The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS): Normative Values With Gender, Age And Education Corrections In The Italian Population (P5.015)

OBJECTIVE: to assess normative data for the Italian population, providing corrections for demographics and educational level and test-retest reliability of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS). BACKGROUND: an international expert consensus committee recently recommended a brief battery of tests for cognitive evaluation in multiple sclerosis (MS). BICAMS battery includes the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMTR) and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT2). However, normative data are lacking in the Italian population. METHODS: we administered the BICAMS battery to healthy volunteers recruited from the community in nine Italian sites at baseline and after three weeks, using the same versions of the tests. Significant demographic predictors of test score were assessed through multivariate linear regression model. Thereafter corrected scores were calculated for each test. RESULTS: the BICAMS battery was administered to 251 subjects at baseline (165 females, 86 males, mean age 39.9+/-13.6 years, range 17.5-78 and mean education 14.7+/-3.1 years, range 5-21). Mean raw scores on the neuropsychological test battery were: SDMT 56.2+/-11.7, CVLT2: 56+/-9.0 and BVMTR: 27.8+/-5.8. In the 218 subjects re-assessed after three weeks, mean scores were significantly higher on all the tests for both raw and corrected tests (p Disclosure: Dr. Amato has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Merck & Co., Inc., Serono, Inc., Teva Neuroscience, Genzyme Corporation, Novartis, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and Almirall. Dr. Portaccio has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Merck Serono as a scientific advisory board member and speaker. Dr. Portaccio has received research support from Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering, Merck Serono, and Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Niccolai has received research support from Biogen Idec. Dr. Hakiki has nothing to disclose. Dr. Goretti has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Merck Serono. Dr. Goretti has received research support from Biogen Idec and Novartis. Dr. Sturchio has nothing to disclose. Dr. Martinelli has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, and Bayer Schering. Dr. Falautano has nothing to disclose. Dr. Minacapelli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nocentini has nothing to disclose. Dr. Incerti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Marrosu has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Merck Serono. Dr. Marrosu has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurological Sciences. Dr. Marrosu has received research support from Serono Foundation, Biogen Idec, Schering AG, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Cocco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Murgia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fenu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ambra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Garofalo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Maddestra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Consalvo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zimatore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Losignore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lugaresi has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering, Merck Serono, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a speaker. Dr. Lugaresi has received research support from Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering, Merck Serono, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Pietrolongo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Viterbo has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a scientific advisory board member and speaker, and with Novartis as a speaker. Dr. Trojano has received personal compensation for activities with Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Biogen Idec, Novartis and Bayer Schering as a consultant or speaker. Dr. Trojano has received research support from Merck Serono, Biogen Idec and Novartis.