title: Cognitive impairment occurs in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis: results from a United States network.
abstract: In the largest sample studied to date, we measured cognitive functioning in children and adolescents with pediatric multiple sclerosis (n = 187) as well as those with clinically isolated syndrome (n = 44). Participants were consecutively enrolled from six United States Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence. Participants had a mean of 14.8 ± 2.6 years of age and an average disease duration of 1.9 ± 2.2 years. A total of 65 (35%) children with multiple sclerosis and 8 (18%) with clinically isolated syndrome met criteria for cognitive impairment. The most frequent areas involved were fine motor coordination (54%), visuomotor integration (50%), and speeded information processing (35%). A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (odds ratio = 3.60, confidence interval = 1.07, 12.36, P = .04) and overall neurologic disability (odds ratio = 1.47, confidence interval = 1.10, 2.10, P = .03) were the only independent predictors of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment may occur early in these patients, and prompt recognition is critical for their care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Julian
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serafin
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Charvet
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ackerson
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benedict
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braaten
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parrish
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaccariello
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belman
authors.forename: Tanuja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chitnis
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waubant
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinstock-Guttman
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Krupp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014481:United States