MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE PROCESSES

多发性硬化症对认知过程的影响

• 批准号: 6187947
• 负责人: Robert V. Kail
• 金额: $ 8.76万
• 依托单位: UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-04-01 至 2000-10-01
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6187947
• 关键词: attention; clinical research; cognition disorders; human subject; memory; multiple sclerosis; neural information processing; pathologic process; short term memory

DESCRIPTION (adapted from applicant's abstract): Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often show performance deficits on a range of cognitive tasks, including abstract reasoning, and information processing speed. Furthermore, the cognitive deficits are greater for individuals in more advanced stages of MS. What is not clear from extant research is whether each of the cognitive impairments is a direct, unique consequence of MS. That is, does MS lead directly to diminished attention, memory, reasoning, and processing speed? Or does MS directly affect only one of these processes, which, in turn, leads to impairments in other cognitive skills? For example, perhaps MS affects only memory directly; the other cognitive consequences would be indirect, stemming from the direct effect of MS on memory. The aim of the proposed research is to determine the direct and indirect effects of MS on cognitive processes. 125 30-55 year old MS patients will be tested, along with 125 adults without MS who are matched by sex, age, and education. Each subject will be administered 15 primary instruments: 3 measures of MS symptoms, 3 measures of speed of information processing, 3 measures of short term memory, 3 measures of working memory, and 3 measures of reasoning ability. Structural equation modeling will then be used to compare models that posit different links between MS, processing speed, memory, and reasoning. Specifically, these analyses will be used to distinguish a model in which MS affects speed, memory, and reasoning directly from models in which MS affects some but not all of these cognitive processes. For example, preliminary results suggest that MS-related deficits in memory are due to deficits in processing speed. Consequently, one of the comparison models of interest is one that omits the direct link between MS and memory. These results will help to identify the impact of MS on cognition and thereby help to plan more effective cognitive rehabilitation programs for MS patients. If, for example, memory deficits are actually a byproduct of speed deficits, then rehabilitation should be directed at speed of processing; improved processing speed should also improve both memory and reasoning. The results of this project will help to identify the appropriate targets of rehabilitation efforts.

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：多发性硬化症（MS）的个体通常会在一系列认知任务上显示出表现不足，包括摘要推理和信息处理速度。此外，在更高级的MS阶段，个人的认知缺陷更大。从现有的研究中不清楚的是，每种认知障碍是否都是MS的直接，独特的后果。也就是说，MS是否直接导致注意力，记忆，推理和处理速度降低？还是MS直接影响这些过程之一，反过来又导致其他认知技能受损？例如，也许MS仅直接影响内存；其他认知后果将是间接的，这是由于MS对记忆的直接影响。拟议研究的目的是确定MS对认知过程的直接和间接影响。 125 30-55岁的MS患者将与125名没有性别，年龄和教育匹配的MS的成年人进行测试。每个受试者将被管理15个主要仪器：3次MS症状的度量，3次信息处理速度的度量，3个短期记忆的度量，3次工作记忆措施和3次推理能力的度量。然后，结构方程建模将用于比较在MS，处理速度，内存和推理之间提出不同链接的模型。具体而言，这些分析将用于区分MS直接影响速度，内存和推理与MS影响某些但不是全部这些认知过程的模型的模型。例如，初步结果表明，内存中与MS相关的缺陷是由于处理速度的缺陷。因此，感兴趣的比较模型之一是省略了MS和内存之间的直接链接。这些结果将有助于确定MS对认知的影响，从而有助于为MS患者计划更有效的认知康复计划。例如，如果记忆缺陷实际上是速度缺陷的副产品，则应将康复定向以处理速度。提高的处理速度也应提高记忆力和推理。该项目的结果将有助于确定康复工作的适当目标。