Illness intrusiveness: A key part of the cognition-mood link in multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: The current study attempted to expand the literature on cognition and mood in MS by determining if illness intrusiveness may potentially serve as an intermediary factor in the well-established cognition-mood relationship in people with MS.

Method: This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional design to answer this question. Baseline neuropsychological test data and mood questionnaires from 199 participants with clinically definite MS were used in this study.

The influence of trait mindfulness on depression in multiple sclerosis: potential implications for treatment.

This study seeks to add to existing literature on depression and illness intrusiveness in chronic disorders by examining, (1) how the perceived intrusiveness of multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to depression, (2) and the mediating role trait mindfulness plays in this relationship METHODS: Participants (N = 755) were persons with MS (PwMS) recruited through the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS) registry (a larger study). Participants completed the Illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. A mediation model assessed if trait mindfulness mediates the relationship between illness intrusiveness and depression RESULTS: Illness intrusiveness predicted trait mindfulness (a =  - 4.

Relationship Between Anxiety and Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis: Implications for Treatment.

Background: Anxiety, which is very prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) but understudied, has been shown to negatively affect cognition in many different populations. Slowed information processing speed underlies most cognitive impairments in MS, including verbal learning. The aim of this study was to look at how anxiety influences cognition-specifically processing speed and verbal learning-in MS.

Cognitive Training and Work Therapy for the Treatment of Verbal Learning and Memory Deficits in Veterans With Alcohol Use Disorders.

Objective: This study focused on the efficacy of cognitive training for verbal learning and memory deficits in a population of older veterans with alcohol use disorders.

Methods: Veterans with alcohol use disorders, who were in outpatient treatment at VA facilities and in early-phase recovery (N = 31), were randomized to receive a three-month trial of daily cognitive training plus work therapy (n = 15) or work therapy alone (n = 16), along with treatment as usual. Participants completed assessments at baseline and at three- and six-month follow-ups; the Hopkins Verbal Learning Task (HVLT) was the primary outcome measure.

Visual and verbal learning deficits in Veterans with alcohol and substance use disorders.

Background: This study examined visual and verbal learning in the early phase of recovery for 48 Veterans with alcohol use (AUD) and substance use disorders (SUD, primarily cocaine and opiate abusers). Previous studies have demonstrated visual and verbal learning deficits in AUD, however little is known about the differences between AUD and SUD on these domains. Since the DSM-5 specifically identifies problems with learning in AUD and not in SUD, and problems with visual and verbal learning have been more prevalent in the literature for AUD than SUD, we predicted that people with AUD would be more impaired on measures of visual and verbal learning than people with SUD.