Author:
Maetzler Walter,Correia Guedes Leonor,Emmert Kirsten Nele,Kudelka Jennifer,Hildesheim Hanna Luise,Paulides Emma,Connolly Hayley,Davies Kristen,Dilda Valentina,Ahmaniemi Teemu,Avedano Luisa,Bouça-Machado Raquel,Chambers Michael,Chatterjee Meenakshi,Gallagher Peter,Graeber Johanna,Maetzler Corina,Kaduszkiewicz Hanna,Kennedy Norelee,Macrae Victoria,Carrasco Marín Laura,Moses Anusha,Padovani Alessandro,Pilotto Andrea,Ratcliffe Natasha,Reilmann Ralf,Rosario Madalena,Schreiber Stefan,De Sousa Dina,Van Gassen Geert,Warring Lori Ann,Seppi Klaus,van der Woude C. Janneke,Ferreira Joaquim J.,Ng Wan-Fai,
Abstract
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Fatigue is a prominent symptom in many diseases and is strongly associated with impaired daily function. The measurement of daily function is currently almost always done with questionnaires, which are subjective and imprecise. With the recent advances of digital wearable technologies, novel approaches to evaluate daily function quantitatively and objectively in real-life conditions are increasingly possible. This also creates new possibilities to measure fatigue-related changes of daily function using such technologies. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> This review examines which digitally assessable parameters in immune-mediated inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases may have the greatest potential to reflect fatigue-related changes of daily function. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> Results of a standardized analysis of the literature reporting about perception-, capacity-, and performance-evaluating assessment tools indicate that changes of the following parameters: physical activity, independence of daily living, social participation, working life, mental status, cognitive and aerobic capacity, and supervised and unsupervised mobility performance have the highest potential to reflect fatigue-related changes of daily function. These parameters thus hold the greatest potential for quantitatively measuring fatigue in representative diseases in real-life conditions, e.g., with digital wearable technologies. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is a new approach to analysing evidence for the design of performance-based digital assessment protocols in human research, which may stimulate further systematic research in this area.