Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38849698›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2024

The role of fatigue in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Matthias Wiemann, Sarah-Luis Blendow, Nikolas Zimowski, Elena Enax-Krumova, Robert Fleischmann, Iris-Katharina Penner, Matthias Grothe, Sebastian Strauss

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

8 authors.

Matthias Wiemann *Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
Sarah-Luis Blendow *Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
Nikolas ZimowskiDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
Elena Enax-KrumovaDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Robert FleischmannDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
Iris-Katharina PennerDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Matthias GrotheDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
Sebastian StraussDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str. 1, 17475, Greifswald, Germany. sebastian.strauss@med.uni-greifswald.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5865-4427

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeFatigue affects patients across a variety of neurological diseases, including chronic pain syndromes such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). In CRPS, fatigue is often underestimated, as the focus lies in the assessment and managing of pain and sensorimotor deficits. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and influence of fatigue on CRPS severity and quality of life in these patients. Such insights could enhance the clinical management of this challenging condition.

methodsIn this prospective study, 181 CRPS patients and 141 age and gender-matched individuals with injury but without chronic pain were interviewed using the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Function to assess fatigue. Depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) were also evaluated as additional outcome measures. Statistical analysis was performed to examine differences in fatigue prevalence between the groups, as well as associations with CRPS severity, pain levels, and clinical phenotype. In addition, best subsets regression was used to identify the primary factors influencing QoL. Fatigue was tested in a mediation analysis as a mediator between pain and depression.

resultsCRPS patients showed significantly higher fatigue levels compared to controls (CRPS: 75 [IQR: 57-85] vs. controls: 39 [IQR: 25-57]). Based on the FSMC, 44.2% in the control group experienced fatigue, while 85% of patients with CRPS experienced fatigue (p < 0.001), of which 6% were mild, 15% moderate, and 67% severe. In CRPS severe fatigue was associated with higher pain intensities compared to no fatigue (pain at rest: p = 0.003; pain during movement: p = 0.007) or moderate fatigue (pain during movement: p = 0.03). QoL in our cohort was mainly influenced by pain (pain during movement: adj.R

conclusionsThis pioneering study investigates the prevalence of fatigue in CRPS patients and its relation to disease characteristics. Our results indicate a high prevalence of severe fatigue, strongly correlated with pain intensity, and its importance in the interaction between pain and depression in CRPS. These findings underscore the significant role of fatigue as a disease factor in CRPS. Therefore, the evaluation of CRPS-related disability should include a standardized assessment of fatigue for comprehensive clinical management.

Indexed as

Complex Regional Pain SyndromesFatigueQuality of LifeAdultAgedDepressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceProspective StudiesSeverity of Illness IndexComplex regional pain syndromeCRPSFatigue

Identifiers

PMID38849698
PMCPMC11319517

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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.