Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33469914›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2021

Validation of Perceived Mental Fatigability Using the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale.

Sharon W Renner, Todd M Bear, Patrick J Brown, Stacy L Andersen, Stephanie Cosentino, Theresa Gmelin, Robert M Boudreau, Jane A Cauley, Yujia Susanna Qiao, Eleanor M Simonsick and 1 more

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. The right tool for the job: a comparative psychometric analysis of commonly used perceived fatigue and fatigability measures in multiple sclerosis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Article
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  6. Psychometric properties of the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale for assessing physical and mental fatigability in Brazilian older adults (PFS-Brasil).Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas · 2026
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  14. Role of Walking Energetics and Perceived Fatigability Differs by Gait Speed: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA).The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024
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  18. Validation of the Pittsburgh Performance Fatigability Index in the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2023
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Sharon W RennerDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Todd M BearDepartment of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Patrick J BrownDepartment of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA.
Stacy L AndersenGeriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2442-6386
Stephanie CosentinoDepartment of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Theresa GmelinDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Robert M BoudreauDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Jane A CauleyDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Yujia Susanna QiaoDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Eleanor M SimonsickIntramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Nancy W GlynnDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2265-0162

Funding

The Long Life Family StudyU19AG063893 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Michael A. Province · 2019 to 2026
$125.4M
The Baltimore Longitudinal Study Of AgingZIAAG000015 · NIA · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING · PI SIMONSICK, ELEANOR MARIE · 2009 to 2025
$116.9M
Research Education CoreP30AG066462 · NIA · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Andrew Franklin Teich · 2020 to 2026
$30.1M
Long Life Family Study: Data Management and Coordinating CenterU01AG023746 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI PROVINCE, MICHAEL A. · 2004 to 2018
$29.2M
VARIABILITY, STABILITY & SMOOTHNESS OF WALKINGP30AG024827 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI JENNIFER S BRACH · 2004 to 2026
$28.6M
The Long Life Family StudyU01AG023755 · NIA · BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER · PI PERLS, THOMAS T · 2004 to 2018
$13.2M
Plasma beta-amyloid in long lived families: genetics and risk of ADU01AG023749 · NIA · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI COSENTINO, STEPHANIE ANN, LEE, JOSEPH HYUNGWOO · 2004 to 2018
$13.0M
Multicenter Study on Exceptional Survival in Families: The Long Life Family StudyU01AG023744 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI NEWMAN, ANNE B., ZMUDA, JOSEPH M. · 2004 to 2018
$12.0M
Long Life Family Study: Duke Univ./Univ. of Southern Denmark Field CenterU01AG023712 · NIA · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI CHRISTENSEN, KAARE · 2004 to 2018
$10.4M
TRAINING IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AGINGT32AG000181 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI STROTMEYER, ELSA S. · 1989 to 2025
$6.2M
Digital Markers of Cognition Across the Spectrum of Preclinical Cognitive Impairment to DementiaK01AG057798 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI ANDERSEN, STACY · 2018 to 2022
$596k
Intramural NIH HHS ZIA AG000015NIA NIH HHS 03-AG-0325NIA NIH HHS K01 AG057798NIA NIH HHS P30 AG024827NIA NIH HHS P30 AG066462NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000181NIA NIH HHS U01 AG023712NIA NIH HHS U01 AG023744NIA NIH HHS U01 AG023746NIA NIH HHS U01 AG023749NIA NIH HHS U01 AG023755NIA NIH HHS U19 AG063893NIA NIH HHS U19 AG063893; P30 AG024827
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesEstablish reliability, concurrent and convergent validity of the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) Mental subscale.

designCross-sectional.

settingOlder adults from two University of Pittsburgh registries, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), and Long Life Family Study (LLFS).

participantsPFS Mental subscale validation was conducted using three cohorts: (1) Development Sample (N = 664, 59.1% women, age 74.8 ± 6.4 years, PFS Mental scores 10.3 ± 9.1), (2) Validation Sample I-BLSA (N = 430, 51.9% women, age 74.5 ± 8.2 years, PFS Mental scores 9.4 ± 7.9), and (3) Validation Sample II-LLFS (N = 1,917, 54.5% women, age 72.2 ± 9.3 years, PFS Mental scores 7.5 ± 8.2). MEASUREMENTS: Development Sample, Validation Sample I-BLSA, and Validation Sample II-LLFS participants self-administered the 10-item Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale. Validation Sample II-LLFS completed cognition measures (Trail Making Tests A and B), depressive symptomatology (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, CES-D), and global fatigue from two CES-D items.

resultsIn the Development Sample and Validation Sample I-BLSA, confirmatory factor analysis showed all 10 items loaded on two factors: social and physical activities (fit indices: SRMSR = 0.064, RMSEA = 0.095, CFI = 0.91). PFS Mental scores had strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.85) and good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.78). Validation Sample II-LLFS PFS Mental scores demonstrated moderate concurrent and construct validity using Pearson (r) or Spearman (ρ) correlations against measures of cognition (Trail Making Tests A (r = 0.14) and B (r = 0.17) time), depressive symptoms (r = 0.31), and global fatigue (ρ = 0.21). Additionally, the PFS Mental subscale had strong convergent validity, discriminating according to established clinical or cognitive testing cut points, with differences in PFS Mental scores ranging from 3.9 to 7.6 points (all P < .001). All analyses were adjusted for family relatedness, field center, age, sex, and education.

conclusionsThe validated PFS Mental subscale may be used in clinical and research settings as a sensitive, one-page self-administered tool of perceived mental fatigability in older adults.

Indexed as

Diagnostic Self EvaluationAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFactor Analysis, StatisticalFemaleGeriatric AssessmentHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMental FatiguePsychiatric Status Rating ScalesPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsStatistics, Nonparametriccognitive performancedepressive symptomatologyfatiguephysical function

Identifiers

PMID33469914
PMCPMC8127403

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.