Visual-Attentional Load Unveils Slowed Processing Speed in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Pilot Study with a Tablet-Based Videogame.

Marco Pitteri,Massimiliano Calabrese,Caterina Dapor,Stefano Ziccardi,Maddalena Guandalini,Riccardo Meggiato

doi:10.3390/brainsci10110871

Marco Pitteri, Massimiliano Calabrese + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10110871

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Journal: Brain sciences	Publication Date: Nov 18, 2020
Citations: 4	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Verona

Abstract

Slowing in information processing speed (IPS) is the key cognitive deficit in multiple sclerosis (MS). Testing IPS in different cognitive load conditions by using computerized tools might reveal initial IPS slowness underestimated by classic paper-and-pencil tests. To investigate the extent to which IPS can be affected by increased task demands, we developed three tasks based on the manipulation of the visual-attentional load, delivered with a home-made, tablet-based videogame. Fifty-one patients with MS (pwMS), classified as having no cognitive impairment in classic paper-and-pencil tests, and 20 healthy controls (HC) underwent the videogame tasks; reaction times (RTs) and accuracy were recorded. A significant reduced performance of pwMS as compared with HC was found on the videogame tasks, with pwMS being on average slower and less accurate than HC. Furthermore, pwMS showed a significantly more pronounced decrement in accuracy as a function of the visual-attentional load, suggesting a higher susceptibility to increased task demands. Significant correlations among the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the videogame mean RTs and accuracy were found, providing evidence for the concurrent validity of the videogame as a valid tool to test IPS in pwMS. The high potential that might derive from the adoption of computerized assessment tools in clinical practice should be taken into consideration and investigated further.

Highlights

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, characterized by white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) damage [1]
The mixed repeated-measures ANOVA on mean reaction times (RTs) revealed a main effect of Load (F(2,138) =
Post hoc analyses with Holm–Bonferroni correction revealed that mean pRTs

Summary

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, characterized by white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) damage [1]. Cognitive impairment (CI) is among the main sequalae of MS and its importance over the course of the disease has been highlighted in the past years. Up to half of the people with MS (pwMS) suffer from cognitive deficits as a consequence of both WM and GM damage [2]. CI has been reported in all stages and subtypes of MS and has been found to exert negative effects on employment, activities of daily living, and quality of life [3,4]. CI might help in identifying patients at higher risk of disease progression in the long term [5,6], an aspect of paramount importance from a clinical perspective [7].

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