Relationships between neuropsychological and antisaccade measures in multiple sclerosis patients

Marisa Borges Ferreira; Paulo Alexandre Pereira; Marta Parreira; Ines Sousa; José Figueiredo; João José Cerqueira; Antonio Filipe Macedo

doi:10.7717/peerj.5737

Relationships between neuropsychological and antisaccade measures in multiple sclerosis patients

PeerJ. 2018 Oct 4:6:e5737. doi: 10.7717/peerj.5737. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Marisa Borges Ferreira^{1

2}, Paulo Alexandre Pereira^{2

3}, Marta Parreira², Ines Sousa⁴, José Figueiredo², João José Cerqueira^{5

6}, Antonio Filipe Macedo^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Low Vision and Visual Rehabilitation Lab, Department and Center of Physics-Optometry and Vision Science, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
² Association "Todos com a Esclerose Multipla (TEM)", Braga, Portugal.
³ Centre of Mathematics and Department of Mathematics and Applications, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
⁴ Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), and Department of Mathematics and Applications, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal.
⁵ Neurosciences Domain; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences and ICVS/3B's Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
⁶ Clinical Academic Centre (CCA), Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal.
⁷ Department of Medicine and Optometry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: The Stroop test is frequently used to assess deficits in inhibitory control in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This test has limitations and antisaccade eye movements, that also measure inhibitory control, may be an alternative to Stroop.

Objectives: The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to investigate if the performance in the antisaccade task is altered in patients with MS and (ii) to investigate the correlation between performances in neuropsychological tests, the Stroop test and the antisaccade task.

Methods: We measured antisaccades (AS) parameters with an infrared eye tracker (SMIRED 250 Hz) using a standard AS paradigm. A total of 38 subjects diagnosed with MS and 38 age and gender matched controls participated in this study. Neuropsychological measures were obtained from the MS group.

Results: Patients with MS have higher error rates and prolonged latency than controls in the antisaccade task. There was a consistent association between the Stroop performance and AS latency. Stroop performance but not AS latency was associated with other neuropsychological measures in which the MS group showed deficits.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that AS may be a selective and independent measure to investigate inhibitory control in patients with MS. More studies are necessary to confirm our results and to describe brain correlates associated with impaired performance in the antisaccade task in people diagnosed with MS.

Keywords: Antisaccades; Executive functions; Eye movements; Inhibitory control; Multiple sclerosis; Stroop test.

Grants and funding

The Vision Rehabilitation Lab and Antonio Filipe Macedo receive or received funding from Shamir Optical Industry Lt, Portugal, from grants PTDC/DTP-EPI/0412/2012 (Prevalence and Costs of Visual Impairment in Portugal) and UID/FIS/04650/2013 (Framework of the Strategic Funding granted to Centre of Physics at Minho University). Multiple Sclerosis Association “Todos com a Esclerose Multiple” paid the salary of Marisa Borges Ferreira. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.