Remote administration of BICAMS measures and the trail-making test to assess cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Reliable remote cognitive testing could provide a safer assessment of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) during the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter. Here we aimed to investigate the reliability and feasibility of administering Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) and the Trail-Making Test (TMT) to people with MS online. Between-group differences on BICAMS and the TMT were examined in a sample of 68 participants. Group 1 (N = 34) was tested in-person pre-pandemic. Group 2 was tested remotely. Within-group differences for in-person and virtual administrations were examined for Group 1. No significant differences between virtual and in-person administrations of the CVLT-II and SDMT were detected. BVMT-R scores were significantly higher for virtual administrations (M = 20.59, SD = 6.65) compared to in-person administrations (M = 16.35, SD = 6.05), possibly indicating inter-rater differences. Strong positive correlations were found for in-person and virtual scores within Group 1 on the CVLT-II (r = .84), SDMT (r = .85), TMT-A (r = .88), TMT-B (r = .76) and BVMT-R (r = .72). No significant differences between in-person and remote administrations of CVLT-II and SDMT in people living with MS were detected. Recommendations for future studies employing the TMT and BVMT-R online are provided. This study-within-a-trial was conducted within a trial funded by the Health Research Board (Ireland) under a Definitive Interventions and Feasibility Award [grant number DIFA-FA-2018-027]. peer-reviewed