Anxiety state affects information processing speed in patients with multiple sclerosis.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of anxiety on the cognitive performance of a clinical sample of relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients. One hundred ninety patients (140 females) were included in the study and assessed through the beck depression inventory, the state-trait anxiety inventory and the Rao's brief repeatable battery which assesses cognitive domains most frequently impaired in MS. As for neuropsychological performance, a total of 76 (40%) subjects fulfilled our criterion for cognitive impairment. Tests most frequently failed by cognitive impairment (CI) patients were those assessing complex attention and information processing speed [Simbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Auditory Test (PASAT) 3 and 2] and verbal memory. In the univariate analysis, state anxiety was related to failure on the SDMT (p = 0.042), and marginally, to failure on the PASAT-3 (p = 0.068), and to the presence of CI (p = 0.082). Moderate/severe depression was detected in 38 (20%) patients and fatigue in 109 (57%). Higher depression scores were related to impairment on the ST (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.10; p = 0.029).
Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy, begoret@tin.it.
Benedetta
B
Goretti
R G
RG
Viterbo
E
E
Portaccio
C
C
Niccolai
B
B
Hakiki
E
E
Piscolla
P
P
Iaffaldano
M
M
Trojano
M P
MP
Amato
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests