The validity and reliability of the Fatigue Severity Scale in Turkish multiple sclerosis patients

Background: Fatigue is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis patients, but is difficult to measure; quantification thus relies on self-assessed questionnaires. Objective: To evaluate a battery of neuropsychological tests regarding their capacity to objectify self-reported fatigue. Methods: We assessed the correlation between age, gender, education, Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale, depression, fatigue and neuropsychological testing using a cross-sectional approach in 110 multiple sclerosis patients. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Severity Scale. Cognition was measured using a series of neuropsychological tests including three subtests of the Test of Attentional Performance, the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests and the Faces Symbol Test. Results: According to the Fatigue Severity Scale 51.4% of the cohort were fatigued (scores ≥4). Age, education and depression showed a significant correlation with the Fatigue Severity Scale. Only 5.5% of the cohort exhibited cognitive impairment in the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests scores. After correction for age, education, Expanded Disability Status Scale and depression, Fatigue Severity Scale scores were an independent predictor of performance in the alertness subtest of the Test of Attentional Performance (standardized coefficient beta = 0.298, p = 0.014). Conclusion: The alertness subtest of the Test of Attentional Performance may offer an objective method of evaluating self-reported fatigue, and may therefore — in addition to the Fatigue Severity Scale — be a suitable tool for the assessment of multiple sclerosis patients complaining of fatigue.

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The effect of rehabilitation on the perceived level of fatigue of patients with multiple sclerosis

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1515/physio-2015-0015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Szymon Pasiut ◽

Katarzyna Juda ◽

Elżbieta Mirek ◽

Jadwiga Szymura

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Rehabilitation Programme ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Subjective Feeling ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Predominant Symptom ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Fatigue Severity ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

AbstractFatigue is one of the three major symptoms affecting about 70-90% of multiple sclerosis patients (MS, ICD-10 G35), and a predominant symptom in nearly 50% of the patients. Fatigue is defined as a subjective feeling of lack of energy to start and continue an activity, which is not related to depression, or muscle weakening. There are similarities and differences between the fatigue experienced by healthy individuals, and the fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients. In both instances, fatigue becomes more intense as a result of stress, or physical and mental effort. Fatigue usually subsides after a rest, or a good night’s sleep. In MS patients, fatigue can be caused by even light physical, or mental exertion, and it takes longer than normal to go away. Rest, or sleep do not reduce its intensity.The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of a two-week rehabilitation programme on the perceived level of fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients.The study included 32 patients with clinically confirmed MS who underwent a comprehensive 2-week rehabilitation programme. The study was conducted at the “Ostoja” Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Wola Batorska from 15 July to 13 October 2013. It was based on a self-designed questionnaire which contained the basic patient data (age, sex), information on duration of the disease, type of MS the patient had been diagnosed with, as well as the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale, and the Fatigue Severity Scale. The respondents were assessed twice: on the first and last day of their stay in the Centre. The statistical analysis was carried out using the STATISTICA 10.0 software.The analysis revealed a statistically highly significant dependence between the two-week rehabilitation programme and the perceived level of fatigue. This means that the perceived level of fatigue in MS patients was significantly reduced as a result of the rehabilitation programme used.After the two-week rehabilitation programme, the perceived level of fatigue in MS patients significantly decreased. The two-week rehabilitation programme significantly reduced the number of patients suffering from chronic fatigue symptoms as assessed on the Fatigue Severity Scale.

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Validation of the Russian version of the Fatigue Impact Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale in multiple sclerosis patients

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica ◽

10.1111/ane.12993 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 138 (5) ◽

pp. 408-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Yury V. Gavrilov ◽

Galina G. Shkilnyuk ◽

Philipp O. Valko ◽

Igor D. Stolyarov ◽

Elena V. Ivashkova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Russian Version ◽

Impact Scale ◽

Fatigue Severity ◽

Fatigue Impact Scale ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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Comparing the effects of multi-session anodal trans-cranial direct current stimulation of primary motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices on fatigue and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/0269215520921506 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 1103-1111

Author(s):

Marzieh Mortezanejad ◽

Fatemeh Ehsani ◽

Nooshin Masoudian ◽

Maryam Zoghi ◽

Shapour Jaberzadeh

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Direct Current ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽

