Author Of 2 Presentations
P0797 - Cognitive Event-Related Potentials in Multiple Sclerosis. (ID 99)
Abstract
Background
Cognitive impairment (CI) affects 26-56% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Previous studies have revealed that the cognitive P300 event-related potential (ERP) is substantially affected in cognitive impaired patients.
Objectives
To investigate the role of P300 ERP in MS. In specific we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the P300 ERP amplitude and latency in both the diagnosis of MS and the MS-related CI within patients.
Methods
Fifty-eight relapsing-remitting MS patients (41.9±10.3 years old, 41 women, disease duration 144.2±89.7 months, median EDSS 2.0) and 51 age- and gender-matched healthy controls participated in the study. Visual P300 ERP responses and Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) were evaluated. ROC curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of P300 ERP.
Results
In total, 55.2% of the MS patients were identified with CI. P300 amplitude was significantly correlated with all cognitive functions (processing speed: rho=0.293, p=0.02, verbal memory: rho=0.505, p<0.001, visuospatial learning and memory: rho=0.494, p<0.001). P300 latency showed significant negative correlation with verbal memory (rho=-0.456, p<0.001) and visuospatial learning and memory (rho=-0.454, p<0.001) but not information processing speed (rho=-0.172, p=0.074). With regards to P300 amplitude, a cut-off lower than 7.7μV significantly distinguished MS patients from healthy controls (area under the curve or AUC=0.109±0.03, p<0.001, sensitivity=81%, specificity=92.2%). Among MS patients, a cut-off of 4.8μV distinguished CI from non-CI patients (AUC=0.311±0.07, p=0.014, sensitivity=56.3%, specificity=80.8%). A P300 latency cut-off higher than 305.5msecs significantly distinguished MS patients from healthy controls (AUC=0.931±0.02, p<0.001, sensitivity=79.3%, specificity=96.1%) but not CI status among MS patients (AUC=0.603±0.08, p=0.179).
Conclusions
P300 was ascertained as a potent diagnostic tool for MS diagnosis and even CI status. Based on these findings, we encourage the use of P300 ERP in the everyday clinical settings and the construction of normative values in the electrophysiological laboratories.
P1017 - “Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire for Assessing Psychological Coping in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.” (ID 917)
Abstract
Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects young individuals during their most productive period of their lives. MS-related stress impinges upon patients’ wellbeing and quality of life. On the other hand, previous research has revealed that low stress, anxiety and depression, along with increased social support and sense making of emerging disease-related adversities herald successful psychological adjustment to the disease. To our knowledge, there is no disease-specific instrument evaluating the degree of psychological adjustment to MS.
Objectives
To develop and validate the Multidimensional Psychological Adjustment Questionnaire for Multiple Sclerosis (MPAq-MS), a new questionnaire for evaluating the degree of coping in the disease.
Methods
A sample of 44 MS patients (mean age 45.5 ± 12.5 years-old, 63.6% females, 95.5% RRMS, mean disease duration 12.8±8.0 years) was selected to investigate the psychometric properties of MPAq-MS. Construct validity was assessed by principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was assessed by including the Depression Anxiety and Stress-21 questionnaire, physical fatigue (using a 0-10 visual analogue scale) and hair cortisol. Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest correlations (second assessment after 8 weeks) were used to assess reliability.
Results
PCA and CFA confirmed the theoretical four-construct validity of the MPAq-MS tool (stress-anxiety, depression, social support and sense making). The PCA model explained 75.2% of the total observed variance. Higher MPAq-MS scores were moderately correlated with less stress (r=-0.629, p<0.01), anxiety (r=-0.553, p<0.001), depression (r=-0.554, p<0.001) and physical fatigue (r=-0.472, p=0.001) indicating good convergent validity. Interestingly, higher MPAq-MS scores were correlated with less hair cortisol (rho=-0.333, p=0.041). The internal consistency of the tool was found acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.745). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.812 (95%CI 0.65-0.90, p<0.001) indicating good reliability.
Conclusions
The MPAq-MS instrument showed good psychometric properties in MS patients. Future studies should confirm these results in larger samples of MS patients and of various MS types. This tool could be considered an additional patient-reported outcome in MS research.
