Normalisation and validation of the Brief Neuropsychological Battery as the reference neuropsychological test in multiple sclerosis]

Introduction. The current batteries such as the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N) for evaluating cognitive decline in patients with multiple sclerosis are complex and time-consuming. Aim. To obtain normative values and validate a new battery. Subjects and methods. Four neuropsychological tests were finally included (episodic memory, the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test, a category fluency test, and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test). Normative values (overall and by age group) were derived by administering the battery to healthy subjects (5th percentile was the limit of normal). External validity was explored by comparison with the BRB-N. The new battery was also administered to a subsample after 4 weeks to assess reproducibility. Results. To provide normative data, 1036 healthy subjects were recruited. The mean completion time was 18.5 +/- 5.2 minutes. For the 229 subjects who were administered the new battery and the BRB-N, no statistically significant differences were found except for mean completion time (19 +/- 4 vs 25 +/- 5 minutes). In the reproducibility study, there were no significant differences except in the memory tests. Conclusion. The scores on the new battery and the BRB-N were strongly correlated although the shorter completion time and ease of administration could make the new battery preferable in clinical practice.