Acute-Phase Fatigue Predicts Limitations with Activities of Daily Living 18 Months after First-Ever Stroke

Introduction: Fatigue during the acute phase following stroke has been shown to predict long-term physical health, specifically increased bodily pain and poorer self-rated general health. The aim of this analysis was to determine whether acute phase fatigue also predicts patients’ level of functioning with respect to activities of daily living (ADL) 18 months after first stroke. Methods: Patients with first-ever stroke (n=88) were recruited upon admission at two hospitals in Norway. Patients were assessed within 2 weeks following admission and at 18 months using the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living (BI), Fatigue Severity Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory II. The relationship between acute-phase fatigue and later ADL impairment (BI