Fatigue Severity

Objective: To compare the effects of anodal trans-cranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over primary motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices on Fatigue Severity Scale and its lasting effect on fatigue reduction and improvement in quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Design: A randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled parallel clinical trial study. Setting: Neurological physiotherapy clinics. Subjects: Thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to three groups: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS, primary motor a-tDCS (experimental groups) and sham a-tDCS. Finally, 36 participants completed the whole study ( n = 12 in each group). Interventions: Participants in the experimental groups received six-session a-tDCS (1.5 mA, 20 minutes) during two weeks (three sessions per week). The sham group received six sessions of 20-minute sham stimulation. Main measures: The Fatigue Severity Scale and quality of life were assessed before, immediately and four weeks after the intervention. Results: Findings indicated a significant reduction in the Fatigue Severity Scale and a significant increase in the quality of life in both experimental groups, immediately after the intervention ( P < 0.001), while Fatigue Severity Scale and quality of life changes were not significant in the sham a-tDCS group ( P > 0.05). In addition, improvement of the variables remained four weeks after the intervention in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS (mean differences (95% confidence interval): 0.03 (−0.63 to 0.68) as compared to primary motor (−0.62 (−0.11 to −1.14) and sham a-tDCS groups (−0.47 (−1.37 to 0.43)). Conclusion: Both primary motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS as compared to sham intervention can immediately improve fatigue and quality of life. However, the effects last up to four weeks only by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS.

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Using the Fatigue Severity Scale to inform healthcare decision-making in multiple sclerosis: mapping to three quality-adjusted life-year measures (EQ-5D-3L, SF-6D, MSIS-8D)

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-019-1205-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

E. Goodwin ◽

A. Hawton ◽

C. Green

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Decision Making ◽

Quality Adjusted Life Year ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Healthcare Decision ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Healthcare Decision Making ◽

Fatigue Severity ◽

Quality Adjusted Life

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A longitudinal study on effects of a six-week course for energy conservation for multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458507084649 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 500-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

C. Sauter ◽

K. Zebenholzer ◽

J. Hisakawa ◽

J. Zeitlhofer ◽

K. Vass

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Energy Conservation ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Fatigue Management ◽

Impact Scale ◽

Fatigue Severity ◽

Fatigue Impact Scale

Objective Fatigue management and energy conservation are effective strategies to minimize fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sustained results have not yet been reported. Methods A fatigue management course was provided for 32 MS patients. They were tested prior to, directly after participation in the course and in a 7—9 month follow-up with the Fatigue Severity Scale, the MS-specific Fatigue Scale, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a self-rating scale for depression. The Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) and the MS functional composite (MSFC) were evaluated before and after participation in the course. Results The total score and the Cognitive and Physical subscores of the MFIS showed significant improvements on both points of time. Scores in the Fatigue Severity Scale, MS-specific Fatigue Scale and Psychosocial Fatigue Impact Scale did not improve significantly. MS functional composite and EDSS remained unchanged after six weeks of course participation. Subjective sleep quality improved directly after participation in the course and after 7—9 months. The depression score decreased significantly to a normal level at the end of training and in the 7—9 month follow-up. Conclusion Fatigue management enables MS patients to cope with their fatigue and energy more effectively. Follow-up evaluations showed stable results after 7—9 months. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 500—505. http://msj.sagepub.com

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Validity and reliability fatigue severity scale in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Indonesia

Indonesian Journal of Rheumatology ◽

10.37275/ijr.v8i1.5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A Rifa’i ◽

Handono Kalim ◽

Kusworini Handono ◽

Cesarius Singgih Wahono

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Cronbach’S Alpha ◽

Cronbach's Alpha ◽

Total Correlation ◽

Fatigue Severity

Background: Fatigue is one symptom of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which has an important effect on the quality of life. Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)is one parameter fatigue symptom in SLE. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliabilitybetween FSS with duration of ilness and disease activity of SLE patients in Indonesia.Methods: FSS performed on 40 patients with SLE. FSS original English version has been converted-translated into Indonesian version by a team of RheumatologyImmunology Medical Faculty of Brawijaya University. Reliability determined by Cronbach’s Alpha values (>0.6). Validity was determined by the value of Corrected Item-Total Correlation which each item was a valid question if below value of Cronbach’s Alpha.Results: The reliability value was determined by Cronbach’s Alpha values (>0.6) in which the SLE patients in this study had a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.946. Value of Corrected Item-Total Correlation overall under Cronbach’s Alpha value (range = 0.684-0.859) which indicates that each item was a valid question. There were correlation between the FSS Indonesian version with disease duration (p = 0.000) as well as the value of r = 0.581, with SLEDAI (p = 0.000) with a value of r = 0.833. Conclusion: FSS in Indonesian version has a good reliability and validity and can be used by clinicians andother researchers to assess the condition of fatigue in SLE patients in Indonesia.Keywords: validity, reliability, fatigue, fatigue severity scale, systemic lupus erythematosus

