Abstract: Cognitive Processing Speed and Its Influence On The Validity Of MSWS-12 Scores (The 27th Annual Meeting of the CMSC and the 5th Cooperative Meeting of the CMSC-ACTRIMS)

Friday, May 31, 2013: 2:40 PM

Lake Eola AB

Robert W Motl, PhD , Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Diego Cadavid, MD , Biogen IDEC, Weston, MA

Brian M Sandroff, MS , Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Lara A Pilutti, PhD , Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

John H Pula, MD , University of Illinois at Peoria, Peoria, IL

Ralph HB Benedict, PhD , Department of Neurology, University at Buffalo, Hackensack, NJ

Background: The Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 (MSWS-12) has been a commonly used patient reported outcome for measuring walking impairment in research involving multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives: We examined the possibility that cognitive processing speed influences the validity of MSWS-12 scores.

Methods: 96 MS patients completed the MSWS-12, underwent a neurological examination for generating an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and completed the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), 4 trials on the GAITRite^TM for generating the functional ambulatory profile (FAP) score, and Six-minute Walk (6MW).

Results: The ambulatory outcomes correlated significantly with SDMT (range |r|=.275 & .512) and PASAT (range |r|=.209 & .317). There were statistically significant and comparable bivariate and partial correlations between MSWS-12 and T25FW (r=.566, pr = .532 & .575), 6MW (r=−.680, pr=−.599 & −.648), and FAP (r=−.595, pr=−.551 & −.577) when controlling for SDMT or PASAT. There were statistically significant bivariate correlations between MSWS-12 and T25FW (range |r|=.423 & .687), 6MW (range |r|=.498 & .708), and FAP (range |r|=.372 & .741) within subgroups of none, mild, and moderate cognitive impairment.

Conclusions: There was minimal evidence that cognitive processing speed influenced the validity of MSWS-12 scores.

CG06 Cognitive Processing Speed and Its Influence On The Validity Of MSWS-12 Scores