title: Differential effects of aging on motor and cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are impaired in motor and cognitive performance, but the extent to which these deficits are magnified by aging is unknown. In one prior study, differences in cognitive processing speed between MS patients and healthy individuals were of similar magnitude across the lifespan. Here, we have improved on this work by expanding assessment to multiple cognitive domains and motor functioning.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the degree of cognitive and motor dysfunction in MS is magnified with increasing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 698 MS patients (aged 29-71 years) and 226 healthy controls (HCs; aged 18-72 years) completed neuroperformance tests covering ambulation, upper extremity function, information processing speed, and memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression models predicting cognitive and motor function revealed main effects of MS/HC diagnosis, age, and education across all measures. There was also an interaction between age and diagnosis on measures of motor function, but not on cognitive outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The progression of motor decline is amplified by aging in MS. However, the degree of cognitive impairment does not vary across the lifespan. Thus, evidence of accelerated cognitive impairment in older adults with MS may signal the presence of other age-related cognitive pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Shumita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frndak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Allison S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA/Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA/MR Imaging Clinical Translational Research Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zivadinov
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinstock-Guttman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA/Department of Neurology, Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph Hb
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Benedict
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; aging; cognition; motor function