ABSTRACT
Fatigue is a common symptom in medicine. It is a frequent complaint of patients with infectious disorders, tumors, systemic diseases, depression and dysfunctions of the motor system. The occurrence of fatigue in such different disorders is partially explained by the fact that the term fatigue has been utilized to describe various physical and psychological conditions. Fatigue is a highly subjective and non-specific symptom which can be easily confused with weakness on the one hand and with depressed mood on the other. The fact that in some disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue may be associated with motor disturbances and/or mood disorders makes it very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to define whether fatigue is an aspect of these complications or a complication per se. This chapter reviews the main aspects of fatigue in MS, and its pathophysiology and management.
