title: Cognitive screening in Multiple Sclerosis: the Five-Point Test as a substitute for the PASAT in measuring executive function.
abstract: The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is frequently employed to measure executive functions in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In the past, the PASAT has often been criticized because of its stressful and demanding requirements. Continuous utilization might also reduce its validity. The Five-Point Test (FPT) by Regard, Strauss, and Knapp ((1982) Children's production on verbal and non-verbal fluency tasks. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 55, 839-844.) is a short test of figural fluency which might serve as a substitute.
  
  
  
  116 patients diagnosed with MS were tested with a short version of the Brief Repeatable Battery (BRB) by Rao and the Cognitive Function Study Group of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society including the PASAT, as well as the FPT. A factor analysis was computed and the frequency of cognitive impairment was calculated for both the original short version of the BRB and the alternative version (involving the FPT).
  
  
  
  In the factor analysis, PASAT and FPT loaded highest on the same factor (two factors were extracted). The estimation of the frequency of cognitive impairment showed that replacing the PASAT with the FPT did not considerably alter the proportion of patients identified as cognitively impaired.
  
  
  
  The FPT proved to be a viable alternative to the PASAT in this study. It may be recommended as a possible replacement in neuropsychological screening of MS-patients with the advantage of avoiding the indicated limitations of the PASAT.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Betriebsstätte Hohe Warte , Bayreuth , Germany.|b Department of Physiological Psychology , Otto-Friedrich-University , Bamberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Betriebsstätte Hohe Warte , Bayreuth , Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muenssinger
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Betriebsstätte Hohe Warte , Bayreuth , Germany.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kronhofmann
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physiological Psychology , Otto-Friedrich-University , Bamberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lautenbacher
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Betriebsstätte Hohe Warte , Bayreuth , Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oschmann
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurology , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Betriebsstätte Hohe Warte , Bayreuth , Germany.|b Department of Physiological Psychology , Otto-Friedrich-University , Bamberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Keune
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D056344:Executive Function; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brief Repeatable Battery (BRB); Five-Point Test (FPT); Multiple sclerosis (MS); Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT); design fluency; executive functions; figural fluency