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BMC Neurology
Published in: BMC Neurology 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

Prospective memory tasks: a more sensitive method for screening cognitive impairment in ALS?

Authors: Ying Ji, Ling Wei, Dehua Chui, Kai Wang, Dongsheng Fan

Published in: BMC Neurology | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

Cognitive change is prevalent in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but still lack a widely accepted and sensitive screening method. In this study, we try to find a sensitive screening battery for detecting subtle cognitive deficits in patients with ALS.

Methods

Eighty consecutive ALS patients and 57 matched normal controls underwent the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the verbal fluency test (VFT), the Stroop Color Word Interference Test (CWT), and the prospective memory (PM) tests, including event-based (EBPM) and time-based (TBPM).

Results

The patients did not differ from the controls in the MMSE, the VFT and the CWT. By contrast, statistically significant differences were found in the PM tests (EBPM: P=0.043; TBPM: P<0.001). More interestingly, TBPM was more sensitive than EBPM in the early-phase patients.

Conclusions

Prefrontal lobar dysfunction does exist among ALS patients and may spread from the medial to the lateral region. The PM tests seem more sensitive in ALS patients with frontotemporal dysfunction than are the classical cognitive measures.
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Metadata
Title
Prospective memory tasks: a more sensitive method for screening cognitive impairment in ALS?
Authors
Ying Ji
Ling Wei
Dehua Chui
Kai Wang
Dongsheng Fan
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Neurology / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2377
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2377-12-142

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