Differentiation of cognitive deficit profiles in Multiple Sclerosis patients: latent profile analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the application of the Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) in cognitive functioning screening of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) differentiates profiles of existing cognitive deficits (CDs) and whether this instrument can discriminate accurately between subjects who are cognitively intact (CI) and those with a cognitive disorder.

Subjects and Methods: The research was conducted on a sample of 359 subjects, with two subsets of participants: 108 persons with a relapsing-remitting form of MS and 251 persons from the general population.

Results: We labeled the three profiles obtained by applying the ARCS questionnaire: the CI profile, the profile of CI with visuospatial difficulties, and the profile of persons with CD.

Conclusion: ARCS has the ability to differentiate persons with a CD from those without, both in a sample of persons suffering from MS and in a sample of persons from the general population. This finding indicates that this instrument is well suited for profiling the cognitive status into specific categories, which puts it among the instruments with a wide range of implementation.