Cognitive-behavioral longitudinal assessment in ALS: the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS screen (ECAS)

AbstractObjective: The study presents data on the longitudinal administration of the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS). We investigated cognitive-behavioral performance in a group of ALS patients over time and the feasibility of repeating the ECAS longitudinally compared with standard neuropsychological tests. Finally, correlations between clinical/genetic and cognitive/behavioral data were considered. Methods: One hundred and sixty-eight ALS patients were tested at baseline (T0). Among these, 48 patients performed the ECAS after 6 months (T1), 18 patients performed it at T2 (12 months), and five patients were assessed after 24 months (T3). Participants were also administered two cognitive test (FAB; MoCA) and psychological questionnaires (BDI; STAI/Y). The FBI was carried out with caregivers. Results: No cognitive deterioration was found across follow-ups. In contrast, although scores did not change between T0 and T1, scores improved significantly for ECAS Total/ALS Non-specifi...