Change characteristics of health-related quality of life and its association with post-stroke fatigue at four-year follow-up

The long-term consequences of stroke may be highly individual and multifaceted. The question of how such individual differences may unfold and change beyond the first year after stroke may be of substantial clinical interest regarding which subgroups show more favourable and unfavourable rehabilitation trajectories. The current study explored functional trajectories from 1 to 4 years post-stroke and their association with post-stroke fatigue. A total of 144 individuals with mainly mild or moderate strokes were included. Their functions were measured with the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale at 1 and 4 years post-stroke, and fatigue with the Fatigue Severity Scale 4 years post-stroke. The study found that the majority of subjects belonged to the trajectories described as stable, well-functioning from 1 to 4 years post-stroke. Participants who experienced less fatigue were those who had the highest and most stable function throughout the recovery course.