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Mental%20Fatigue%20Scale%20(MFS)
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about the instrument: Mental Fatigue Scale
Classification
Supplemental: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
Short Description of Instrument
This self-reported scale includes 15 questions that measure mental fatigue. Questions include affective, cognitive and sensory symptoms, duration of sleep and daytime variation in symptom severity. The questions concern fatigue in general, lack of initiative, mental fatigue, mental recovery, concentration difficulties, memory problems, slowness of thinking, sensitivity to stress, increased tendency to become emotional, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise, decreased or increased sleep as well as 24-hour symptom variations.
 
Mental fatigue is a common sequela after mild TBI, stroke and other neurological disorders and the MFS has been validated in these groups against neuropsychological measures including Trail making test, digit spans and digit symbol tests with good correlation (digit symbol vs MFS r=.59; p<.001).
Scoring
A rating of 0 corresponds to normal function and 1-3 indicating increasing problem with the symptom.
(No (0), Slight (1), Fairly serious (2) and Serious (3) problems)
 
A study by Johansson & RÖnnb?ck (2014) found a cut-off score above 10.5 implies a problem for the person, although a serious problem is not always the case. The MFS had a high internal consistency and all separate items were rated significantly higher among brain injured subjects compared with healthy controls.
References
mTBI, TBI, stroke and validation compared with healthy controls:
Johansson B, RÖnnb?ck L. Evaluation of the Mental Fatigue Scale and its relation to Cognitive and Emotional Functioning after Traumatic Brain Injury or Stroke. Int J Phys Med Rehabil. 2014;2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2329-9096.1000182
 
Johansson B, Starmark A, Berglund P, RÖdholm M, RÖnnb?ck L.  A self-assessment questionnaire for mental fatigue and related symptoms after neurological disorders and injuries. Brain Inj. 2010;24(1):2-12.
 
Johansson B, RÖnnb?ck L. Long-Lasting Mental Fatigue After Traumatic Brain Injury - A Major Problem Most Often Neglected Diagnostic Criteria, Assessment, Relation to Emotional and Cognitive Problems, Cellular Background, and Aspects on Treatment. In: Sadaka F, ed. Traumatic Brain Injury. InTech; 2014.
 
Johansson B, RÖnnb?ck L. Long-Lasting Mental Fatigue After Traumatic Brain Injury - A Major Problem Most Often Neglected Diagnostic Criteria, Assessment, Relation to Emotional and Cognitive Problems, Cellular Background, and Aspects on Treatment. In: Sadaka F, ed. Traumatic Brain Injury. InTech; 2014. https://www.intechopen.com/books/traumatic-brain-injury/long-lasting-mental-fatigue-after-traumatic-brain-injury-a-major-problem-most-often-neglected-diagno

 

Document last updated July 2019
Recommended Instrument for
ME/CFS