Evaluating the relationship between psychometric intelligence and cognitive functions in paediatric multiple sclerosis

Tugba Kapanci; Kevin Rostásy; Martin Georg Häusler; Tobias Geis; Mareike Schimmel; Christiane Elpers; Jonas H Kreth; Charlotte Thiels; Stefan J Troche

doi:10.1177/2055217319894365

Evaluating the relationship between psychometric intelligence and cognitive functions in paediatric multiple sclerosis

Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2019 Dec 11;5(4):2055217319894365. doi: 10.1177/2055217319894365. eCollection 2019 Oct-Dec.

Authors

Tugba Kapanci¹, Kevin Rostásy², Martin Georg Häusler³, Tobias Geis⁴, Mareike Schimmel⁵, Christiane Elpers⁶, Jonas H Kreth⁷, Charlotte Thiels⁸, Stefan J Troche⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany.
² Pediatric Neurology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Children's Hospital Datteln, Datteln, Germany.
³ Division of Neuropediatrics and Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
⁴ Department of Pediatric Neurology, Klinik St. Hedwig, University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Regensburg, Germany.
⁵ Pediatric Neurology, University Children's Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
⁶ Children's Hospital of the University Medical Center, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
⁷ Pediatric Neurology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, gGmbH Klinikum Leverkusen, Leverkusen, Germany.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
⁹ Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Abstract

Background: Processing speed is frequently reduced in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Reduced processing speed can also lead to impaired working memory capacity (WMC) in adult MS patients. Less is known about the interplay of cognitive deficits in paediatric MS patients.

Objectives: In the present study, we investigated whether processing speed and WMC are reduced in paediatric MS patients compared with healthy controls and whether reduced processing speed and WMC might explain potential differences in psychometric intelligence between MS patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Twenty-one paediatric MS patients and 21 healthy controls completed a reaction time (RT) task, a working memory task, and Cattell's Culture Fair Test (CFT20-R).

Results: Patients with MS had slower RT and lower intelligence scores than healthy controls. We could find no significant differences for WMC. An analysis of covariance revealed that group differences in intelligence could be partially explained by processing speed differences.

Conclusion: The results indicate that processing speed is a good marker for MS-related impaired efficiency and increased error-proneness of the central nervous system in higher-order cognition as required by Cattell's CFT20-R.

Keywords: Cognitive impairments; multiple sclerosis; processing speed; psychometric intelligence.