Comparing long-term results of PASAT and SDMT scores in relation to neuropsychological testing in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

As a single assessment tool for cognition in MS, the SDMT is more valid and reliable compared to PASAT3.

Regression-Based Norms for the Symbol Digit Modalities Test in the Dutch Population: Improving Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Boringa et al [12] provided normative values for the SDMT in a Dutch healthy population, which have been used ever since for many neuropsychological and natural history studies [9,12,15,16,24]. Although they found an influence of age, gender and education, they did not account for any of the reported effects, which potentially lead to an underestimation of cognitive dysfunction in earlier publications.…”

“…In previous studies, abnormal test performance was defined by comparing an examinee's result to the average performance of the most suitable normative (sub)group, taking no account of any potential demographic influence [9,12,15,24]. Parmenter et al [10] were the first authors to provide regression-based norms for the SDMT with the potential to resolve this limitation and found higher rates of impairment than previously published discrete norms, which was confirmed later by Berrigan et al [11].…”

“…It is a widely accepted measure of attention and information processing speed that embodies high sensitivity to detect cognitive deficits in MS patients, and has been extensively used as a research tool in studies assessing the relationship between cognitive performance and disease burden on MRI [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Despite its excellent psychometric properties and timely application, one of the weaknesses in implementing the SDMT in clinical settings is the reliance on published normative data, varying in size and quality and with poor generalizability [10].…”

General Mathematical Ability Predicts PASAT Performance in MS Patients: Implications for Clinical Interpretation and Cognitive Reserve

“…We did not examine alternative neuropsychological measures in the current study; however, other researchers have made comparisons between the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the PASAT to classify cognitive impairment in MS (Brochet et al, 2008;Drake et al, 2010;Sonder, Burggraaff, Knol, Polman, & Uitdehaag, 2014). Specifically, these researchers have suggested that the SDMT supplement (Brochet et al, 2008) or even replace the PASAT in the MS Functional Composite (Drake et al, 2010).…”

The benefits of exercise in progressive MS: some cautious optimism

“…8 Enter exercise, an intervention that is both complied with and relatively free of side effects, and the data indicate some notable gains in memory and attention. It is, however, surprising that no improvements were seen on the Symbol-Digit Modality Test, considered the most sensitive marker of information processing speed, the quintessential cognitive abnormality in MS. 9 While this highlights the need for the data to be replicated, the findings do overlap broadly with those found in other disease groups and in healthy subjects, as the authors note, and where intriguing neuroimaging results enhance the validity of exercise as an effective treatment for cognitive dysfunction.…”