Contributions
Abstract: P784
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: RIMS - Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation
Background: Attention is mediated by three networks: alerting, responsible for increasing and maintaining vigilance and readiness to an upcoming stimulus; orienting, responsible for selecting an information in the context of numerous inputs; executive, responsible for selection and resolution of conflicts. In particular, people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) exhibit a degradation in alerting and executive networks. Several studies have addressed attention deficits in PwMS using the Attention Network Test-Interaction (ANT-I). However, the correlation between attentional performance and clinical conditions were no deeply evaluated up to now.
Aim: To evaluate the correlation between attentional performance and clinical conditions in PwMS, using the Android version of ANT-I.
Methods: 26 healthy subjects (HS) (mean age: 38 y, range: 21-69) and 30 PwMS were recruited (mean age: 51 y, range 26-70; course: RR, SP; EDSS: 1-7). After practice ANT-I consists of four experimental blocks, each one of 72 trials. In each trial warning tones or/and visual cues precede a central target (a fish, either looking toward left or right). It can be flanked by other distractors (other fishes, looking in congruent or incongruent directions). Subjects have to indicate the direction of the target fish as quickly and accurately as possible. ANT-I allows to examine the three networks. Clinical evaluations were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Nine Hole Peg Test (9HPT). A mixed effects model for multivariate regression evaluated the clinical scores/attention coefficients (alerting, orienting, executive) relationship. The model is: β0 + b0i + β1 * FSSi + β2 * BDIi + β3 * 9HPTi + β4 * SDMTi + β5 * AGEi + εi , whit βi (i= 0-5), fixed and common to all subjects; b0i, random for each subject; εi, noise.
Results: Reaction time and alerting, orienting, executive coefficients are significantly (p< 0.001) correlated to clinical variables through the mixed effects model. For PwMS a higher FSS and 9HPT score and a lower SDMT score corresponded to a longer reaction time; SDMT is specifically correlated with a better executive control.
Conclusions: The main determinants of attention are fatigue (FSS), symbolic processing speed (SDMT) and incoordination (9HPT). Symbolic processing speed also correlates with an improved executive function. These results suggest a clear relation between attentional performance and clinical state.
Disclosure: Tacchino A.: nothing to disclose
Florio F.: nothing to disclose
Venturini M.: nothing to disclose
Sanguineti V.: nothing to disclose
Brichetto G.: nothing to disclose
Abstract: P784
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: RIMS - Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation
Background: Attention is mediated by three networks: alerting, responsible for increasing and maintaining vigilance and readiness to an upcoming stimulus; orienting, responsible for selecting an information in the context of numerous inputs; executive, responsible for selection and resolution of conflicts. In particular, people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) exhibit a degradation in alerting and executive networks. Several studies have addressed attention deficits in PwMS using the Attention Network Test-Interaction (ANT-I). However, the correlation between attentional performance and clinical conditions were no deeply evaluated up to now.
Aim: To evaluate the correlation between attentional performance and clinical conditions in PwMS, using the Android version of ANT-I.
Methods: 26 healthy subjects (HS) (mean age: 38 y, range: 21-69) and 30 PwMS were recruited (mean age: 51 y, range 26-70; course: RR, SP; EDSS: 1-7). After practice ANT-I consists of four experimental blocks, each one of 72 trials. In each trial warning tones or/and visual cues precede a central target (a fish, either looking toward left or right). It can be flanked by other distractors (other fishes, looking in congruent or incongruent directions). Subjects have to indicate the direction of the target fish as quickly and accurately as possible. ANT-I allows to examine the three networks. Clinical evaluations were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Nine Hole Peg Test (9HPT). A mixed effects model for multivariate regression evaluated the clinical scores/attention coefficients (alerting, orienting, executive) relationship. The model is: β0 + b0i + β1 * FSSi + β2 * BDIi + β3 * 9HPTi + β4 * SDMTi + β5 * AGEi + εi , whit βi (i= 0-5), fixed and common to all subjects; b0i, random for each subject; εi, noise.
Results: Reaction time and alerting, orienting, executive coefficients are significantly (p< 0.001) correlated to clinical variables through the mixed effects model. For PwMS a higher FSS and 9HPT score and a lower SDMT score corresponded to a longer reaction time; SDMT is specifically correlated with a better executive control.
Conclusions: The main determinants of attention are fatigue (FSS), symbolic processing speed (SDMT) and incoordination (9HPT). Symbolic processing speed also correlates with an improved executive function. These results suggest a clear relation between attentional performance and clinical state.
Disclosure: Tacchino A.: nothing to disclose
Florio F.: nothing to disclose
Venturini M.: nothing to disclose
Sanguineti V.: nothing to disclose
Brichetto G.: nothing to disclose