The effect of importance level, delay, and rate of forgetting on prose recall in multiple sclerosis

Memory deficits are frequently seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The focus of this study was to examine semantic encoding and the rate of forgetting in MS patients. The prose passages of the Wechsler Memory Scale Logical Memory subtest were used to examine MS patients' semantic sensitivity to the idea units of a story. The stories were divided into high, medium, and low idea units, reflecting their overall importance to the meaning of the story. MS patients recalled fewer idea units than controls, but both groups favored the main ideas relative to the nonessential details at both the immediate and delayed recall of the passages. Likewise, MS patients forgot information at a much faster rate than controls. Implications of this faster forgetting rate in MS patients are discussed from an applied setting.