsy (CP). Participants were 42 adults with ambulatory bilateral spastic CP (mean age 36.4 ± 5.8 years; 69% males; 81% with good gross motor functioning). Progressive maximal aerobic cycle tests determined VO(2peak) (L/min). Objective levels of everyday PA were measured with accelerometry and self-reported levels of everyday PA with the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale. The average aerobic capacity of adults with CP was 77% of Dutch reference values. Participants were physically active during 124 min/day (85% of Dutch reference values), and half experienced fatigue. In women, lower physical fitness was related to lower self-reported levels of PA (R(p)=0.61, P=0.03), and in men to higher levels of fatigue (R(p)=-0.37, P=0.05). Other relationships were not significant. Results suggest that ambulatory adults with CP have low levels of physical fitness, are less physically active than able-bodied age mates and often experience fatigue. We found little evidence for relationships between the level of physical fitness and everyday PA or fatigue., (© 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Purpose: Fatigue is a chronic problem in liver transplant recipients and may influence daily functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a fatigue-reducing physical rehabilitation programme on daily functioning, participation, HRQoL, anxiety and depression among liver transplant recipients., Method: Eighteen fatigued liver transplant recipients (mean age 51 years, 10 men/8 women) participated in a 12-week rehabilitation programme, which included supervised exercise training and daily physical activity counselling. We assessed pre- and post-programme health-related daily functioning, participation, HRQoL, anxiety and depression using questionnaires., Results: After the programme, patients showed improvements in daily functioning (23.6%, p = 0.007), the participation domain 'autonomy outdoors' (34.1%, p = 0.001), and the HRQoL domains 'physical functioning' (11.5%, p = 0.007) and 'vitality' (21.5%, p = 0.022). Anxiety and depression were unchanged post-programme., Conclusions: Rehabilitation using supervised exercise training and daily physical activity counselling can positively influence daily functioning, participation and HRQoL among fatigued liver transplant recipients.

The purpose was to assess the validity of a novel Activity Monitor to quantify physical activity in congestive heart failure. The Activity Monitor is based on long-term ambulatory monitoring of signals from body-fixed accelerometers. Information can be obtained on which mobility-related activity is performed, when, how intense, and for how long. Ten patients performed several functional activities. Continuous registrations of accelerometer signals were made and the output was compared with visual analysis of simultaneously made video recordings (reference method). Overall results showed an agreement between both methods of 90%. Percentages of sensitivity and predictive value were higher than 80% for most activities. Overall number of transitions was determined well (Activity Monitor, 153; video, 149; p = 0.33). It was concluded that the Activity Monitor is a valid instrument to quantify several aspects of everyday physical activity in congestive heart failure.