AIM OF THE STUDY: To study if the use of a cooling-suit by individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) influenced their experience of fatigue and consequent restrictions in daily life. BACKGROUND: The majority of MS patients consider fatigue as one of their most disabling symptoms and as having a significant impact on their daily lives. Fatigue often increases in a warm environment. A cooling-suit has been reported as a practical method of cooling, but the effect on fatigue has not yet been studied. RESEARCH METHODS: Eight individuals used a cooling-suit in their own homes during a test-period. In a single case-control design, their experience of fatigue was studied before and after. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used: self-assessments using the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), open-ended interviews and semi-structured diaries. RESULTS: All study participants reported a reduction in fatigue during the test period. On the FIS, they scored reductions in the physical, cognitive and psycho-social dimensions of daily life. They experienced fatigue less often and for shorter periods. In their diaries and interviews they described decreased muscular strain, less sense of fatigue in relation to intake of food and positive effects on cognitive, social or affective problems related to fatigue. DISCUSSION: The cooling-suit is a practical method for cooling. It gives freedom and flexibility and can be used regardless of setting. Nurses who meet heat-sensitive individuals with MS have the opportunity to give information on cooling methods, including how to use a cooling-suit. In this pilot study we found that individuals with MS who suffered from fatigue reported a number of improvements in quality of daily life. CONCLUSIONS: The result indicates that use of a cooling-suit by individuals with MS may decrease their sense of fatigue. In this sample positive outcomes on daily life situations were reported. Further studies are needed to support these results.

Fatigue is a major problem among individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but its meaning in daily living is unclear. The aim was to describe MS-related fatigue as lived by a group of individuals diagnosed with MS. Interviews with nine individuals were analysed from a phenomenological perspective. MAIN FINDINGS: MS-related fatigue is living with a time-consuming and all absorbing phenomenon, involving the body and the whole human being. Fatigue is commonly non-constructively perceived and expressed in terms of energy loss, emotional afflictions, dependency and restrictions of life in general, however, it is also constructively perceived and involves a desire to accept life and strive for a better situation. CONCLUSION: MS-related fatigue is a comprehensive phenomenon and its relationship with self-care requires further investigation.

Fatigue is a complex phenomenon that, for those not affected, is hard to understand. To achieve better assessments, caregivers need reliable and valid tools. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Swedish version of the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) among working-aged individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as in a comparative group randomly selected from the general population in the same geographical area. Both individuals with MS ( n =161) and individuals recruited from the general population ( n =194) participated in the study. A questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data were analysed using non-parametric statistical methods. Reliability of FIS was addressed by item-to-item and item-to-total correlations. Concurrent validity was tested for by analysing correlations between the FIS and general questions, and construct validity by investigation of differences in the FIS scores between known groups. The FIS was found to be homogenous, with item-to-total correlation coefficients of 0.42 ≤ r s ≤0.86 ( p [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]