{"title":"Neurocognitive correlates of physical activity in multiple sclerosis: metacognition and cognitive flexibility.","authors":"Emine İpek Halatcı, Hilal Aslan, Aybike Erkoç, Nezehat Özgül Ünlüer, Gönül Vural","doi":"10.1007/s13760-025-02851-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that can impair both physical and cognitive impairments. The aim of this study, to compare physical activity (PA) levels, cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention skills between individuals with MS and healthy individuals and to examine the relationship between PA and cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention skills. The comparison of these abilities with healthy individuals enables the identification of MS-related functional deficits and supports the development of appropriate intervention programs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study consisted of two groups. The study group included 35 individuals with relapsing remitting type MS who were diagnosed with MS by a neurologist. The control group included 33 healthy volunteers. Both groups were evaluated in terms of demographic information, PA level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)), cognitive flexibility (The Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI)), metacognition (The Metacognitions-30 Scale (MCS-30)) and attention (Stroop test-TBAG Form (STT) and the Trail Making Test (TMT) status of the participants. The differences between the two groups regarding these parameters were assessed, and their relationship with PA level in individuals with MS was examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The two groups were similar in terms of age, gender and body mass index (p > 0.05). Compared to healthy controls, individuals with MS had lower IPAQ score and CFI scores (p < 0.05) and higher scores on MCS-30 (p < 0.05). Individuals with MS had higher STT and TMT completion times than healthy individuals in all sections (p < 0.05). There was a low statistically significant negative correlation between the IPAQ scores of individuals with MS and the completion times of the fourth and fifth parts of the Stroop Test (r=-0.364, -0.402; p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>PA level, cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention are negatively affected in individuals with MS. Therefore, in addition to routine assessments, it is important to perform detailed PA level and cognitive assessment in individuals with MS in order to plan rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7042,"journal":{"name":"Acta neurologica Belgica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta neurologica Belgica","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-025-02851-7","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that can impair both physical and cognitive impairments. The aim of this study, to compare physical activity (PA) levels, cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention skills between individuals with MS and healthy individuals and to examine the relationship between PA and cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention skills. The comparison of these abilities with healthy individuals enables the identification of MS-related functional deficits and supports the development of appropriate intervention programs.
Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of two groups. The study group included 35 individuals with relapsing remitting type MS who were diagnosed with MS by a neurologist. The control group included 33 healthy volunteers. Both groups were evaluated in terms of demographic information, PA level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)), cognitive flexibility (The Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI)), metacognition (The Metacognitions-30 Scale (MCS-30)) and attention (Stroop test-TBAG Form (STT) and the Trail Making Test (TMT) status of the participants. The differences between the two groups regarding these parameters were assessed, and their relationship with PA level in individuals with MS was examined.
Results: The two groups were similar in terms of age, gender and body mass index (p > 0.05). Compared to healthy controls, individuals with MS had lower IPAQ score and CFI scores (p < 0.05) and higher scores on MCS-30 (p < 0.05). Individuals with MS had higher STT and TMT completion times than healthy individuals in all sections (p < 0.05). There was a low statistically significant negative correlation between the IPAQ scores of individuals with MS and the completion times of the fourth and fifth parts of the Stroop Test (r=-0.364, -0.402; p < 0.05).
Conclusion: PA level, cognitive flexibility, metacognition and attention are negatively affected in individuals with MS. Therefore, in addition to routine assessments, it is important to perform detailed PA level and cognitive assessment in individuals with MS in order to plan rehabilitation.
目的:多发性硬化症(MS)是一种神经系统疾病,可损害身体和认知障碍。本研究旨在比较多发性硬化症患者与健康人群的身体活动水平、认知灵活性、元认知和注意技能,并探讨其与认知灵活性、元认知和注意技能之间的关系。将这些能力与健康个体进行比较,可以识别多发性硬化症相关的功能缺陷,并支持制定适当的干预方案。方法:横断面研究分为两组。研究组包括35名复发缓解型多发性硬化症患者,他们被神经科医生诊断为多发性硬化症。对照组包括33名健康志愿者。评估两组参与者的人口统计学信息、PA水平(国际体育活动问卷(IPAQ))、认知灵活性(认知灵活性量表(CFI))、元认知(元认知-30量表(MCS-30))、注意力(Stroop Test - tbag Form (STT))和做径测试(TMT)状况。评估两组之间关于这些参数的差异,并检查它们与MS患者PA水平的关系。结果:两组患者年龄、性别、体质指数差异无统计学意义(p < 0.05)。与健康对照组相比,MS患者的IPAQ评分和CFI评分较低(p)。结论:MS患者的PA水平、认知灵活性、元认知和注意力受到负面影响。因此,除了常规评估外,对MS患者进行详细的PA水平和认知评估,以制定康复计划是重要的。
期刊介绍:
Peer-reviewed and published quarterly, Acta Neurologica Belgicapresents original articles in the clinical and basic neurosciences, and also reports the proceedings and the abstracts of the scientific meetings of the different partner societies. The contents include commentaries, editorials, review articles, case reports, neuro-images of interest, book reviews and letters to the editor.
Acta Neurologica Belgica is the official journal of the following national societies:
Belgian Neurological Society
Belgian Society for Neuroscience
Belgian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
Belgian Pediatric Neurology Society
Belgian Study Group of Multiple Sclerosis
Belgian Stroke Council
Belgian Headache Society
Belgian Study Group of Neuropathology