Rooney A,Berntzen B,Erridge S,Gillespie D,Grant R,Julia Day,Peoples S,Tuck S,
Fatigue and Associated Symptoms in Patients with a Primary Brain Tumor
Annals of Clinical Oncology
2019
2674-3248
http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.ACO.2019.03.04
https://www.sciencerepository.org/fatigue-and-associated-symptoms-in-patients-with-a-primary-brain-tumor_ACO-2019-3-104 
Abstract: Purpose: To determine the prevalence and predictors of fatigue in clinically stable primary brain tumor
patients, we used objective and subjective measures and a cross-sectional design.
Methods: Eighty-five brain tumor patients completed self-report measures of fatigue, sleep disturbance,
mood and growth hormone deficiency. Objective measures of sleep, cognition and neurological function
were carried out. Comparisons were made between patients with no-mild, moderate and severe fatigue.
Results: Sixty-seven per cent of patients (n=57) were experiencing moderate or severe fatigue at the time
of assessment. Statistically significant differences between no-mild, moderate and severe fatigue groups
were found when examining percentage daytime activity (p=0.035), processing speed (p = 0.0006), anxiety
(p=0.008), depression (p<0.0001), neurological function (p<0.0001), growth hormone deficiency
(p<0.0001) and epileptic drug type (p=0.011). Memory, executive function and verbal fluency were not
found to significantly differ across groups. Sleep duration and efficiency were not correlated with fatigue.
Using regression analysis, anxiety and neurological function predictors were independently found to be
associated with fatigue (p=0.017 and p=0.0003 respectively).
Conclusions: Findings suggest neurological function and anxiety independently contribute to fatigue in
stable brain tumor patients. A ‘neurological model’ may offer a better understanding of fatigue in the brain
tumor population than a ‘cancer model’. This study supports the recommendation of a core data set for
assessing fatigue that includes a measure of neurological function, alongside patient perceptions of causation
(physical and mental fatigue). This may potentially be helpful in selecting treatment options or in
interpretation of drug trials of fatigue.Keywords: Fatigue, anxiety, neurological function, primary brain tumor, quality of life, glioma