Perceived Cognitive Deficits in a Sample of Persons Living With Multiple Sclerosis.
Ashley Henneghan, Alexa Stuifbergen, Heather Becker and 2 others
PMID 28885466WHAT IT FOUND
Self-reported cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis tracked with mood and self-rated abilities, not with neuropsychological test scores.
The Perceived Deficits Questionnaire takes five minutes to administer and may help nurses screen for referral, but it measures patient experience rather than objective decline.
Key findings
01No significant relationships were found between self-reported cognitive deficits on the PDQ and any of the neuropsychological performance measures.
02The only significant predictor of PDQ scores in the regression model was self-rated cognitive abilities.
03The top three most frequently reported cognitive complaints were trouble holding phone numbers in mind, mind drifting, and forgetting why one entered a room.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was self-selected and consisted of individuals interested in a cognitive rehabilitation study, which may bias the results. Participants were required to report cognitive limitations to enter the study, reducing variability in PDQ scores and potentially impacting correlation analyses. The cross-sectional design means causality between variables cannot be determined. The age range was restricted to 18–60 years, which may explain the unexpected lack of relationship between age and perceived cognitive problems.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use PDQ scores as a proxy for objective cognitive decline or neuropsychological impairment. The study found no significant relationship between self-reported deficits and actual test performance, so a high PDQ score may reflect mood, self-efficacy, or daily life challenges rather than neurological damage.