Presenter Of 2 Presentations
P0797 - Cognitive Event-Related Potentials in Multiple Sclerosis. (ID 99)
Abstract
Background
Cognitive impairment (CI) affects 26-56% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Previous studies have revealed that the cognitive P300 event-related potential (ERP) is substantially affected in cognitive impaired patients.
Objectives
To investigate the role of P300 ERP in MS. In specific we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the P300 ERP amplitude and latency in both the diagnosis of MS and the MS-related CI within patients.
Methods
Fifty-eight relapsing-remitting MS patients (41.9±10.3 years old, 41 women, disease duration 144.2±89.7 months, median EDSS 2.0) and 51 age- and gender-matched healthy controls participated in the study. Visual P300 ERP responses and Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) were evaluated. ROC curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of P300 ERP.
Results
In total, 55.2% of the MS patients were identified with CI. P300 amplitude was significantly correlated with all cognitive functions (processing speed: rho=0.293, p=0.02, verbal memory: rho=0.505, p<0.001, visuospatial learning and memory: rho=0.494, p<0.001). P300 latency showed significant negative correlation with verbal memory (rho=-0.456, p<0.001) and visuospatial learning and memory (rho=-0.454, p<0.001) but not information processing speed (rho=-0.172, p=0.074). With regards to P300 amplitude, a cut-off lower than 7.7μV significantly distinguished MS patients from healthy controls (area under the curve or AUC=0.109±0.03, p<0.001, sensitivity=81%, specificity=92.2%). Among MS patients, a cut-off of 4.8μV distinguished CI from non-CI patients (AUC=0.311±0.07, p=0.014, sensitivity=56.3%, specificity=80.8%). A P300 latency cut-off higher than 305.5msecs significantly distinguished MS patients from healthy controls (AUC=0.931±0.02, p<0.001, sensitivity=79.3%, specificity=96.1%) but not CI status among MS patients (AUC=0.603±0.08, p=0.179).
Conclusions
P300 was ascertained as a potent diagnostic tool for MS diagnosis and even CI status. Based on these findings, we encourage the use of P300 ERP in the everyday clinical settings and the construction of normative values in the electrophysiological laboratories.
P1017 - “Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire for Assessing Psychological Coping in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.” (ID 917)
Abstract
Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects young individuals during their most productive period of their lives. MS-related stress impinges upon patients’ wellbeing and quality of life. On the other hand, previous research has revealed that low stress, anxiety and depression, along with increased social support and sense making of emerging disease-related adversities herald successful psychological adjustment to the disease. To our knowledge, there is no disease-specific instrument evaluating the degree of psychological adjustment to MS.
Objectives
To develop and validate the Multidimensional Psychological Adjustment Questionnaire for Multiple Sclerosis (MPAq-MS), a new questionnaire for evaluating the degree of coping in the disease.
Methods
A sample of 44 MS patients (mean age 45.5 ± 12.5 years-old, 63.6% females, 95.5% RRMS, mean disease duration 12.8±8.0 years) was selected to investigate the psychometric properties of MPAq-MS. Construct validity was assessed by principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was assessed by including the Depression Anxiety and Stress-21 questionnaire, physical fatigue (using a 0-10 visual analogue scale) and hair cortisol. Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest correlations (second assessment after 8 weeks) were used to assess reliability.
Results
PCA and CFA confirmed the theoretical four-construct validity of the MPAq-MS tool (stress-anxiety, depression, social support and sense making). The PCA model explained 75.2% of the total observed variance. Higher MPAq-MS scores were moderately correlated with less stress (r=-0.629, p<0.01), anxiety (r=-0.553, p<0.001), depression (r=-0.554, p<0.001) and physical fatigue (r=-0.472, p=0.001) indicating good convergent validity. Interestingly, higher MPAq-MS scores were correlated with less hair cortisol (rho=-0.333, p=0.041). The internal consistency of the tool was found acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.745). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.812 (95%CI 0.65-0.90, p<0.001) indicating good reliability.
Conclusions
The MPAq-MS instrument showed good psychometric properties in MS patients. Future studies should confirm these results in larger samples of MS patients and of various MS types. This tool could be considered an additional patient-reported outcome in MS research.