Readme: Descriptive data for USN Research Data Archive Dataset generated by Anners Lerdal ------------------- GENERAL INFORMATION ------------------- Title Post-stroke fatigue: Characteristics, related experiences and pathophysiological mechanisms in a longitudinal perspective (PSF Project) Producer The PSF Project Research Team, Høgskole i Buskerud, Avdeling for helsefag Copyright University of South-Eastern-Norway Abstract The main aim of the project was to expand the knowledge about post-stroke fatigue, studying characteristics, related experiences and pathophysiological mechanisms in a longitudinal perspective. There were three sub-studies with specific aims: Study 1. (a) To examine the relationships among fatigue, depression, functioning, sleep disturbance and quality of life in post-stroke patients over time, and (b) To examine the effects of various socio-demographic factors including gender, age, educational level, and living condition, and of stroke-related factors such as the lesion-location and stroke-types on the relationships among fatigue, depression, functioning, sleep disturbance, and quality of life; Study 2. To explore how the patients describe the nature, patterns, and trajectory of fatigue in dependent of and in association with depression over time; and Study 3. To explore the relationships between the level of cytokines and brain abnormalities in the acute stroke phase and the severity of subsequent fatigue. Date of collection October 2007 – March 2010 Time period covered 2007 - 2010 Country Norway Geographic coverage South-east region of Norway Time method Study 1 – Longitudinal quantitative data collection via interviews, extraction of data from medical records, and application of actigraphs at subject enrollment, 6, 12, & 18 month follow-up points; and medical data extraction from the participants’ hospital medical record at acute phase of stroke; Study 2 – Longitudinal qualitative in-depth interviews at subject enrollment (during in-patient admission for stroke), 3, 6, 12 & 18 month follow-up points. Study 3 – Biological blood sample test for cytokines at admission to the hospital with the diagnosis of stroke Kind of data Study 1 – Quantitatively coded interview data Study 2 – Transcribed qualitative interview data Study 3 – Quantitative data Data collector Study 1 – Anners Lerdal, Linda Bakken, & Gun Pedersen Study 2 – Grethe Eilertsen Study 3 – Heidi Ormstad Sampling Study 1 & Study 3 – The sample was obtained from two hospitals in the South-Eastern region of Norway. The inclusion criteria were first-ever clinical presentation of stroke (either ischemic or hemorrhagic) according to the ICD-10 (I60–I64), 18 years of age or older, and sufficient cognitive functioning to participate. Patients who were fully conscious, or somnolent but could be awakened to full consciousness (equivalent to a score of 4 or 6 on item 1 in the Scandinavian Stroke Scale [SSS]) and oriented to time, place, and person (equivalent to a score of 4 on SSS item 6), were eligible. At one hospital those who did not meet the SSS criterion were further assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and those with MMSE score 10= or MMSE score 11 to 23 but found cognitively incompetent by a physician or nurse were excluded. At the second hospital, patients who did not meet the SSS criteria were clinically assessed by the stroke team, and those found to be cognitively impaired were excluded. Patients at both hospitals were excluded if they were unable to communicate (participate in a meaningful conversation or point to responses on questionnaires). Of the 193 patients diagnosed with first-ever stroke, 14 were excluded due to poor cognitive functioning, 26 because of difficulty communicating due to stroke, and 1 due to inability to understand Norwegian language. Of the 152 eligible patients, 125 consented (82%) for participation. Of these 10 participants were deleted from the sample due to incomplete data after the initial data collection, and 16 participants withdrew during the follow-up period for various reasons leaving the final sample of 99 participants. Study 2 – A subsample of 16 participants were obtained from the main sample of Study 1. Of the participants of the main sample, those with at least moderate level of fatigue (FSS > 5.0) at the initial data collection were eligible for the study. Forty one participants of the main sample were identified to be eligible for the study, and of these those consenting to the study were included in the study. Access A permission to access data will be given after a review of a written application to use the data for research purposes. Contact information: Ramona Lorentzen Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Department of Health, Social and Welfare Studies ramona.lorentsen@usn.no