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Fatigue in multiple sclerosis presenting as acute relapse: subjective and objective assessment
Peter Flachenecker1, Heike Meissner
1Neurological Rehabilitation Center Quellenhof, D-75323 Bad Wildbad, Germany. peter.flachenecker@quellenhof.de
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|March 14, 2008
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses can manifest solely as fatigue. Objective assessments, including the Würzburg Fatigue Inventory in MS (WEIMuS) and neuropsychological tests, confirmed fatigue improvement after corticosteroid treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimmunology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- Fatigue is a prevalent and often disabling symptom in MS patients.
- Acute relapses in MS typically involve new or worsening neurological deficits.
Observation:
- A patient with MS presented with fatigue as the sole symptom of an acute relapse.
- Fatigue severity was evaluated using the Würzburg Fatigue Inventory in MS (WEIMuS) scale.
- Neuropsychological testing specifically assessed attention to objectively quantify fatigue.
Findings:
- High-dose corticosteroid therapy led to complete resolution of subjective fatigue.
- The Würzburg Fatigue Inventory in MS (WEIMuS) scores improved significantly post-treatment.
- Neuropsychological assessments corroborated the subjective improvement, confirming objective recovery.
Implications:
- MS-related fatigue can be the exclusive clinical manifestation of an acute relapse.
- Neuropsychological methods offer objective tools for assessing and monitoring MS fatigue.
- This highlights the importance of considering fatigue as a potential relapse indicator in MS management.
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