Decision making under risk in multiple sclerosis

• Author / Creator

  Radomski, Ashley D

• Cognitive deficits affect approximately 50% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and are associated with disease-related neurodegeneration. Prior MS-studies found decision making impairments uncorrelated with patients’ cognitive functions. Brain correlates of decision making in MS have not been established. The Game of Dice Task (GDT) measures decision making under risk and was used here for the first time in MS patients. I tested healthy controls with either cognitive or brain measures (each n=20), 13 mildly-disabled relapsing-remitting (RR) (“RR-1”), 9 RRMS moderately-disabled (“RR-2”), and 10 secondary progressive (“SP”) MS patients. GDT was impaired in RR-2 and SP subgroups. GDT correlated with processing speed in all patients, but also with executive functions in RR-2 patients. Ventricular width measures indicated atrophy in RR-2 and SP. In all patients, atrophy correlated with decision making and processing speed. Decision making under risk is impaired in later-stage MS and is related to cognition and brain atrophy.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Linear measurements
  • Decision-making
  • Game of dice task
  • Ventricular width
  • Neuroimaging
  • Decision making under risk
  • Cognition
  • Neuropsychology
  • Atrophy
  • Executive functions

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3BG2HH5W

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.