Executive functioning affects verbal learning process in multiple sclerosis patients: Behavioural and imaging results

Verbal learning and memory deficits are among the most frequent in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and have been shown to be affected by deficits in other cognitive domains, such as information processing speed and executive functioning (EF). In the present study, we aimed to further investigate the differential impact that EF may exert on verbal learning and memory on both behavioural and neural levels. Seventy pwMS were assessed with a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests, including tests of verbal memory (Selective Reminding Test; SRT) and EF (Stroop test; Phonemic and Alternate Verbal Fluency; Modified Five‐Point Test). Structural 3Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were available for 68 patients; cortical thickness of several frontal, pre‐frontal, and hippocampal regions was calculated. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that patients' performance on Alternate Fluency Test predicted both their immediate (SRT‐LTS: R2 = .38; p