Can biofeedback-based training alleviate fatigue and vigilance performance in fatigued MS patients?

MS related fatigue might be related to autonomous nervous system (ANS) dysfunctions or to inflammation related vagal (hyper-) activation. Consequently, influencing ANS status may lead to relieve of fatigue. We used two opposite biofeedback interventions to either increase sympathetic ("self-alert training", SAT) or parasympathetic activation ("progressive muscle relaxation", PMR).

Relation between cognitive fatigue and circadian or stress related cortisol levels in MS patients.

Unlabelled: Background Cortisol levels are increased in MS patients. However, the relation between cortisol, cognitive fatigue and load is still unknown and is investigated in this study.

Method: In 40 MS patients and 20 healthy controls, cortisol levels were assessed (in saliva) in the morning and afternoon, before and after 5 runs of a cognitively demanding divided attention task (lasting in total 25-minutes).

Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis is related to relapses, autonomic dysfunctions and introversion: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) might be partially due to inflammatory processes. If so, relapses should increase the fatigue level.

Methods: Two groups of MS patients participated in this study.

Capturing fatigue parameters: The impact of vagal processing in multiple sclerosis related cognitive fatigue.

Background: Causes of fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis remain elusive. Recently, we developed a model linking cognitive fatigue to inflammatory processes based on a neuroinflammatory reflex-arc instantiated by the vagus nerve. The relation between experienced autonomic dysfunctions, based on vagal processing, and cognitive fatigue is well-known, but an examination of the association of objectively measured vagal activity and cognitive fatigue is missing.

Salivary IL-1ß as an Objective Measure for Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis?

The causes of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other inflammatory disorders are not well understood. One possible cause that might explain fatigue in inflammatory disorders appears to be the immunological process itself, triggering neural activity that is experienced as fatigue. To investigate whether salivary IL-1ß concentration, associated with systemic inflammation, is related to subjective fatigue in MS.