[Brief Neuropsychological Battery for multiple sclerosis. Normative data stratified by age and educational level]

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Neurology
• Medical Assessment

Background:

• Cognitive test performance interpretation in multiple sclerosis (MS) is influenced by educational attainment.
• Standardized neuropsychological assessment is crucial for understanding MS-related cognitive deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative data for the Brief Neuropsychological Battery (BNB) in multiple sclerosis (MS), stratified by age and education.
• To validate the BNB's efficacy in differentiating between healthy individuals and MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Normative data were derived from 701 healthy volunteers, stratified by age and education using regression analyses.
• Standard scores were analyzed to establish normative benchmarks.
• The cognitive performance of 112 MS patients was compared against the healthy control group.

Main Results:

• The Brief Neuropsychological Battery (BNB) revealed significant cognitive performance differences between MS patients and healthy controls.
• Key areas of difference included information processing speed, working memory, and verbal memory.
• Neither age nor sex significantly impacted the observed cognitive differences.

Conclusions:

• The Brief Neuropsychological Battery (BNB) demonstrates high sensitivity in detecting cognitive impairments characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS).
• The battery is particularly effective in identifying deficits in working memory, a common area affected by MS.