Keywords

depression, fatigue, pain, sleep, traumatic brain injury

 

Authors

  1. Bushnik, Tamara PhD
  2. Englander, Jeffrey MD
  3. Wright, Jerry BA

Abstract

Fatigue is a well-recognized issue for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This prospective study examined the rate and types of fatigue that are experienced by a cohort of individuals with TBI within the first 2 years, using a multidimensional fatigue scale. The impact of factors such as demographics, injury severity indices, and concomitant psychosocial variables was also examined. Using 2 measures of overall fatigue, 16%-32% at Year 1 and 21%-34% at Year 2 reported significant levels of fatigue. Fatigue did not appear to change between 1 and 2 years post-TBI. Sleep quality was the most prevalent concomitant disturbance followed by depression and pain.