Evaluating Neurocognitive Deficits in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Via a Brief Neuropsychological Approach.

Recent research demonstrates neurocognitive deficits are present early in the sequelae of multiple sclerosis (MS). This is an important consideration given the functional activities of daily living, such as employment, that can be impacted by neurocognitive dysfunction. This study investigated the utility of a brief neuropsychological battery, the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), to evaluate neurocognitive deficits in patients with MS and to examine the relationship between a measure of functional disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]) and the RBANS.

The influence of corrected visual acuity on visual attention and incidental learning in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Visual disturbance is one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet clinical neuropsychologists rarely quantitatively assess visual acuity using standardized and norm-referenced measures. This is a significant oversight because disturbances in visual acuity can have an obvious and profound impact on neuropsychological tests which rely upon visual attention and/or scanning. This study investigated the relationship between corrected visual acuity and a widely used measure of visual attention and incidental learning in a group of 35 patients with MS.