Designing a Self-Perception Cognitive Questionnaire for Italian Multiple Sclerosis Patients (Sclerosi Multipla Autovalutazione Cognitiva, SMAC). A Preliminary Exploratory Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Although cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS) is assessed by means of several neuropsychological tests, only a few tools exist to investigate patients' perspectives on cognitive functioning.Objective: To develop a new questionnaire aimed at exploring patients' self-perception with respect to cognition in Italian MS patients.Methods: A total of 120 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 120 matched healthy controls (HC) completed a 25-item questionnaire called the Sclerosi Multipla Autovalutazione Cognitiva (SMAC). The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Sorting Test (D-KEFS ST), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Fatigue Scale (FSS) were also administered to the patients.Results: Significantly higher SMAC scores were displayed by RRMS patients compared with HC (30.1 ± 16.9 vs. 23.4 ± 10.4, p = 0.003). SMAC inversely correlated with SDMT (r = −0.31, p < 0.001), D-KEFS ST FSC (r = −0.21, p = 0.017), D-KEFS ST FSD (r = −0.22, p = 0.015) and D-KEFS ST SR (r = −0.19, p = 0.035) and positively correlated with FSS (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and BDI-II (r = 0.59, p < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the questionnaire was 0.94.Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that SMAC is a promising patient-reported outcome to be included in MS neuropsychological evaluation and thus warrants being further tested and developed.

Sexual Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Executive Function

“…This part of the evaluation consists of the self-administration of the Italian versions of the Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-19 (MSISQ-19 [26]; Italian version in Carotenuto et al [17]), the Self-Perception of Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis (Sclerosi Multipla Autopercezione Cognitiva, SMAC) [27] and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II [28]; Italian version in Ghisi et al [29]) to detect the clinical conditions and self-perception of participants with MS.…”

Psychological resilience mediates the relationship between perceived neuropsychological impairment and quality of life in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis

“…Most of the research carried out on SCCs in PwMS has focused on exploring the relationship between subjective cognitive concerns and objective cognitive alterations. In this sense, while a group of investigations have reported the absence of a relationship between SCCs and objective cognitive alterations (Golan et al, 2018; Jougleux-Vie et al, 2014; O’Brien et al, 2007), other studies have suggested that patients with more SCCs also show worse objective cognitive performance when assessed with standardized cognitive tests (Henneghan et al, 2017; Marrie et al, 2005; Riccardi et al, 2021). Additionally, several studies have verified that the PwMS that report more subjective cognitive concerns also present, in general terms, higher levels of depression and anxiety (Benedict et al, 2003; O’Brien et al, 2007; Sonder et al, 2012).…”