Feasibility and diagnostics of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Factors associated with psychological distress in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A retrospective medical records study

OBJECTIVE

Although psychological distress is a prevalent issue among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and can impact survival, the risk factors contributing to this distress remain insufficiently understood.

METHODS

Patients with ALS who completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) between June 2017 and March 2022 were included. Participants with moderate to severe cognitive decline were excluded, resulting in the recruitment of 121 patients. The associations between POMS profiles and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Physical motor symptoms were evaluated using the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) for objective measurement and the 40-item ALS Assessment Questionnaire (ALSAQ-40) for subjective assessment.

RESULTS

Our model, employing the ALSFRS-R, revealed significant factors associated with overall psychological distress, as assessed by the POMS, including upper limb symptoms, the presence of sleep apnea syndrome, older age at onset, and male sex, with an inverse association with tracheostomy. The POMS subscale scores revealed that anger and depression were significantly associated with upper limb symptoms. The second model, which employed subjective scales, yielded similar results, reinforcing the robustness of our findings. Moreover, subjective bulbar symptoms on the ALSAQ-40 were significantly associated with psychological distress, particularly in female patients.

CONCLUSION

This study identified the main clinical characteristics significantly associated with psychological distress in patients with ALS. Our findings may be useful in developing individualized psychological management strategies for these patients.

Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

BACKGROUND

Verbal fluency (VF) tasks are known as suitable for detecting cognitive impairment (CI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study thus aimed to evaluate the psychometrics and diagnostics of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) by Costa et al. (2014) in an Italian cohort of non-demented PD patients, as well as to derive disease-specific cut-offs for it.

METHODS

N = 192 non-demented PD patients were screened with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and underwent the AVFB-which includes phonemic, semantic and alternate VF tests (PVF; SVF; AVF), as well as a Composite Shifting Index (CSI) reflecting the "cost" of shifting from a single- to a double-cued VF task. Construct validity and diagnostics were assessed for each AVFB measure against the MoCA. Internal reliability and factorial validity were also tested.

RESULTS

The MoCA proved to be strongly associated with PVF, SVF and AVF scores, whilst moderately with the CSI. The AVFB was internally consistent and underpinned by a single component; however, an improvement in both internal reliability and fit to its factorial structure was observed when dropping the CSI. Demographically adjusted scores on PVF, SVF and AVF tests were diagnostically sound in detecting MoCA-defined cognitive impairment, whilst this was not true for the CSI. Disease-specific cut-offs for PVF, SVF and AVF tests were derived.

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, PVF, SVF and AVF tests are reliable, valid and diagnostically sound instruments to detect cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients and are therefore recommended for use in clinical practice and research.

Cognitive function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a cross-sectional and prospective pragmatic clinical study with review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can present with either bulbar or spinal symptoms, and in some cases, both types of symptoms may be present. In addition, cognitive impairment has been observed in ALS. The study aimed to evaluate the frontal and general cognitive performance in ALS not only cross-sectionally but also longitudinally.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were employed to assess cognitive function in 52 adults with ALS and 52 cognitively healthy individuals. The statistical analyses encompassed the Pearson Chi square test, the Skillings-Mack test, the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and the Proportional Odds Logistic Regression Model (POLR).

RESULTS

Cross-sectionally, lower cognitive performance was associated with ALS diagnosis, older age, and motor functional decline. The cognitive impairment of individuals with bulbar and spinal-bulbar symptoms showed faster deterioration compared to those with spinal symptoms. The spinal subgroup consistently performed worst in delayed recall and attention, while the spinal-bulbar and bulbar subgroups exhibited inferior scores in delayed recall, attention, visuospatial skills, orientation, and verbal fluency.

CONCLUSION

The incorporation of cognitive screening in the diagnostic workup of ALS may be beneficial, as early detection can enhance symptom management and improve the quality of life for both individuals with ALS and their care partners.

An exploratory study on counterfactual thinking in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Objectives

This study aimed at exploring (1) the motor and non-motor correlates of counterfactual thinking (CFT) abilities in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and (2) the ability of CFT measures to discriminate these patients from healthy controls (HCs) and patients with and without cognitive impairment.

Methods

N = 110 ALS patients and N = 51 HCs were administered two CFT tasks, whose sum, resulting in a CFT Index (CFTI), was addressed as the outcome. Patients further underwent an in-depth cognitive, behavioral, and motor-functional evaluation. Correlational analyses were run to explore the correlates of the CFTI in patients. Logistic regressions were performed to test whether the CFTI could discriminate patients from HCs.

Results

The CFTI was selectively associated (p ≤ 0.005) with fluency and memory subscales of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS), but not with other variables. CFTI scores discriminated patients from HCs (p < 0.001) with high accuracy (82%), but not patients with a normal vs. defective performance on the ECAS-Total.

Conclusion

CFT measures in non-demented ALS patients were associated with verbal fluency and memory functions, and they were also able to discriminate them from HCs.