Table 1. Clinical and neuropsychological assessment for each participant group.
Values expressed as mean (SD). Statistical comparisons were conducted using independent samples t-tests (df = 56) and the χ2 (df = 1) tests (gender distribution).
| MS patients | Controls | t/ χ2 | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic variables | ||||
| Gender (men/women) | 11/16 | 12/19 | 0.169 | 0.788 |
| Age (years) | 34.5 (7.5) | 37.5 (8.9) | -1.397 | 0.168 |
| Years of education | 14.4 (2.8) | 14.9 (3.0) | -0.627 | 0.533 |
| Neurological assessment | ||||
| Disease duration (months) | 15.2 (9.4) | - | - | - |
| Time since last relapse (months) | 8.6 (6.4) | - | - | - |
| EDSS | 0.87 (0.91) | - | - | - |
| MSSS | 2.48 (2.22) | - | - | - |
| Neuropsychological assessment | ||||
| SRT-Storage | 49.6 (11.1) | 52.4 (10.1) | -0.990 | 0.326 |
| SRT-Retrieval | 41.4 (12.4) | 45.7 (11.5) | -1.348 | 0.183 |
| SRT-Delayed | 10.0 (1.6) | 10.0 (1.8) | -0.072 | 0.943 |
| 10/36 | 24.4 (4.8) | 24.7 (4.4) | -0.243 | 0.809 |
| 10/36 Delayed | 8.4 (2.1) | 8.4 (1.4) | -0.005 | 0.996 |
| SDMT | 62.5 (9.7) | 65.7 (8.6) | -1.332 | 0.188 |
| PASAT 3 seconds | 48.6 (7.9) | 49.5 (9.0) | -0.380 | 0.705 |
| PASAT 2 seconds | 33.4 (18.5) | 37.3 (14.4) | -0.894 | 0.375 |
| Semantic Fluency Test | 21.3 (4.6) | 21.3 (3.8) | -0.024 | 0.981 |
| Phonetic Fluency Test | 13.9 (5.6)* | 17.0 (3.8) | -2.515 | 0.015 |
| Mood and Fatigue assessment | ||||
| BDI | 7.0 (7.2) | 4.4 (5.2) | 1.589 | 0.118 |
| FSS | 2.9 (1.6) | 2.3 (1.0) | 1.666 | 0.103 |
EDSS: Expanded Disability Status Scale; MSSS: Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score; SRT: Selective Reminding Test; 10/36: 10/36 Spatial Recall Test; SDMT: Symbol Digit Modalities Test; PASAT: Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test; Beck: Beck Depression Inventory; FSS: Fatigue Severity Scale
*p<0.05