The Relationship Between Neurocognitive Behavior of Executive Functions and the EFPT in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

The current study examined the relationship between two separate but complementary methods of assessing executive functions in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS): (1) a neurocognitive approach with the Tower of London(-DX) (TOL-DX) test and (2) a functional top-down approach with the Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT). Sixty-eight individuals with MS (79% female) and 38 healthy controls (68% female) were administered both the TOL-DX test and the EFPT. For the group with MS, significant differences were found on the TOL-DX test and the EFPT executive components and functional tasks. For the group with MS, the number of moves to complete the TOL-DX tasks was significantly positively correlated to the Organization and Sequencing executive components of the EFPT and the Simple Cooking and Bill Payment tasks of the EFPT. The results demonstrate the relationship of executive function behavior and performance of instrumental activities of daily living tasks. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.