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Cognitive and physical fatigue in multiple sclerosis: relations between self-report and objective performance.
R H Paul1, W W Beatty, R Schneider
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA.
Applied Neuropsychology
|December 2, 2005
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients report increased fatigue after cognitive tasks, but their objective performance does not change. This suggests a disconnect between perceived fatigue and actual cognitive function in MS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Fatigue is a primary disabling symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS).
- The relationship between perceived fatigue and objective cognitive performance in MS is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patients' perceptions of fatigue and changes in cognitive task performance in multiple sclerosis.
- To examine the impact of cognitive work on fatigue and performance in MS patients compared to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- 39 MS patients and 19 healthy controls completed fatigue self-reports and cognitive/physical performance tests (grip strength, word list learning, vigilance).
- Measures were readministered after a 30-minute cognitive work battery including verbal fluency and WAIS-R subtests.
Main Results:
- MS patients reported higher physical and cognitive fatigue and poorer baseline performance than controls.
- Following cognitive work, MS patients reported increased fatigue, but objective performance remained unchanged.
- Healthy controls showed no significant changes in fatigue or performance.
Conclusions:
- MS patients experience heightened subjective fatigue after cognitive exertion.
- Objective cognitive performance in MS patients may not directly correlate with their reported fatigue levels.
- Further research is needed to understand the discrepancy between perceived and actual cognitive function in MS.