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Fatigue following Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury and its Impact on Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

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Abstract

Fatigue is a commonly reported sequela following an acquired brain injury (ABI), and can have a negative impact on many areas of a child’s life. However, there is minimal research that focuses on fatigue specifically, and so factors such as its occurrence, duration, and impact on functioning remain uncertain. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the research to date, bringing together a number of studies with a focus on paediatric ABI and fatigue. Terms were searched in relevant databases (PsycInfo, Medline, CINAHL), and articles were included or excluded based on specified criteria. Of the 1177 papers identified in the original search, a total of 9 papers met inclusion criteria, and were categorised as traumatic brain injury (TBI; n = 4), meningitis and meningococcal disease (n = 2), brain tumours (n = 2), and mixed ABI group (n = 1). Key findings suggest that fatigue is a problem encountered by a significant proportion of patients in all the studies reviewed, and often occurred regardless of the cause; fatigue was also associated with poor academic achievement, limited physical activity, and social and emotional problems. Injuries of greater severity were associated with higher levels of fatigue and worse outcomes. Several management options were suggested, though their efficacy was not reported. Future research is required with a suggested focus on using multiple time points to better understand the trajectories of fatigue following childhood ABI, and to build an evidence base to determine which management options are most suitable.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Support Program (No. CO6E1). The funding bodies did not play a role in the design of the study, collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, or writing of the manuscript.

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  1. Jake Wilkinson and Nohely Lee Marmol contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    Jake Wilkinson, Nohely Lee Marmol, Celia Godfrey, Harriet Wills, Edith Nardu Botchway, Nikita Sood, Vicki Anderson & Cathy Catroppa

  2. School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK

    Jake Wilkinson & Harriet Wills

  3. Hogeschool Saxion Deventer, Handelskade 75, 7417 DH, Deventer, Netherlands

    Nohely Lee Marmol & Quirine van Eijndhoven

  4. Department of Psychology, Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    Edith Nardu Botchway, Nikita Sood, Vicki Anderson & Cathy Catroppa

  5. Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Edith Nardu Botchway, Nikita Sood, Vicki Anderson & Cathy Catroppa

  6. Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Vicki Anderson & Cathy Catroppa

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Wilkinson, J., Marmol, N.L., Godfrey, C. et al. Fatigue following Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury and its Impact on Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Neuropsychol Rev 28, 73–87 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-018-9370-z

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