出版社：Faculdade de Psicologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
摘要：Heterogeneous neuropsychological manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS)
difficult identification of patients with cognitive impairments. Cluster
analyses were used to discriminate between groups of 40 MS patients and 48
demographically comparable control participants, using the three instruments of
the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Measure (MSFC): PASAT (cognition),
Nine Hole Peg Test (manual dexterity), and Time to Walk 25 Feet. Four clusters
resulted. In the first one were classified only noncompromised participants. The
fourth cluster was composed by patients with major cognitive and motor
impairments. Both patients and controls were found in two intermediate groups,
one characterized by minor and the other by moderate lower cognitive
performance. Significant diffences between clusters were found with ANOVA.
Cognitive performance covaried with age and formal schooling. Most MS patients
could not be accurately distinguished from controls, but one group was
characterized by both cognitive and motor impairmens, which may dissociate at
initial stages of disease.
