Semantic memory deficit in multiple sclerosis; impaired understanding of conceptual meanings

The aim of the present study was to determine whether a cognitive decline, related to multiple sclerosis (MS), also involves deficits in semantic memo ry. Semantic memory function was evaluated by studying the conscious unders tanding of conceptual meanings. A group of MS patients with cognitive decli ne was presented with four tasks concerning concepts, their attributes and relationships to other concepts. The tasks were designed to measure spontan eous, cued and recognition performance separately. The patients had difficu lties in understanding conceptual meanings. Easing the retrieval demands of the tasks did not help them to improve their performance which was poorer than the control group's on every task used. The results indicate a retriev al deficit combined with an underlying storage deficit in the semantic memo ry of MS patients with cognitive decline. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.