Objective:

We studied whether there is a difference in frequency and severity of PSF based on stroke location. We also assessed whether factors such as sex, employment, BMI, and sleep apnea modulate/confound the effect of stroke type on PSF.

Background:

A common, clinically important sequelae of stroke is fatigue. The relationship of stroke location to post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is controversial.

Design/Methods:

Participants were recruited from a mixture of inpatient and outpatient services at SUNY Downstate and Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. Inclusion criteria included: age > 18, confirmed stroke on imaging. Exclusions included: hemorrhagic stroke, end stage disease (malignancy, renal disease), antidepressant treatment within the past year and or history of major depressive disorder. The Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) score was assessed. Strokes were classified as frontal (F) or non frontal (NF). A 2-sided Mann-Whitney test to compare distribution of FAS scores between stroke types. General linear model to predict log-transformed FAS scores from stroke type, mRS and NIHSS scores. Potential interactions among predictors were investigated; inspection of model residuals was conducted to detect skew or outlying observations.

Results:

Of the 86 participants, 52% were male, 82% were African-Caribbean. Stroke risk factors frequencies were: diabetes (63%), hypertension (93%), hyperlipidemia (63%), and coronary artery disease (22%). The average FAS in the NF group was 20.6 with a standard deviation of 7.5, and the average FAS in the F stroke group was 20.4 with a standard deviation of 7.3. PSF did not differ between stroke types (p=0.86). No significant interactions were detected. None of the confounders predicted PSF except for sex.

Conclusions: