Andy
Senior Member (Voting rights)
Abstract
Objective: Earlier research on fatigue in post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) has mainly studied subjective fatigue, either over a prolonged period (trait fatigue) or in relation to a certain situation (state fatigue) in the form of perceived fatigability. Another aspect of state fatigue, cognitive performance fatigability, defined as a decline in performance over time in cognitively demanding tasks, has not been the focus of PCC research. We aimed to examine performance fatigability and the associations between these three fatigue domains.
Method: Thirty-four individuals with PCC and 36 controls who recovered from COVID-19 without PCC performed cognitive tests repeated twice during the test session to assess performance fatigability. Self-reports were used to assess perceived fatigability (repeated Visual Analogue Scales) and trait fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory).
Results: Analysis of covariance showed significant interactions in two tests measuring processing speed: coding (p < .001, ηp2 = .17) and a speed composite score derived from Color–Word Interference Test (p = .031, ηp2 = .08), where the controls improved their performance more on the repeated tests compared with the PCC group, indicating performance fatigability in the PCC group. For the PCC group, no correlations were found between fatigue domains (r < 0.34).
Conclusions: The PCC group exhibited performance fatigability in measures of processing speed. There were no correlations between fatigue domains, suggesting that the domains might represent separate constructs. The results highlight the need to differentiate between various types of fatigue in research and clinical practice and to assess performance fatigability in addition to using self-reports to obtain a comprehensive understanding of fatigue and fatigability.
Key Points
Question: Do subjects with post-COVID-19 condition exhibit cognitive performance fatigability, and is it associated with perceived cognitive fatigability or trait fatigue?
Findings: Cognitive performance fatigability was seen in measures of processing speed, but there were no relations to other fatigue domains.
Importance: The results highlight the importance of assessing cognitive performance fatigability in PCC in addition to subjectively rated fatigue, as these seem to be separate constructs.
Next Steps: There is a need to differentiate between fatigue domains in research and clinical practice and to further examine performance fatigue and possible assessment methods.
Open access
