Predictors of Fatigue Impact in Persons With Long-Standing Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS), significantly impacting daily life, employment, and overall quality of life.
• The underlying mechanisms of MS-related fatigue are not well understood, and effective management remains a challenge, with undertreatment of symptoms being common.
• While pharmacologic treatments are recommended, nonpharmacologic strategies like physical activity, energy conservation, and cognitive behavioral therapy may offer better long-term relief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial dimensions of fatigue impact in individuals with long-standing multiple sclerosis (MS).
• To identify key predictors of fatigue impact in a cohort of MS patients diagnosed for 17 years or more.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 331 participants with long-standing MS.
• Participants completed surveys assessing fatigue impact, MS-related functional limitations, depressive symptoms, barriers to health promotion, personal resources, and health-promoting behaviors.

Main Results:

• MS-related functional limitation and depressive symptoms were identified as the strongest predictors of fatigue impact.
• Functional limitation most strongly predicted physical and psychosocial fatigue, while depressive symptoms most strongly predicted total and cognitive fatigue.
• Barriers to health promotion contributed minimally to predicting fatigue impact, and personal resources/health behaviors were not significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting MS-related functional limitations, depressive symptoms, and barriers to health promotion may effectively reduce fatigue impact.
• Promoting personal resources and engaging in health-promoting behaviors may not directly translate to improvements in fatigue impact for individuals with MS.