An evaluation of subjective and objective measures of fatigue in patients with brain injury and healthy controls

Three self-report scales and an objective measure: were examined for their value in assessing fatigue in patients with brain injury. Patients with brain injury and healthy controls completed the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Fatigue was objectively measured via a continuous thumb pressing task. Patients scored higher on all fatigue measures than did participants without brain injury. Significant group differences were found on the FIS, the vigour subscale of the VAS-F, and the FSS. The FIS provided a comprehensive assessment of patients' fatigue experience. The FSS, although differentiating between groups, did not provide as comprehensive an examination of fatigue as the FIS and the scale's internal consistency requires review. No significant group differences in fatigue ratings were found on the VAS-F, possibly due to the scale's failure to differentiate between fatigue and sleepiness. The objective measure of fatigue found patients with brain injury fatigued more quickly than participants without brain injury. Although group differences were not significant, this trend suggests that further examination of this fatigue measure is warranted. Overall, patients with brain injury were found to experience significant levels of fatigue and the FIS provided the most comprehensive examination of fatigue.