Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Eur J Neurol. 2010 Feb;17(2):212-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02776.x. Epub 2009 Oct 1.
Fatigue is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and could be related to impaired processing speed caused by MS specific brain alterations. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between processing speed and fatigue in patients with relapsing remitting MS.
Patients with EDSS score < or =3.5 were grouped as fatigued [Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score > or =5.0] or non-fatigued (FSS score < or =4.0). Patients with FSS scores > or =5 were categorized as primary or secondary fatigued according to various indices. A cognitive test battery obtained from Wechsler's Adult Intelligence Scale-III/Wechsler's Memory Scale-III was applied.
Processing speed (Digit Symbol Coding) was lower amongst all MS patients being 9.4(2.9) in primary fatigued, 8.3(2.8) in secondary fatigued and 10.3(2.7) in non-fatigued versus 12.3(3.0) in healthy controls. In the combined group of primary and secondary fatigued MS patients, processing speed was slower than that in non-fatigued MS patients and inversely related to fatigue (r = -0.35; P < 0.05). No such relationship could be established in non-fatigued MS patients or in healthy controls.
The degree of fatigue in MS is related to processing speed impairment and longitudinal studies should clarify their mutual dependency.
疲劳是多发性硬化症（MS）的常见症状，可能与 MS 导致的特定大脑改变引起的处理速度受损有关。本研究的目的是研究缓解复发型 MS 患者的处理速度与疲劳之间的关系。
EDSS 评分<或=3.5 的患者分为疲劳组（疲劳严重程度量表（FSS）评分>或=5.0）或非疲劳组（FSS 评分<或=4.0）。FSS 评分>或=5 的患者根据各种指标分为原发性或继发性疲劳。采用韦氏成人智力量表 III/韦氏记忆量表 III 获得认知测试组合。
所有 MS 患者的处理速度（数字符号编码）均较低，原发性疲劳组为 9.4(2.9)，继发性疲劳组为 8.3(2.8)，非疲劳组为 10.3(2.7)，而健康对照组为 12.3(3.0)。在原发性和继发性疲劳 MS 患者的合并组中，处理速度比非疲劳 MS 患者慢，与疲劳呈负相关（r = -0.35；P < 0.05）。在非疲劳 MS 患者或健康对照组中，无法建立这种关系。
MS 患者的疲劳程度与处理速度受损有关，纵向研究应阐明它们的相互依存关系。
