title: Paced visual serial addition test in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: The paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT), a subtest of the multiple sclerosis functional composite score (MSFC), is increasingly used in the evaluation of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis (MS). While patient acceptance for the PASAT is low, its visual version, the paced visual serial addition test (PVSAT), is perceived to be better tolerated. The aim of this study was to investigate the interchangeability of PVSAT and PASAT in the evaluation of cognitive function in MS. Twenty-one normal controls and 50 patients with clinically definite MS were tested with PASAT and PVSAT. Both for PASAT and PVSAT, 3 and 2-second versions of two parallel test forms were used. In the PVSAT, the PASAT stimuli were shown on a computer screen. Patients were also tested with the other two MSFC subtests, i.e. the nine-hole pegboard test and timed 25-foot walk test, to calculate MSFC scores. PASAT-3 correlated highly with both PVSAT-3 and PVSAT-2. MSFC-v scores calculated with PVSAT-2 and PVSAT-3 values correlated highly with MSFC scores calculated with PASAT-3 results. The results suggest that the PVSAT can be used as an alternative for the PASAT in the MSFC.
authors.affiliation: Nationaal Multiple Sclerose Centrum, Vanheylenstraat 16, 1820 Melsbroek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nagels
authors.forename: Linsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geentjens
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vleugels
authors.forename: Marie Beatrice
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: D'hooghe
authors.forename: Pol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Asch
authors.forename: Kristien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vuylsteke
authors.forename: Peter Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: De Deyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*