Clinical and MRI substrates of Symbol Digit Modalities Test impairment in multiple sclerosis patients with an adult- and late-onset

Key Points

• The aim is to explore how different substrates affect the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) impairment in multiple sclerosis patients based on the onset age.
• Examined the clinical features of multiple sclerosis in two groups: adult-onset and late-onset patients.
• Utilized MRI to assess brain network dysfunction in adult-onset patients and neurodegenerative processes in late-onset patients.
• Analyzed data to determine correlations between SDMT scores and identified MRI findings.
• Found that adult-onset patients primarily show network dysfunction associated with SDMT impairment.
• Identified neurodegenerative processes as the main factor affecting SDMT scores in late-onset patients.
• Demonstrated significant differences in SDMT impairment substrates between the two cohorts.