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. 2021 Jun;17(2):129-150.
doi: 10.1177/1742395319836472. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

A systematic review of the association between fatigue and cognition in chronic noncommunicable diseases

Victoria Menzies  1 , Debra L Kelly  2 , Gee S Yang  3 , Angela Starkweather  4 , Debra E Lyon  3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA.
  • 2 Department of Adult and Elderly Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Florida, FL, USA.
  • 3 College of Nursing, University of Florida, FL, USA.
  • 4 P20 Center for Accelerating Precision Pain Self-Management, University of Connecticut School of Nursing, CT, USA.

A systematic review of the association between fatigue and cognition in chronic noncommunicable diseases

Victoria Menzies et al. Chronic Illn. 2021 Jun.
. 2021 Jun;17(2):129-150.
doi: 10.1177/1742395319836472. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Authors

Victoria Menzies  1 , Debra L Kelly  2 , Gee S Yang  3 , Angela Starkweather  4 , Debra E Lyon  3

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA.
  • 2 Department of Adult and Elderly Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Florida, FL, USA.
  • 3 College of Nursing, University of Florida, FL, USA.
  • 4 P20 Center for Accelerating Precision Pain Self-Management, University of Connecticut School of Nursing, CT, USA.

Abstract

Objectives: Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with chronic noncommunicable diseases, and it may also increase cognitive impairment. However, associations between fatigue and cognitive impairment in chronic illnesses remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine research that investigated associations between level of fatigue and cognitive status.

Methods: PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database were searched for articles published between 2012 and 2018 using search terms fatigue, cognition, and various iterations of these terms. Study quality was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist tool.

Results: Of 1799 citations, 10 studies in samples of individuals with cancer, multiple sclerosis, neurosarcoidosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome met the inclusion criteria. Fatigue was found to be significantly correlated with cognitive impairment in one cancer-related study (r = -.480, p < .001), one multiple sclerosis study (β= -0.52, p < .0001), and two chronic fatigue syndrome studies (r = 0.397, p < .001; r = 0.388, p < .001).

Discussion: There is insufficient evidence examining the relationship between fatigue and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic illnesses. As a result, more studies are needed that examine potential relationships between these two symptoms in order to develop effective treatments for individuals living with a chronic noncommunicable disease.

Keywords: Fatigue; chronic illness; chronic noncommunicable disease; cognition; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Flowchart of identification, screening and…

Figure 1.

Flowchart of identification, screening and selection process in current review.

Figure 1.
Flowchart of identification, screening and selection process in current review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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