Oralmotor slowing in multiple sclerosis: Relationship to neuropsychological tasks requiring an oral response

Peter Arnett, Megan M. Smith, Fiona H. Barwick, Ralph H.B. Benedict, Brian P. Ahlstrom

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although most neuropsychological batteries used with multiple sclerosis (MS) patients now exclude tests that require significant motor writing or manual manipulation speed, many of the most sensitive commonly used cognitive tests nonetheless require some type of rapid oral motor response. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which primary oral motor articulation speed problems of individuals with MS contribute to performance and group differences on neuropsychological tasks requiring a rapid spoken response. Fifty MS patients and 50 healthy controls were administered the PASAT, COWAT, Animal Naming, and SDMT tests, in addition to a measure of rudimentary oral motor speed known as the maximum repetition rate of syllables and multisyllabic combinations (MRR) task. Regression analyses revealed that the amount of variance accounted for by the group (MS-Control) variable was reduced the following amounts for the tasks when the MRR was entered before the group variable: SDMT, 10% to 6%; PASAT, 4% to 2%; COWAT, 5% to 2%; Animal Naming, 11% to 7%. Our data suggest that rudimentary oral motor speed is slowed in MS patients and makes an important contribution to group differences in performance on commonly used neuropsychological tasks requiring a rapid spoken response.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)454-462
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the International Neuropsychological Society
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2008

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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