Article

OBJECTIVE: To describe fatigue and its relationship to cognition, psychosocial
adjustment, quality of life (QoL), work status and relative's experiences 12
months after suspected traumatic axonal injury (TAI). METHODS: Eighteen patients
were assessed with the Daily Fatigue Impact Scale (D-FIS),
the Barrow
Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions (BNIS), the European
Questionnaire 5 Dimensions health-related quality of life, the Glasgow Coma
Outcome Scale Extended, and the European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ)
(patient and relative). Return to work was registered. RESULTS: At 1 year,
fatigue still caused great problems in daily life. Although fatigue and cognition
(BNIS) did not correlate, the more fatigued patients subjectively experienced
significantly more cognitive dysfunction. Although D-FIS and QoL did not
correlate, most patients reported that feelings of tiredness and dullness related
to having lower QoL. However, lower QoL was associated with cognitive and
attention disability (BNIS), subjective perception of executive dysfunction, lack
of motivation, and mood disturbances (EBIQ). Neither fatigue nor cognition
associated with return to work. The general consequences of TAI showed good
agreement between patients' and relatives' experiences. CONCLUSION: The patient's
subjective experience of the impact of TAI seems to be most essential, as it is
the objective reality that the patient responds to, and this should therefore be
assessed and treated.

Langue : ANGLAIS