How Does Fatigue Affect Communication?

Abstract

Fatigue and problems related to communication are common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, no research has been conducted on how fatigue affects the communication of individuals with MS. For this study, the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) was supplemented with 20 statements concerning communication. Forty-four people with MS and 44 healthy controls completed the questionnaire. Results showed that individuals with MS experienced significantly greater problems caused by fatigue within all sub-areas (cognitive, physical, psychosocial and communicative) compared to the control group. No significant differences were observed in fatigue with regard to MS sub-type, gender, age, neurological disability, or medication. The major influence of fatigue was reported to be in the physical area, with less impact related to communication. Respondents who experienced communicative problems caused by fatigue also had problems with language comprehension and speech (dysarthria). Fifteen subjects with MS were randomly selected to participate in assessments of speech and language. As a whole, the group scored well on all tests suggesting relatively normal communication abilities. No clear correlation emerged between the participants' ratings on the FIS and its supplementary questions with the speech and language tests. However, participants who were in paid employment reported fewer areas of impact from fatigue. This study emphasizes the importance of using both subjective and objective measures to capture both speech and language problems in individuals with MS and also to establish the effect of fatigue on communication.