B2408 - An investigation into the determinants of fatigue in a population-based cohort of young adults - 19/03/2015

B number: 
B2408
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Emma Clark (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Dr Esther Crawley (University of Bristol, UK), Prof Kate Tilling (University of Bristol, UK), Dr Kate Northstone (University of Bristol, UK), Prof Yaov Ben-Schlomo (University of Bristol, UK), Dr Jon Tobias (University of Bristol, UK), Prof Shea Palmer (University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol)
Title of project: 
An investigation into the determinants of fatigue in a population-based cohort of young adults
Proposal summary: 

Hypotheses

1. Musculoskeletal phenotypes during adolescence (particularly pain, joint hypermobility, muscle morphology) are associated with chronic fatigue as an adult. This association will be influenced by anxiety/depression, obesity and gender.

2. There are subdivisions of the musculoskeletal fatigue phenotype with different risk factors and potentially different responses to interventions.

3. There is intergenerational transmission of fatigue vulnerability.

Aims and purpose

Aim 1: To stratify adults at aged 24 with fatigue into various fatigue phenotypes based on associated features including musculoskeletal variables, sleep disturbance, mood disturbance. We will investigate the overlap, basic descriptives and epidemiology of these fatigue phenotypes.

Aim 2: To further our understanding of the association between musculoskeletal variables (specifically musculoskeletal pain, joint hypermobility and muscle morphology) and fatigue in adults, by assessing whether musculoskeletal phenotypes at aged 13.5 are associated with fatigue in adulthood.

Aim 3: To explore causal pathways between anxiety/depression, musculoskeletal phenotypes and fatigue in adults.

Aim 4: To investigate whether the various fatigue phenotypes identified in Aim 1 (e.g. fatigue alone, fatigue+pain, fatigue+hypermobility, fatigue+obesity, fatigue+reduced muscle mass/density, fatigue+mood disturbance) have different risk factor profiles and causal pathways.

Aim 5: To produce the first population-based data on the change in prevalence (natural history) of fatigue between aged 17.8 and aged 24. We will describe the trajectories of fatigue over 6 years to define whether fatigue regresses, progresses or remains stable.

Aim 6: To carry out the first investigation of the intergenerational effects of fatigue by identifying whether parental fatigue phenotypes are transmitted to offspring, whether particular parental characteristics increase the likelihood of transmission of fatigue, and whether particular offspring characteristics increase vulnerability to transmission of fatigue.

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 12 March, 2015
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 19 March, 2015
Keywords: 
Bones
Primary keyword: 
Chronic Fatigue