Cognitive test: PASAT


 

Approximately two-thirds of people with MS may experience cognitive difficulties [1]. They can occur in all disease stages, including early stages of disease [1]. Cognitive problems can affect ability to work, drive, and maintain and enjoy social relationships, ultimately leading to a reduced quality of life [1].

The cognitive test used in the BENEFIT study was the Paced Auditory Serial Addition (PASAT) test. Throughout the study’s observation period, the early BETAFERON-treated group achieved better PASAT scores compared with the group with a delayed initiation of treatment (p = 0.0070) for treatment effect over 11 years, longitudinal linear mixed model adjusted for baseline PASAT score) [2-6]. The figure below shows the results of the PASAT test in the BENEFIT-15 study [6].

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In the BENEFIT study, early treatment with BETAFERON was associated with sustained benefits in cognitive performance versus delayed initiation of treatment, as measured by the PASAT [6]

 

Putting the findings into context:

Normative data [7]

Mean (SD), as per the user manual

  • ≤12 years of education: 46.7 (9.1)
  • >12 years of education: 50.4 (9.7)

 

 

 

MS cohort (and matched controls) from Finland [8]
Mean (SD) age 42.7 (8.3); disease duration 12.9 (7.6) and years of education 13.1 (3.5)

  • Overall (n=45): 39.6 (12.2)
  • Cognitively deteriorated (n=19): 35.4 (9.2)
  • Cognitively intact (n=26): 42.6 (13.4)
  • Matched controls (n=48): 47.9 (10.2)

References

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