Fatigue and Stroke Recovery (FaStR): Trajectories of Sleep, Physical Activity & Inflammation as Potential Mediators. A Longitudinal Cohort Study. (FWOTM1023)

Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) poses a significant barrier to participation in rehabilitation and thus affects recovery. Management of PSF has been identified by stroke survivors and clinicians as a top unmet need and priority for future research. A lot remains unknown regarding the clinical characteristics, pathophysiology, and associated factors of PSF. I aim to quantify PSF and link possible changes of PSF to recovery status during the first year after a stroke. In addition, I aim to further unravel the black box phenomenon of PSF by concomitantly measuring time-related trajectories of sleep, physical activity and inflammation as potential mediators that may explain the pathophysiology of PSF and its link with recovery from stroke. In this longitudinal prospective study, stroke survivors will be recruited in the acute phase of recovery. Seven measurement moments during 1 year post-stroke will allow capturing changes within the acute, sub-acute and chronic phases of stroke recovery. The primary outcome of the study is PSF, including trait PSF and both motor and cognitive state PSF. Explanatory variables, namely inflammatory markers, sleep and physical activity characteristics will be assessed, as well as recovery outcome measures. The insights from this study will be particularly relevant, given that changes in any of these potential mediators could significantly enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment post-stroke and impact functional prognosis

Keywords:Fatigue, Stroke, Sleep

Disciplines:Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation