Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic Of Iran

en Examination of High-Level Language Skills in 2 Phases of Multiple Sclerosis (Relapsing-Remitting & Secondary Progressive) in Comparison With Healthy Counterparts Speech Therapy Speech Therapy Original Research Original Research Background: Language skills compromised after neurological damage, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), significantly impacting patients' quality of life. MS impairs high-level language functioning. Despite existing research, no studies have examined high-level language functions during different phases of the disease. This is crucial for a better understanding of the linguistic profiles of affected patients.    Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included 25 patients with RRMS, 27 patients with SPMS, and 30 healthy individuals (age range, 22-57 years). They were selected based on convenience sampling. All participants were sampled using the Persian version of the high-level language skills assessment test. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the performance of the 3 groups, and the Bonferroni test was employed to make pairwise comparisons between groups.    Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in the total score and all subtest scores (P ≤ 0.05), except for the ambiguous sentence comprehension subtest (P ≥ 0.05). The Bonferroni test revealed a significant difference in the total score and all subtest scores (P ≤ 0.05) between healthy individuals and those with SPMS & RRMS, except for the ambiguous sentence comprehension subtest (P ≤ 0.05). Also, no significant differences were found in the total score and all subtest scores between the SPMS and RRMS patients (P ≥ 0.05).    Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the high-level language functions were weaker in MS patients compared to healthy individuals. However, no significant difference was found between the RRMS and SPMS patients.   Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Chronic Progressive, Language Tests 175 181 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-9078-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Pavane Rahimifar rahimifar.p@ajums.ac.ir 200319475328460088684 200319475328460088684 Yes Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Rezvan Isazadeh rezvan.isazadeh.94@gmail.com 200319475328460088685 200319475328460088685 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Majid Soltani soltani-m@ajums.ac.ir 200319475328460088686 200319475328460088686 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Raheleh Ghobad Rahelehghobadi1998@gmail.com 200319475328460088687 200319475328460088687 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Ali Boazar Aliboazar433@gmail.com 200319475328460088688 200319475328460088688 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Golnoosh Abaeian Goli.abaeian76@gmail.com 200319475328460088689 200319475328460088689 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Leyla Aliabdi Leyla.aliabdi1996@gmail.com 200319475328460088690 200319475328460088690 No Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Nastaran Majdinasab n.majdi@ajums.ac.ir 200319475328460088691 200319475328460088691 No Department of Neurology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Payam Amini payam.amini87@gmail.com 200319475328460088692 200319475328460088692 No Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran