Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026
11:35
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
58.7K
Cognitive Profiles of Aging in Multiple Sclerosis.
Dejan Jakimovski1,2, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman1, Shumita Roy1
1Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo - The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|May 29, 2019
Summary
Cognitive impairment is common in elderly with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly affecting processing speed and verbal fluency. These findings highlight the need to monitor cognitive aging in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuropsychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Improved survival in multiple sclerosis (MS) necessitates understanding cognitive aging and comorbidities like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- The cognitive profile of elderly individuals with MS (EwMS) requires detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive performance in elderly with MS (EwMS) against age-matched healthy controls (HCs).
- To utilize both MS- and AD-specific psychometric assessments to evaluate cognitive function.
Main Methods:
- EwMS (n=104) and HCs (n=56) underwent comprehensive cognitive testing across multiple domains.
- Logistic regression analyzed cognitive differences, defining cognitive impairment (CI) as -1.5 SD below HC performance in two domains.
Main Results:
- Cognitive impairment (CI) was identified in 47.1% of EwMS.
- Processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) and verbal fluency (category and letter-based) showed significant deficits.
- Category-based verbal fluency and SDMT scores effectively predicted MS/HC diagnosis (R²=0.27).
Conclusions:
- Slowed cognitive processing speed is a key feature of aging in multiple sclerosis.
- Impaired verbal fluency, more prevalent in older MS patients, may indicate additional cognitive pathologies.
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
36.8K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
36.8K
01:26Aging
643
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
643
01:49Multiple Allele Traits
38.0K
The Concept of Multiple Allelism
38.0K
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.4K
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
3.4K
01:27Language and Cognition
745
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
745
01:25Cognitive Therapy
945
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
945