Evaluation of Short-term Memory, Working Memory, and Executive Functions in Patients with Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis/Relapsing-remitting Multipl Sklerozlu Hastalarin Kisa Sureli Bellek, Calisma Bellegi ve Yonetici Islevlerinin Degerlendirilmesi

• Published in: Türk nöroloji dergisi Vol. 28; no. 3; p. 162
• Main Authors: Duman, Furkan, Can, Handan, Leventoglu, Alev
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Galenos Yayinevi Tic. Ltd 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Development and progression; Evaluation; Multiple sclerosis; Short-term memory; Turkey
• ISSN: 1301-062X; 1309-2545
• DOI: 10.4274/tnd.2022.24992

Objective: To compare patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and healthy individuals in terms of short-term memory (STM), working memory (WM) and executive functions. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 33 patients with RRMS and 26 healthy participants. The groups were matched in terms of age, gender, level of education and hand dominance. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were recorded; and they were evaluated with Beck depression inventory and state/trait anxiety inventory. Visual aural digit span test B form, Wisconsin card sorting test, backward digit span task, stroop test T-BAG form, Wechsler memory scale: Revised form visual memory span subtest (WMS-R/VMS) and trail making test (TMT) for cognitive functions. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of depression and anxiety scores (p>0.05). Backward visual memory span calculated from WMS-R/VMS was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the RRMS group. However, there was no significant difference between groups in WMS-R/VMS and TMT scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that patients with RRMS have lower visuo-spatial sketchpad capacity in their WM. However, there was no significant difference between patients with RRMS and healthy controls in terms of verbal and visuo-spatial STM capacity, phonological loop capacity in WM, perseveration, conceptualization, inhibition and set shifting skills. Keywords: Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, cognitive impairment, short-term memory, working memory, executive functions Amac: Relapsing-remitting multipl sklerozlu (RRMS) hastalar ile saglikli bireyleri kisa sureli bellek, calisma bellegi ve yonetici islevler acisindan karsilastirmaktir. Gerec ve Yontem: Arastirmaya RRMS tanisi alan 33 hasta (RRMS grubu) ile yas, cinsiyet, egitim duzeyi ve el tercihi bakimindan eslestirilen 26 saglikli katilimci (kontrol grubu) dahil edilmistir. Katilimcilarin sosyo-demografik ozellikleri kaydedilmistir ve katilimcilara Beck depresyon envanteri ile durumluk/surekli kaygi envanteri uygulanmistir. Katilimcilar bilissel islevler gorsel-isitsel sayi dizisi testi B formu (GISD-B), Wisconsin kart esleme testi (WKET), geriye dogru sayi dizisi gorevi (GDSD), stroop testi T-BAG formu, Wechsler bellek olcegi gelistirilmis formunun (WBOGF) alt testlerinden biri olan gorsel bellek uzami alt testi (GBU) ve iz surme testi (IST) kullanilarak degerlendirilmistir. Bulgular: Gruplar arasinda depresyon ve kaygi puanlari acisindan istatistiksel olarak anlamli bir fark bulunmamistir (p>0,05). RRMS grubunun WBOGF'nin GBU alt testinden hesaplanan ters gorsel bellek uzami daha dusuktur (p<0,05). Gruplar arasinda GISD-B, WKET, GDSD, WBOGF'nin GBU alt testinden hesaplanan duz gorsel bellek uzami ve IST puanlari acisindan anlamli bir fark bulunmamistir (p>0,05). Sonuc: Mevcut arastirmada RRMS'li hastalarin calisma bellegindeki gorsel-mekansal kopyalama (sozel olmayan bilgi) kapasitesinin dusuk oldugu saptanmistir. Sozel olan ve olmayan kisa sureli bellek kapasitesi, calisma bellegindeki fonolojik dongu (sozel bilgi) kapasitesi ile yonetici islevlerden perseverasyon yapma egilimi, kavramsallastirma/irdeleme, inhibisyon (bozucu etkiye karsi koyma) ve set degistirme becerileri acisindan RRMS grubu ile kontrol grubu arasinda istatistiksel olarak anlamli bir farklilik olmadigi saptanmistir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Relapsing-remitting multipl skleroz, bilissel bozukluk, kisa sureli bellek, calisma bellegi, yonetici islevler