Measurement

Geriatric Rehabilitation

Clinical Practice (assessment, diagnosis, treatment, knowledge translation/EBP, implementation science, program development)

Symposium

(638011) Fatigability: An Emerging Paradigm for Measuring Exertional Limitations

Moderator(s)

• 

  Sandra Mitchell, PhD, CRNP, FAAN

  Research Scientist
  National Cancer Institute
  Rockville, Maryland
• 

  Basil Eldadah, MD, PhD

  Chief, Geriatrics Branch
  National Institute on Aging/NIH
  Bethesda, Maryland

Presenter(s)

• 

  Anna Kratz, PhD

  Associate Professor
  University of Michigan
  Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 

  Jennifer Schrack, PhD

  Associate Professor
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland

Non-presenting Author(s)

• 

  Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR/L

  Associate Professor
  University of Michigan
  Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 

  Eleanor Simonsick, PhD

  Epidemiologist, Deputy Director BLSA
  National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program
  Baltimore, Maryland

Moderator(s)

• 

  Alison Cernich, PhD, ABPP-Cn

  Director, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  National Institutes of Health
  Bethesda, Maryland

Fatigue is a symptom, defined as "a subjective lack of physical and/or mental energy that is perceived by the individual or caregiver to interfere with usual or desired activities." In contrast, fatigability is an attribute reflecting an individual's capacity to meet an exertional demand. Fatigability enhances the interpretability of functional assessments and adds important information to fatigue symptom reports. This symposium provides an overview of the conceptualization and measurement of fatigability as elaborated in the context of the ICF Framework, presents empirical data that distinguishes approaches to measuring fatigability, and traces the implications for research and rehabilitation practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish between fatigue as a symptom and fatigability as a whole-person attribute within the context of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of the ICF framework.
• Describe different methods for measuring fatigability based on self-report, assessment of activity or performance, instrumented measures such as actigraphy, or a combination of these approaches.
• Identify opportunities for additional measure development, inclusion of fatigability endpoints in efficacy studies, and further implementation in rehabilitation research and practice.