NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - A QUANTITATIVE REVIEW

Neuropsychological studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) from a 20-year p eriod were reviewed using metaanalytic and vote-count techniques. Mean effect sizes comparing MS and healthy control groups on variables cat egorized by neuropsychological domain were small to moderate in magnit ude; all were statistically significant (M-r = .22 (.13) to .46 (.15), r(W) = .23 to .43, all p < .05). Interhemispheric transfer, general c ognitive ability, and learning/memory were more highly related to MS t han were visuoperceptual, visuospatial, and visuoconstructional abilit y, language and conceptual ability (all p < .05); other domains were g enerally intermediate. Despite previous reports to the contrary, disea se subtype was not shown to be consistently related to neuropsychologi cal status independently of other potential explanatory variables. Fin dings were interpreted with regard to future research and clinical act ivities involving patients with MS, including selection of tests for b rief neuropsychological screening examinations.