Table shows mean scores of ALS cognitive groups on the selected executive and memory tasks and intergroup differences on multiple one-way ANCOVA
| No abnormality detected | NECI | Executive dysfunction | Intergroup differences | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | n | Mean (SD) | n | Mean (SD) | N | p Value | F | P.Eta | |
| Attention/executive function | |||||||||
| Brixton spatial anticipation test | 6.0 (2.0) | 69 | 5.0 (2.1) | 22 | 4.3 (2.3) | 31 | 0.068 | 2.8 | 0.05 |
| Backward digit span task | 12.0 (3.6) | 60 | 10.8 (3.5) | 16 | 9.1 (4.1) | 25 | 0.054 | 3.0 | 0.06 |
| Stroop colour word task* | 25.5 (18.9) | 58 | 30.4 (18.7) | 14 | 52.8 (23.7) | 29 | <0.0001 | 11.4 | 0.19 |
| Phonemic verbal fluency index* | 10.1 (6.2) | 58 | 16.3 (12.0) | 17 | 42.8 (50.2) | 27 | <0.0001 | 29.5 | 0.38 |
| Category fluency | 21.4 (8.6) | 58 | 16.1 (4.2) | 17 | 11.2 (4.0) | 31 | <0.0001 | 18.5 | 0.27 |
| Memory function | |||||||||
| Logical memory-immediate recall | 11.5 (3.0) | 62 | 6.8 (3.6) | 16 | 7.8 (2.6) | 24 | <0.0001 | 16.3 | 0.25 |
| Logical memory-delayed recall | 11.6 (2.7) | 61 | 6.3 (3.1) | 16 | 8.0 (2.8) | 24 | <0.0001 | 24.2 | 0.34 |
| Logical memory-retention | 10.9 (2.2) | 62 | 7.7 (3.1) | 16 | 8.9 (3.2) | 24 | <0.0001 | 10.0 | 0.17 |
| Auditory delayed recognition task | 12.4 (2.7) | 54 | 6.8 (3.4) | 13 | 10.1 (3.0) | 17 | <0.0001 | 13.4 | 0.23 |
↵* Higher scores indicate worse performance.
ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ANCOVA, analysis of covariance; NECI, non-executive cognitive impairment; P.Eta, Partial Eta squared.