Seeking Healthy Volunteers for Important MS Study of Processing Speed

East Hanover, NJ, May 29, 2018.  Kessler Foundation in East Hanover, NJ, is seeking healthy volunteers for a study investigating a standard tool - the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) - for assessing processing speed in individuals with MS. By updating this tool with normative data from the healthy population, researchers aim to more accurately assess how an individual’s processing speed changes over time.

“Decline in processing speed is a common cognitive symptom that has predictive value,” said Lauren Strober, PhD, “which is why accurate assessment of processing speed is important for planning optimal treatment and care for individuals with MS. The traditional version of SDMT has been widely used for measuring disease progression in MS,” noted Dr. Strober, “but needs to take into account age, gender, and education. Updating this tool will help us better predict disease progression, as well as outcomes such as employment, driving and activities of daily living.”  Dr. Strober, senior research scientist at Kessler Foundation, is the lead investigator for this study, which is funded by the National MS Society.

Volunteers can make important contributions to this research. If you are between the ages of 25 and 74, are medically healthy, and have less than 4 years of college or no college education, please contact Michael Di Benedetto (T: 973-324-8391, email: [email protected]) to find out more and see if you are eligible.

Other site locations: 

University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC):

Contact: Julia Smith (T: 816-235-2428 (voicemail box #5), email: [email protected])

Penn State:

Contact: Erin Guty (T: 814-865-5578, email: [email protected])