A self-assessment questionnaire for mental fatigue and related symptoms after neurological disorders and injuries

The purpose was to evaluate a new self-reporting scale for assessment of mental fatigue and its usefulness in describing mental fatigue after neurological diseases and injuries. Mental fatigue is suggested to comprise a spectrum of items including sensory, emotional and cognitive symptoms.

Mental fatigue and related symptoms were measured with a self-assessment scale on different diagnostic groups with neurological injuries and diseases as well as healthy controls. The scale covers sleep, sensory, emotional and cognitive domains, mental recovery and 24-hour variation.

There were significant correlations between all the questions in the self-assessing scale and also a high internal consistency among items (Cronbach's alpha of 0.944). Despite the different aetiologies of mental fatigue and related symptoms, the individuals rated the questions in a similar way. The total sum of scores, as well as the separate questions showed significantly lower values for healthy controls compared to mental fatigue groups.

In spite of the different aetiology of mental fatigue, the items included in the scale were significant for different diseases with co-occurring mental fatigue. The self-reported scale is suggested to be a valuable tool for assessment of mental fatigue in different diagnoses.