Abstract
Objectives: Fatigue is commonly reported among polio survivors. The aims of the present study were to examine the incidence of perceived fatigue among a sample of Norwegian polio survivors, and to examine the association between the level of fatigue and sociodemographic and health variables.
Materials and methods: A mailed questionnaire containing, among others, Fatigue Questionnaire, Fatigue Severity Scale, sociodemographic and health variables were sent to a representative group of 312 Norwegian polio survivors. 276 subjects (88%) answered the questionnaire.
Results: The incidence of fatigue among the polio survivors were considerably higher than in the normative data. Physical fatigue, more than mental fatigue, represented the major problems. Polio subjects who reported severe fatigue had significantly more other diseases and health problems than the normative group.
Conclusions: The diagnosis and treatment of other or related physical conditions should be given higher priority in the management of persons with late effects of poliomyelitis, as these conditions probably can be the reasons for fatigue more than poliomyelitis sequelae alone.
Spinal Cord (2001) 39, 243–251.
References
Chen MK . The epidemiology of self-perceived fatigue among adults Prev Med 1986 15: 74–81
Gilhus NE . Polio – an acute and epidemic infectional disease In: Polio and late effects. A guide for users and professionals The Norwegian Association of the Disabled: Oslo 1998 pp 6–11
Halstead LS, Grimby G (eds) Post-polio syndrome Hanley & Belfuss: Philadelphia 1995
Gawne AC, Halstead LS . Post-polio Syndrome. Pathophysiology and Clinical Management Critical Rev Phys Rehabil Med 1995 7: 147–188
Dinsmore ST, Dalakas MC . Are there immunopathologic changes in patients with post polio syndrome? In Halstead LS, Grimby G (eds). Post-polio syndrome Hanley & Belfuss: Philadelphia 1995 pp 1–14
Agre J . Local muscle and total body fatigue In Halstead LS & Grimby G (eds). Post-polio syndrome Hanley & Belfus: Philadelphia 1995 pp 35–67
Bruno RL, Cohen JM, Galski T, Frick N . The neuroanatomy of post-polio fatigue Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1974 75: 498–504
Bruno RL, Frick NM . Stress and ``Type A'' behavior as precipitants of post-polio sequelae: the Felician/Columbian survey. In Halstead LS, Wiechers DO (eds). Research and clinical aspects of the late effects of poliomyelitis. Birth Defects 1987 23: 145–155
Bruno RL, Frick NM . The psychology of polio as prelude to post-polio sequelae: Behavior modification and psychotherapy Orthopedics 1999 14: 1185–1193
Bodian D . Poliomyelitis: Neuropathologic observations in relation to motor symptoms J Am Med Assoc 1947 134: 1148–1154
Riese H et al. Mental fatigue after severe closed head injury: Sustained performance, mental effort, and distress at two levels of workload in a driving simulator Neuropsychol Rehabil 1999 9: 189–205
Bruno RL, Galski T, DeLuca J . The neuropsychology of post-polio fatigue Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1993 74: 1061–1065
Freidenberg DL et al. Postpoliomyelitis syndrome: Assessment of behavioral features Neuropsych Neuropsychol Behav Neurol 1989 2: 272–281
Grafman J et al. Neuropsychology of Post-Polio Syndrome Ann NY Acad Sci 1995 753: 103–110
Krupp LB, LaRocca NG, Muir-Nash J, Steinberg AD . Fatigue Severity Scale. Application to patients with Multiple Sclerosis and System Lupus Erythematosus Arch Neuro 1989 46: 1121–1123
Packer TL, Martins I, Krefting, Brouwer B . Activity and post-polio fatigue Orthopedics 1991 14: 1223–1226
Packer TL, Sauriol A, Brouwer B . Fatigue secondary to chronic illness: Postpolio syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Sclerosis Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1994 75: 1122–1126
Schanke AK . Psychological distress, social support and coping behavior among polio survivors: a 5 year perspective on 63 polio patients Disability and Rehabilitation 1997 19: 108–116
Bergner M, Bobbit RA, Carter WB, Gilson BS . The Sickness Impact Profile: Development and final revision of a health status measure Medical Care 1981 19: 787–788
Loge HL, Ekeberg Ø, Kaasa S . Fatigue in the general Norwegian population: Normative data and associations J Psychosom Res 1998 65: 53–65
Wessely S, Powell R . Fatigue syndromes: a comparison of chronic `postviral' fatigue with neuromuscular and affective disorders J Neurol Neurourg Psychiatry 1989 52: 940–948
Butler S, Chalder T, Ron M, Wesseley S . Cognitive behaviour therapy in the chronic fatigue syndrome J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1991 54: 153–158
Chalder T et al. Development of a fatigue scale J Psychosom Res 1993 37: 147–153
Pawlikowska T et al. Population based study on fatigue and psychological distress BMJ 1994 308: 763–766
Gjertsen EM . The Sickness Impact Profile. A Norwegian version J Nor Med Ass 1985 105: 2152–2157
Shape ME . The SF-36 health survey; development and use in mental health research and the IQOLA project Int J Ment Health 1994 23: 49–73
Wekre L, Stanghelle JK, Lobben B, Øyhaugen S . The Norwegian polio study 1994: A nationwide survey of problems in long-standing poliomyelitis Spinal Cord 1998 36: 280–284
Halstead LS, Rossi CD . New problems in old polio patients: Results of survey of 539 polio survivors Orthopedics 1985 8: 845–850
Tate DG, Forcheimer MPP, Kirsch N, Maynard F, Roller A . Prevalence and associated features of depression and psychological distress in polio survivors Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1993 74: 1056–1060
Lewis G, Wessely S . The epidemiology of fatigue: more questions than answers J Epidemiol Commun Health 1992 46: 92–97
Charlifue SW, David A, Weitzenkamp BA, Whiteneck GG . Longitudinal outcomes in spinal cord injury: Ageing, secondary conditions, and well-being Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1999 80: 1429–1434
Basmajian JV . Muscular tone, fatigue and neural influences In: Basmajian JV. Muscles alive: Their functions revealed by electromyography. 4th ed Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore 1978 pp 79–114
Sigurdsson JA . High blood pressure in women. A cross-sectional and a longitudinal population study of women Acta Med Scand Suppl 1983 669
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the Board of the National Society for Polio Survivors and the Board of the Oslo Polio Society for being most helpful in promoting the study. Thanks to members of the Oslo Polio Society for participation, and Thor Lindø, Venke Aune, Anita Kjeverud and Halvor S Torgersen for assistance with data collection. Finally, thanks to the foundation Health and Rehabilitation for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schanke, AK., Stanghelle, J. Fatigue in polio survivors. Spinal Cord 39, 243–251 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101147
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101147
Keywords
- poliomyelitis
- post-polio syndrome
- fatigue
This article is cited by
-
Evaluating fatigue in patients recovering from COVID-19: validation of the fatigue severity scale and single item screening questions
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2022)
-
Post-Polio Syndrome, Implications for Geriatric Care
Current Geriatrics Reports (2017)
-
The extent of using mobility assistive devices can partly explain fatigue among persons with late effects of polio – a retrospective registry study in Sweden
BMC Neurology (2016)
-
Multidimensional fatigue inventory and post-polio syndrome – a Rasch analysis
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2015)
-
Comorbidity profile of poliomyelitis survivors in a Chinese population: a population-based study
Journal of Neurology (2011)
