Linguistic performance during monologues and correlates of neuropsychological function for adults with multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT

Background

Cognitive-linguistic deficits are a concern in multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, clinical management requires knowledge of how impaired cognition associated with MS impacts language performance during everyday communication tasks.

Aims

This study investigated language performance in narrative monologues produced by individuals with MS compared to healthy controls and the correlations between language performance and cognitive function for the individuals with MS.

Method and Procedure

Thirteen individuals with MS and 13 controls were studied. Four neuropsychological tests from the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in MS confirmed that individuals with MS had impaired cognition and an auditory-perceptual evaluation confirmed that they did not have dysarthria. Narratives were analyzed using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT). Primary linguistic variables included inter-sentence cohesion adequacy, subordination index, moving average type-token ratio (MATTR), and mean length of utterances (MLU). Secondary linguistic measures included the total number of words, mazes, utterances, and abandoned utterances. Measures of disease severity, depression, and fatigue were also obtained.

Outcome and Results

When controlling for age and fatigue, the total number of words was the only linguistic measure that significantly differed between groups. Participants with MS produced more words than controls. Significant correlations indicated strong associations between MATTR, MLU, abandoned utterances, and subordination index and the cognitive domains of processing speed and/or executive function.

Conclusion

Results suggest that communicative competence during everyday speaking tasks may be undermined by off-topic verbose speech, reduced detail, and unfinished thoughts for individuals with MS with impaired processing speed and/or executive function.

Acknowledgments

Portions of this study were presented at the 2018 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, in Boston, Massachusetts. Special thanks to all the individuals who participated in this study and to the graduate students, Victoria Schreiber and Lori Stroderd, for their assistance with various aspects of this study.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest

Disclosures

The author reports there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (New Century Doctoral Scholarship) and the University at Buffalo (Mark Diamond Research Fund).