avat sharifi

information processing speed is one of the most important cognitive deficits that patients with multiple sclerosis(MS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cognitive rehabilitation on information processing speed in patients with multiple sclerosis.

with the control group, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used.. The study population consisted of all patients member of MS Society of Kermanshah. The computerized version of Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test(PASAT) was performed on 60 patients with MS and 20 patients with lower scores were selected and randomly assigned to experimental group(n=10) who received 12 sessions of 50 minutes(two sessions per week) of the computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program and control group(n=10) who received no training during this period. Post-test was administered to both groups after the end of training. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

The findings showed statistically difference(p < 0/001) between the result of the patient's performance in the experimental group compared with the control group.

according to the findings, it can be concluded that computer-based cognitive rehabilitation has been effective in improving information processing speed of MS patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common chronic disease of the nervous system. A problem facing MS patients is cognitive impairments, including executive functions as the most major deficiency. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation in executive functions in MS patients. The present controlled quasi-experimental study was conducted on a population comprising all MS patients who were members of the MS Society in Kermanshah, Iran using a pretest-posttest approach. The computerized form of Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) was administered on 60 patients, of whom 20 were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10). The experimental group participated in twelve 50-minute sessions of computer-based cognitive rehabilitation intervention, whereas the controls did not undergo any interventions. After completing the intervention, the post-test was performed in both groups, and the data were analyzed using ANCOVA. The findings suggested significant statistical differences (P < 0.001) in the posttest results of the patients’ performance compared to the pretest stage in the experimental and control groups. The findings obtained suggest that cognitive rehabilitation improves executive functions in MS patients. This method is recommended to be used in rehabilitation centers and psychological clinics to improve cognitive problems in MS patients