Bigi, SandraSandraBigi0000-0003-2158-2241Marrie, R AR AMarrieTill, CCTillYeh, E AE AYehAkbar, NNAkbarFeinstein, AAFeinsteinBanwell, B LB LBanwell2024-10-252024-10-252017-04https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/handle/20.500.12422/158271Decreased information processing speed (IPS) is frequently reported in pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The computerized version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (c-SDMT) measures IPS over eight consecutive trials per session and additionally captures changes in performance within the session. Here, we establish normative c-SDMT performance and test-retest reliability in healthy children (HC) and explore differences in the overall c-SDMT-performance between HC and MS patients. This cross-sectional study included 478 HC (237 female, 49.5%) divided into five age groups (2 years each), and 27 MS patients (22 female, 81.5%) aged 8-18 years. The average time to complete the c-SDMT increased with age (|r| 0.70, 95% CI -0.74, -0.64). Test-retest reliability was high (ICC = 0.91) in HC. The total time to complete the c-SDMT did not differ between children with MS and sex- and age- matched HC (p = 0.23). However, MS patients were less likely to show faster performance across all the successive eight trials compared to HC (p = 0.0001). Healthy children demonstrate faster IPS with increasing age, as well as during successive trials of the c-SDMT. The inability of pediatric MS patients to maintain the increase in processing speed over successive trials suggests a reduced capacity for procedural learning, possibly resulting from cognitive fatigue.enNeurocognition Pediatric MS Processing speed Symbol Digit Modalities Test600 - Technology::610 - Medicine & healtharticle10.7892/boris.1111512807856910.1007/s10072-017-2813-0