TRS National Resource Centre for Rare Disorders, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Disabil Rehabil. 2022 Dec;44(25):7936-7946. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.2003453. Epub 2021 Nov 26.
To study psychological distress and fatigue among persons with spina bifida (SB) 50 years or older and living in Norway.
In 2017, cross-sectional data were collected ( = 30). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were used. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and Spearman correlations were performed. Relevant information from previous studies on adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) and the general population, were collected for comparison.
Participants were 18 women and 12 men, mean age 57.5 (SD 5.6), 26 with myelomeningocele, and six with hydrocephalus. Thirty percent scored above the HADS-A- and 20% above the HADS-D thresholds, thus in the same range as previous studies of SB, but higher compared to persons with SCI and norms. HADS-D correlated with pain and FSS scores. Forty percent reported fatigue symptoms (9/15 without hydrocephalus, 3/6 with hydrocephalus).
The study revealed a high prevalence of fatigue symptomatology among middle-aged and older adults with SB. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were more common than among persons with chronic SCI and norms. SB follow-ups should include awareness of psychological distress and fatigue, and investigate pain and medication side effects among possible influencing factors.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONClinicians treating adult persons with SB should be aware of possible psychological distress and fatigue symptomatology among these patients.We suggest an initial screening for psychological distress and fatigue in persons with SB during follow-up visits and rehabilitation.Interventions to reduce pain may influence levels of psychological distress and/or fatigue in patients with SB.Clinicians should enquire about the effects of medication on fatigue when assessing and prescribing new medications; a thorough medication review helps to assess the benefits and risks.
研究挪威 50 岁及以上患有脊柱裂（SB）人群的心理困扰和疲劳情况。
2017 年，收集了横断面数据（n=30）。使用了医院焦虑和抑郁量表（HADS）和疲劳严重程度量表（FSS）。进行了描述性统计、非参数检验和斯皮尔曼相关性分析。为了进行比较，收集了先前关于慢性脊髓损伤（SCI）成人和一般人群的相关研究信息。
参与者包括 18 名女性和 12 名男性，平均年龄为 57.5（SD 5.6）岁，26 名患有脊膜脊髓膨出，6 名患有脑积水。30%的人 HADS-A 得分超过阈值，20%的人 HADS-D 得分超过阈值，因此与 SB 的先前研究结果相同，但高于 SCI 人群和常模。HADS-D 与疼痛和 FSS 评分相关。40%的人报告有疲劳症状（无脑积水的 9/15 人，有脑积水的 3/6 人）。
该研究揭示了中年和老年 SB 患者中疲劳症状的高患病率。焦虑和抑郁症状比慢性 SCI 人群和常模更为常见。SB 随访应包括对心理困扰和疲劳的认识，并调查疼痛和药物副作用等可能的影响因素。
治疗患有 SB 的成年患者的临床医生应该意识到这些患者可能存在心理困扰和疲劳症状。我们建议在随访和康复期间，对 SB 患者进行心理困扰和疲劳的初步筛查。减轻疼痛的干预措施可能会影响 SB 患者的心理困扰和/或疲劳水平。在评估和开处方新药物时，临床医生应询问药物对疲劳的影响；全面的药物审查有助于评估益处和风险。
