Validation of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis in Japan

Background: The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) is a practical battery for measuring cognitive function in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: We aimed to validate a Japanese version of the BICAMS in patients with MS and healthy controls. Methods: The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT2) and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMTR) were administered to 156 patients with MS and 126 healthy controls (HCs). The BICAMS was re-administered in a subset of 27 MS patients and 30 HCs. Results: The mean (>SD) raw scores in the MS and HC groups were as follows: SDMT: MS 47.9 > 14.0, HC 61.0 > 9.5; CVLT2: MS 48.6 > 12.6, HC 55.7 > 10.5; BVMTR: MS 23.5 > 8.4, HC 28.3 > 5.4, respectively, and significant differences were found between the two groups on all tests (p < 0.0001). Cohen’s d values were 1.07, 0.60, and 0.67 in SDMT, CVLT2, and BVMTR, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficients for each test were as follows: SDMT: r ¼ 0.93; CVLT2: r ¼ 0.82; and BVMTR: r ¼ 0.77 (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study provides results that support the reliability and validity of the BICAMS in Japan.