THE RELATIONSHIP OF TIME PERCEPTION WITH WORKING MEMORY IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Abstract

Objectives. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease characterized by neuroinflammation of the central nervous system leading to progressive demyelination, loss of axons, and neurodegeneration. Meta-analyses have shown a cognitive impairment with a moderate effect size between healthy volunteers and MS patients, most apparently in working memory (WM), attention, and processing speed. It has recently been found that the perception of time has also been impaired in MS patients. This study aims to examine the relationship between WM and time perception in individuals with MS. Methods. Letter Number Sequencing Test (LNST), Time Interval Estimation Test, and Time Interval Production Test (TIPT) were administered to 50 MS patients. Individuals were allocated into low and high WM groups according to the median value of the LNST total score to compare time perception performance. Results. The mean age of the sample was 39.2. In the sample consisting of 14 male and 36 female participants, the mean number of educated years was 10.7 years, the age of disease onset was 31.9 years, and the duration of the disease was 7.2 years. A correlation was found between TIPT Ratio for 4 seconds and WM as well as disease severity. 29 people were in the low WM group and 21 people were in the high WM group. Age, age of disease onset, and the number of educated years were found to be higher in the high WM group. The TIPT Ratio for 4 seconds was lower in the high WM group. Conclusion. Consistent with the literature, a relationship was found between WM and time perception in individuals with MS in the 4 seconds, in which WM is considered to have a crucial role. The production of a 4- second interval was considered to be used as a marker reflecting both disease severity and WM capacity.