Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies and their participants
| Study ID | Study design | Country | ALS sample size | Age, mean (SD) | Male, n (%) | Time from disease onset in months, mean (SD) | Diagnosis criteria | ALSFRS-R, mean (SD) | Frequency of fatigue (%) | Fatigue measuring tool and categorization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alencar 2022 a [7] | cross-sectional | Brazil | 55 | 56.9 (11.2) | 31 (56.4) | 23.4 (15.8) | Awaji | 29.5 (10.8) | 45.5 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Alencar 2022 b [37] | cross-sectional | Brazil | 65 | 56.6 (11.0) | 40 (61.5) | 75.6 (54.0) | Awaji | 30.0 (10.9) | 44.6 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| An 2022 a [38] | cross-sectional | China | 86 | 52.6 (10.9) | 50 (58.1) | 27.0 (16.8) | El Escorial | 37.0 (5.3) | 32.6 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| An 2022 b [39] | cross-sectional | China | 175 | 54.5 (3.0) | 105 (60.0) | 11.3 (1.7) | El Escorial | 39.5 (1.5) | 32.6 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Lococo 2012 [9] | cross-sectional | Italy | 91 | 61.3 (10.1) | 55 (60.4) | 24.9 (15.4) | El Escorial | 33.9 (8.8) | 52.8 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| McElhiney 2009 [40] | longitudinal | USA | 223 | 61.0 (12.0) | 98 (56.0) | - | El Escorial | 33.0 (8.0) | 44.0 | FSS, a score > 40 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Panitz 2015 [41] | longitudinal | Germany | 51 | 57.9 (12.3) | 24 (47.1) | 15.8 (12.7) | El Escorial | 38.7 (6.8) | 59.0 | FSS, a score > 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| 40.0 | CIS, a score > 35 indicates the presence of fatigue | |||||||||
| Raheja 2016 [42] | longitudinal | USA | 82 | 53.0 (10.3) | 46 (56.0) | - | El Escorial | 38.5 (6.0) | 42.7 | ALSSQoL fatigue subscale, a score ≥ 4 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Sandstedt 2016 [43] | cross-sectional | Sweden | 51 | 61.0 (12.0) | 28 (56.0) | 37.3 (29.9) | El Escorial | 28.7 (12.9) | 61.0 | CIS, a score ≥ 35 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Vangroenestijn 2017 [44] | cross-sectional | Netherland | 72 | 59.9 (10.6) | 50 (69.4) | 17.1 (12.2) | El Escorial | 42.1 (3.7) | 42.0 | CIS, a score ≥ 35 indicates the presence of fatigue |
| Vogt 2020 [36] | cross-sectional | Germany | 121 | 62.3 (9.3) | 72 (59.5) | 27.0 (34.0) | El Escorial | 27.8 (9.5) | 76.7 | FSS, a score ≥ 36 indicates the presence of fatigue |
ALSFRS-R, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale- Revised; FSS, Fatigue Severity Scale; CIS, Checklist Individual Strength, ALSSQol, ALS Specific Quality of Life-Revised