Post-stroke fatigue: epidemiology, clinical characteristics and treatment

Eur Neurol. 2014;72(5-6):255-61. doi: 10.1159/000363763. Epub 2014 Sep 24.

Abstract

Fatigue is a disabling and persistent symptom affecting many stroke survivors and is a predictor for death after stroke onset. Post-stroke fatigue is a multidimensional motor-perceptive, emotional and cognitive experience that has become of interest for stroke researchers only in the recent past. More studies are still needed to understand the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, associated factors and best treatment strategy. The aim of this narrative review was to provide a comprehensive knowledge, from current literature, regarding the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and treatment of fatigue in order to provide physicians with better tools for treating this debilitating symptom that worsens outcome.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Fatigue / epidemiology
  • Fatigue / etiology*
  • Fatigue / physiopathology
  • Fatigue / therapy
  • Humans
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Stroke / complications*
  • Stroke / epidemiology
  • Stroke / physiopathology
  • Stroke Rehabilitation