title: Education protects against cognitive changes associated with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although neuropsychological impairments are common in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the manifestation of cognitive deficits may vary greatly across MS patients. Here, we explored the influence of cognitive reserve proxy indices (education and occupation) and perceived fatigue on cognitive performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty relapsing-remitting MS patients were evaluated. Cognitive performance was measured using the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), in which information processing speed can be manipulated by varying the presentation speed of stimuli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MS patients with low education performed worse than healthy controls at faster PASAT speeds. By contrast, no difference was observed between MS patients with high education and matched healthy controls, regardless of PASAT speed. Moreover, we found that neither occupational attainment nor perceived fatigue has an influence on MS patients' cognitive performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide evidence that higher education could be protective against MS-associated cognitive deficits and that high speed PASAT versions are more suitable for identifying compensatory capacities compared to low speed PASAT versions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scarpazza
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braghittoni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malagú
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: di Pellegrino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ladavas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D058245:Cognitive Reserve / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*