How to detect affect recognition alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

期刊论文
发表日期：

2024年9月17日

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Veronica Castelnovo,
Elisa Canu,
Edoardo Nicolò Aiello,
Beatrice Curti,
Elisa Sibilla,
Silvia Torre,
Fabiola Freri,
Chiara Tripodi,
Laura Lumaca,
Edoardo Gioele Spinelli,
Paride Schito,
Tommaso Russo,
Yuri Falzone,
Federico Verde,
Vincenzo Silani,
Nicola Ticozzi,
Virginia E. Sturm,
Katherine P. Rankin,
Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini,
Barbara Poletti,
Massimo Filippi,
Federica Agosta

摘要

Objective

To define the clinical usability of an affect recognition (AR) battery—the Comprehensive Affect Testing System (CATS)—in an Italian sample of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods

96 ALS patients and 116 healthy controls underwent a neuropsychological assessment including the AR subtests of the abbreviated version of the CATS (CATS-A). CATS-A AR subtests and their global score (CATS-A AR Quotient, ARQ) were assessed for their factorial, convergent, and divergent validity. The diagnostic accuracy of each CATS-A AR measure in discriminating ALS patients with cognitive impairment from cognitively normal controls and patients was tested via receiver-operating characteristics analyses. Optimal cut-offs were identified for CATS-A AR measures yielding an acceptable AUC value (≥ .70). The ability of CATS-A ARQ to discriminate between different ALS cognitive phenotypes was also tested. Gray-matter (GM) volumes of controls, ALS with normal (ALS-nARQ), and impaired ARQ score (ALS-iARQ) were compared using ANCOVA models.

Results

CATS-A AR subtests and ARQ proved to have moderate-to-strong convergent and divergent validity. Almost all considered CATS-A measures reached acceptable accuracy and diagnostic power (AUC range = .79–.83). ARQ showed to be the best diagnostic measure (sensitivity = .80; specificity = .75) and discriminated between different ALS cognitive phenotypes. Compared to ALS-nARQ, ALS-iARQ patients showed reduced GM volumes in the right anterior cingulate, right middle frontal, left inferior temporal, and superior occipital regions.

Conclusions

The AR subtests of the CATS-A, and in particular the CATS-A ARQ, are sound measures of AR in ALS. AR deficits may be a valid marker of frontotemporal involvement in these patients.