The nature of fatigue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) typically describe symptoms of fatigue. Despite this frequency, the underlying mechanisms of fatigue are poorly understood, and are likely multifactorial. To help clarify mechanisms, the present systematic review was undertaken to determine the risk factors related to fatigue in ALS.

A systematic review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar databases using key words. From a total of 40,014 articles, 18 articles were included in the final review, following PRISMA guidelines. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to study the relationship between fatigue in ALS and different covariates.

Eighteen studies were included in the analysis. A number of factors were investigated, including age, sex, disease severity and duration, site of disease onset, neurophysiological parameters, and respiratory symptoms, depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, and pain. Combined analyses established that participants with ALS who reported fatigue had more severe disease, as confirmed by lower functional rating scores, than those who did not report fatigue. The remaining factors including depression, anxiety and pain, were not found to be related to the onset of fatigue in ALS. Overall, fatigue worsened quality of life in patients diagnosed with ALS.

Fatigue in ALS appears to be particularly associated with progressive neurological deficit and disability, linked to both central and peripheral neuromuscular mechanisms.