Marie Thomas

Measuring & Managing Fatigue

Fatigue is the normal result of over-exertion or lack of sleep and is defined as an intense subjective sense of tiredness, energy depletion and weakness. Whether it is physical and/or cognitive in nature, fatigue can be interpreted differently by different individuals - ranging from tiredness to clinically-relevant exhaustion - making it difficult to quantify. However, when it persists and is unresolved by rest, fatigue can be extremely debilitating.

My talk will include work on the Cardiff CFS Project, a longitudinal study of factors associated with the condition and the implications for illness management. I will also briefly describe the work I have done on fatigue since the project ended.