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Published on: January 23, 2017
Disentangling verbal learning performance in multiple sclerosis: Dissociating strategy initiation and maintenance.
Nikolaos Mitsoudis1, Anna Palama1, Panagiotis Grigoriadis1
1Multiple Sclerosis Center, Second Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
The Clinical Neuropsychologist
|May 25, 2026
Summary
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) struggle with verbal learning due to difficulties initiating or maintaining strategies. Cognitive rehabilitation can be tailored by targeting strategy acquisition or endurance deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Verbal learning performance in multiple sclerosis (MS) is influenced by executive functions, specifically strategy generation and maintenance.
- Understanding these distinct mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted cognitive rehabilitation strategies for individuals with MS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To deconstruct verbal learning performance in people with MS by analyzing strategy initiation and maintenance.
- To identify specific executive function deficits contributing to verbal learning impairments in MS.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of verbal learning data from 558 individuals with MS and 501 healthy controls.
- Calculation of initiation and cessation indices to quantify semantic strategy use.
- Application of regression analyses to map learning trajectories and identify factors influencing them.
Main Results:
- Individuals with MS were less likely to use semantic clustering and more prone to delayed strategy initiation and premature strategy abandonment.
- Distinct patterns emerged: Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) showed strategy decay, while progressive MS forms demonstrated primary strategy generation failure.
- Higher education levels correlated with better strategy initiation, supporting the cognitive reserve hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Verbal learning deficits in MS are characterized by a dissociation between strategy acquisition and endurance.
- Cognitive rehabilitation interventions should be personalized, incorporating cognitive endurance training for early-stage MS and compensatory strategies for progressive forms.
