The effects of multiple sclerosis: Exploring executive dysfunction and its linkswith other cognitive impairment
type: CreativeWork
description: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system, and in New Zealand an estimated 4,000 people are currently affected. Although the physical manifestations of the disease are well known, and memory impairments have been comparatively well researched, those cognitive abilities known collectively as executive functions, and their relationship with other cognitive processes, have seldom been examined. To fill this research gap, the present study examined the extent and nature of executive dysfunction and other cognitive impairments in a community based sample of participants with MS, and explored any links between executive dysfunction and other cognitive processes. Due to the well known heterogeneous nature of the effects of MS, impairment was assessed not only for the sample as a whole, but more informatively, and in contrast to much of the previous research on MS, within smaller more homogeneous groups formed on the basis of the extent and nature of the cognitive impairment of the participants. As the behavioural characteristics of executive dysfunction may have an influence on the ability to function appropriately on a daily basis in the community at large, evidence of typical 'dysexecutive' behaviour was also examined. Ninety five participants with MS were assessed on general ability (WAIS-III), memory (WMS-III), executive functioning (D.KEFS), information processing speed and simple attentional processes. While the extent of impairment remained low on general ability measures, some impairment became evident in over half of the participants with MS on the memory measures. Five categories of executive functioning were used to assess the extent and nature of executive dysfunction; Inhibition, Shifting, Reasoning, Planning and Fluency. Working memory was not included as an executive category, as the primary scores obtained from the D.KEFS assessment did not enable this process to be isolated. Working memory was however …
abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system, and in New Zealand an estimated 4,000 people are currently affected. Although the physical manifestations of the disease are well known, and memory impairments have been comparatively well researched, those cognitive abilities known collectively as executive functions, and their relationship with other cognitive processes, have seldom been examined. To fill this research gap, the present study examined the extent and nature of executive dysfunction and other cognitive impairments in a community based sample of participants with MS, and explored any links between executive dysfunction and other cognitive processes. Due to the well known heterogeneous nature of the effects of MS, impairment was assessed not only for the sample as a whole, but more informatively, and in contrast to much of the previous research on MS, within smaller more homogeneous groups formed on the basis of the extent and nature of the cognitive impairment of the participants. As the behavioural characteristics of executive dysfunction may have an influence on the ability to function appropriately on a daily basis in the community at large, evidence of typical 'dysexecutive' behaviour was also examined. Ninety five participants with MS were assessed on general ability (WAIS-III), memory (WMS-III), executive functioning (D.KEFS), information processing speed and simple attentional processes. While the extent of impairment remained low on general ability measures, some impairment became evident in over half of the participants with MS on the memory measures. Five categories of executive functioning were used to assess the extent and nature of executive dysfunction; Inhibition, Shifting, Reasoning, Planning and Fluency. Working memory was not included as an executive category, as the primary scores obtained from the D.KEFS assessment did not enable this process to be isolated. Working memory was however …
author: Drew, Margaret A.
license: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstreams/7aadf7ff-73ac-46a7-964f-6f47f3aaef4e/download
date published: 2005
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:57:33Z
provider: University Waikato
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Waikato