title: Within-session practice effect on paced auditory serial addition test in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: The paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) is increasingly used in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. Since these studies rely on repeated assessments with relatively short inter-test intervals, practice effects can be a confounding factor. We examined intra-session PASAT practice effects in 70 relapsing remitting (RR) and 40 secondary progressive (SP) patients. The average number of correct answers increased from 39.6+/-11.7 in the first PASAT run to 43.8+/-11.4 in the second run for the RR group, and from 39.1+/-11.6 to 41.8+/-13.3 in the SP group. PASAT scores showed a consistent decrease when comparing the second half of each test to the first half for both patient groups, and for both runs. Items for which the answer was a number greater than 9 had the same discrimination ability as other test items, but were significantly more difficult. A simulation of ;single-button' responses supported the use of the simplified scoring method which is currently used in fMRI studies. Our results demonstrate a within-session PASAT practice effect in MS, as well as a fatigability effect for both patient groups.
authors: Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behaviour, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Nagels
authors: M B
authors: MB
authors: D'hooghe
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Kos
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Engelborghs
authors: P P
authors: PP
authors: De Deyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests