The multidimensional assessment of body representation and interoception in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The mental representation of the body (or body representation, BR) derives from the processing of multiple sensory and motor inputs and plays a crucial role in guiding our actions and in how we perceive our body. Fundamental inputs for BR construction come also from the interoceptive systems which refer to the whole bidirectional processes between the brain and the body. People with Multiple sclerosis (MS) show an abnormal multisensory integration which may compromise BR and interoception integrity. However, no study has evaluated possible deficits on distinct and dissociable dimensions of body representation (i.e., action-oriented, aBR; and a nonaction-oriented body representation, NaBR) and interoception (i.e., interoceptive accuracy, interoceptive sensibility, and interoceptive awareness) in MS. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed to determine whether participants with MS present changes in BR and interoceptive dimensions. METHODS: We performed comparison analyses on tasks and questionnaires tapping all BR and interoceptive dimensions between 36 people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 42 healthy controls, and between 23 people with progressive MS (PMS) and 33 healthy controls. RESULTS: Overall, patients with MS exhibited lower interoceptive accuracy than matched controls. The RRMS group also showed higher visceral interoceptive sensibility levels. No differences were found in BR accuracy measures, but the PMS reported longer response times when performing the aBR task. CONCLUSION: These findings open a new issue on the role of inner-signal monitoring in the body symptomatology of MS and highlight the need for an accurate BR and interoceptive assessment in a clinical setting.

Comparing face-to-face and videoconference assessment of the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests in people with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the need to evaluate cognitive profile via videoconferencing (teleneuropsychology, TeleNP) as a suitable alternative to face-to-face assessment (F-F). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and the reliability of Rao's Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (R-BRB) remote administration in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). METHODS: Sixty PwMS underwent R-BRB in two conditions: F-F and TeleNP, 1 month apart. RESULTS: Cognitive test performance was similar, regardless of the administration type, but visuospatial test performance was better in F-F. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that TeleNP is feasible and highly reliable in MS clinical practice.