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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

A Rat Model of Central Fatigue Using a Modified Multiple Platform Method
Published on: August 14, 2018
Fatigue in multiple sclerosis is closely related to sleep disorders: a polysomnographic cross-sectional study
C Veauthier1, H Radbruch, G Gaede
1Hanse-Klinikum, Department of Neurology, Stralsund, Germany. cveauthier@web.de
Background:
Sleep disorders can cause tiredness. The relationship between sleep disorders and fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has not yet been investigated systematically.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between fatigue and sleep disorders in patients with MS.
Methods:
Some 66 MS patients 20 to 66 years old were studied by overnight polysomnography. Using a cut-off point of 45 in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the entire cohort was stratified into a fatigued MS subgroup (n=26) and a non-fatigued MS subgroup (n=40).
Results:
Of the fatigued MS patients, 96% (n=25) were suffering from a relevant sleep disorder, along with 60% of the non-fatigued MS patients (n=24) (p=0.001). Sleep-related breathing disorders were more frequent in the fatigued MS patients (27%) than in the non-fatigued MS patients (2.5%). Significantly higher MFIS values were detected in all (fatigued and non-fatigued) patients with relevant sleep disorders (mean MFIS 42.8; SD 18.3) than in patients without relevant sleep disorders (mean MFIS 20.5; SD 17.0) (p<0.001). Suffering from a sleep disorder was associated with an increased risk of fatigue in MS (odds ratio: 18.5; 95% CI 1.6-208; p=0.018).
Conclusion:
Our results demonstrate a clear and significant relationship between fatigue and sleep disorders.
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