Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is a common medical and social problem. Aim: analyze time-based characteristics of PSF over the first year after stroke occurrence. Material and methods. Patients were examined in definite time points: at hospital stay (234 cases), at 1 month (203), at 3 months (176), at 6 months (156), at 9 months (139) and at 12 months (128 cases) after stroke. PSF was measured by fatigue assessment scale (FAS) and multidimensional fatigue inventory-20 (MIF-20). We conditionally divided all PSF cases as early PSF (presented only within the 1st month after stroke), persistent PSF (presented within the 1st post-stroke month and later) and late PSF (appeared only at 3rd month observation or later). Results. Throughout all PSF diagnoses, according to FAS, – 15 PSF cases (16,0%) were presented as early PSF, 51 (54,2%)– as persistent PSF and 28 (29,8%)– as late PSF. For all time-based types of PSF domains, according to MIF-20, much or less similar pattern of distribution was observed. All domains of early PSF (global, physical, mental, motivational, activity-related) were statistically more intensive than corresponding domains of persistent PSF and late PSF. Conclusions. 1. About 20% of all PSF cases are early PSF, 25% - late PSF and slightly more than half of all cases –persistent PSF. 2. Significant differences between severities of early PSF and persistent PSF as well as late PSF can be as indirect evidences that all time-based PSF types are quite distinctive entities.

TIME-BASED PHENOMENOLOGY OF POST-STROKE FATIGUE OVER THE FIRST YEAR AFTER STROKE OCCURRENCE