NYC Gazette

The study involved 63 participants in the northeastern United States with relapsing-remitting MS, ages 26 to 55, with a majority, or 71.4%, being female and right-handed (85.7%).

Manual dexterity can serve as an early indicator of cognitive decline in people with Multiple Sclerosis, according to the paper, “Exploring the Relationship Between Manual Dexterity and Cognition in People with Multiple Sclerosis: 9-Hole Peg and Multiple Cognitive Functions,” published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

The study was conducted by Katz School researchers and colleagues under the leadership of Dr. Mark Gubesblatt of NYU Langone South Shore Neurologic Associates. It found a moderate negative correlation between manual dexterity and cognitive function—better manual dexterity was associated with better cognitive performance.

“These findings suggest that problems with manual dexterity can predict cognitive impairments in people with MS,” said Dr. Rinu Abraham, the corresponding author and a recent graduate of the Katz School’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. “The damage to white matter in the brain, which is common in MS, might explain this link, as white matter is crucial for transmitting information between motor and cognitive regions.”

Participants underwent two standardized assessments to evaluate hand coordination and cognitive abilities—the 9-hole peg test, which measures manual dexterity by timing how quickly participants can place and remove pegs from holes using both hands (lower scores indicate better hand function), and NeuroTrax, a comprehensive cognitive assessment tool that evaluates various cognitive abilities including memory, processing speed, motor skills, attention, verbal function, visuospatial skills, and executive function.

“The 9-hole peg test scores for both hands were significantly correlated with several cognitive subtests,” said Dr. Marissa Barrera, a co-author of the study and program director of the Katz School’s M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology. “Manual dexterity in the dominant hand was a significant predictor of overall cognitive functioning, explaining 17% of the variance in cognitive scores.”

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system, causing damage to the protective covering of nerves and the nerve fibers themselves. This damage disrupts communication between the brain and body leading to various symptoms including problems with hand coordination and cognitive impairment affecting attention, information processing speed, learning, and executive function such as planning and problem-solving.

The research highlights the need for further studies to explore how simultaneous motor and cognitive tasks affect people with MS. Health professionals can utilize manual dexterity assessments to identify and intervene in cognitive impairments early potentially improving an individual’s daily functioning and quality of life.

“This research could pave the way for improved treatments and interventions that enhance the quality of life for those affected by this debilitating disease,” said Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi, a co-author of the study and clinical associate professor in the Katz School’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. “As we continue to uncover the complexities of MS these insights offer hope for more effective management and treatment strategies for this challenging condition.”