Autores: Angela M. Bodling; Douglas R. Denney; Sharon G. Lynch.
Resumen
Objective: the principal cognitive domain impacted by multiple sclerosis (MS) appears to be information procesing speed. Studies have documented mean differences between MS patients and heatly controlson numerous mesaures of information processing speed, but the present study is one pf the first to examine iindividual variability (i.e. inconsistency) in processing speed. method: Thirty-nine patients with relapsing remiting or secondary progressive MS and 32 heatly controls completed a series of reaction time (RT) test, the Stroops Test, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. In additionto mean differences, appropiate mesaures times. Results: MS patients performed more poorly on all response time mesaures, responding more slowly and with greater inconsitency than controls. Logistic regression analyses showed that inconsitency mesaures contributed indenpently to the discrimination between groups beyond that resulting from mesaures of mean processing speed. The so-called "compaxitly effect" was also demonstrated; great between-groups diferencces on both mean RTs and inconsitency generally ocurred on tasks placing greater individual variability as well as overall declines. This variability should be examined further in relation to neuroimaging indices of MS.
