Speeded Saccadic Eye Movement Predicts Symbol Digit Modalities Test Performance in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: Speeded Saccadic Eye Movement Predicts Symbol Digit Modalities Test Performance in Multiple Sclerosis Background: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune demyelinating disease with estimates of cognitive impairment above 30% in pediatric and 50% in adult patients. The SDMT, a widely-used screening tool that measures speeded information processing, has been used to track cognitive decline in MS. The K-D test is a brief measure of saccadic eye movement speed using a timed number naming test, commonly used for the detection of mild traumatic brain injury. Here, we tested the sensitivity of the K-D test in MS and its association with performance on the SDMT. Design/Methods: Adult and pediatric patients with clinically-definite MS were consecutively recruited through the NYU Langone MS Comprehensive Care Center. All participants completed the SDMT and K-D at a single visit. Results: A total of 30 participants completed the assessments ranging in age from 13 to 72 years (mean 38 ± 19 years), were 74% female, and with an EDSS range 0.0 to 6.5. Relative to age normative data, the K-D indicated greater impairment than the SDMT (74% vs. 48%, respectively). Controlling for age, both tests were significantly correlated (r=0.44, p =0.02), demonstrating a close contribution of oculomotor function to SDMT performance. Conclusions: The K-D test is sensitive to detecting impairment in MS across the lifespan. Performance on the SDMT is closely associated with oculomotor function in MS. Study Supported by: The Lourie Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Disclosure: Dr. Baner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schwarz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shaw has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nolan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Krupp has received licensing and/or royalty fees from Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie, and Grifols. Dr. Balcer has personal compensation for activities with Biogen. Dr. Charvet has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen as a consultant. Dr. Charvet holds stock and/or stock options with Johnson u0026 Johnson. Dr. Charvet has received research support from Novartis and Biogen.