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Validation of a three-item Fatigue Severity Scale for patients with substance use disorder: a cohort study from Norway for the period 2016-2020

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33806/v4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jørn Henrik Vold ◽

Rolf Gjestad ◽

Christer F. Aas ◽

Eivind Meland ◽

Kjell Arne Johansson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Health Assessment ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Health Assessments ◽

Fatigue Severity

Abstract Background Little attention has been paid to customising fatigue questionnaires for patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). The present study aims to validate and shorten the nine-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS-9) and Visual Analogue Fatigue Scale (VAFS) for use with this population.MethodsWe used data from a nested cohort with annual health assessments with responses on the FSS-9 and VAFS. During the period 2016–2020, 917 health assessments were collected from 655 patients with SUD in Bergen and Stavanger, Norway. A total of 225 patients answered the health assessment at least twice. We defined baseline as the first annual health assessment when the health assessments were sorted chronologically per patient. We checked for internal consistency, and we used longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and linear mixed model (LMM) analysis to validate and shorten the FSS-9 and VAFS. ResultsThe internal consistency of the FSS-9 was excellent with a Cronbach’s α of 0.94 at baseline and 0.93 at the second annual health assessment. When shortening the FSS-9 to a three-item FSS (FSS-3, items 5–7), the Cronbach’s α was 0.87 at baseline and 0.84 at the second health assessment. The internal consistency was not affected when the VAFS was added to the FSS-3 and the FSS-9. The longitudinal CFA model showed a well-fitting model for the FSS-3 (χ2 = 13.33, degree of freedom = 8, P = 0.101). The LMM analysis showed equal linear changes at the individual level for the FSS-3 (slope: 0.00, P > 0.05) and FSS-9 (slope: 0.01, P > 0.05) between the health assessments. ConclusionThe FSS-9 could be shortened to the FSS-3 with high validity and reliability for patients with SUDs and the addition of VAFS did not provide much added variability.

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Validation of a three-item Fatigue Severity Scale for patients with substance use disorder: a cohort study from Norway for the period 2016–2020

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01708-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jørn Henrik Vold ◽

◽

Rolf Gjestad ◽

Christer F. Aas ◽

Eivind Meland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Health Assessment ◽

Fatigue Severity Scale ◽

Severity Scale ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Health Assessments ◽

Fatigue Severity

Abstract Background Little attention has been paid to customising fatigue questionnaires for patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). The present study aims to validate and shorten the nine-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS-9) and Visual Analogue Fatigue Scale (VAFS) for use with this population. Methods We used data from a nested cohort with annual health assessments with responses on the FSS-9 and VAFS. During the period 2016–2020, 917 health assessments were collected from 655 patients with SUD in Bergen and Stavanger, Norway. A total of 225 patients answered the health assessment at least twice. We defined baseline as the first annual health assessment when the health assessments were sorted chronologically per patient. We checked for internal consistency, and we used longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and linear mixed model (LMM) analysis to validate and shorten the FSS-9 and VAFS. Results The internal consistency of the FSS-9 was excellent with a Cronbach’s α of 0.94 at baseline and 0.93 at the second annual health assessment. When shortening the FSS-9 to a three-item FSS (FSS-3, items 5–7), the Cronbach’s α was 0.87 at baseline and 0.84 at the second health assessment. The internal consistency was not affected when the VAFS was added to the FSS-3 and the FSS-9. The longitudinal CFA model showed a well-fitting model for the FSS-3 (χ2 = 13.33, degree of freedom = 8, P = 0.101). The LMM analysis showed equal linear changes at the individual level for the FSS-3 (slope: 0.00, P > 0.05) and FSS-9 (slope: 0.01, P > 0.05) between the health assessments. Conclusion The FSS-9 could be shortened to the FSS-3 with high validity and reliability for patients with SUDs and the addition of VAFS did not provide much added variability.

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