title: [Correlation between demyelinating lesions and executive function decline in a sample of Mexican patients with multiple sclerosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is characterised by several neurological symptoms including cognitive impairment, which has recently been the subject of considerable study. At present, evidence pointing to a correlation between lesion characteristics and specific cognitive impairment is not conclusive.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of a correlation between the characteristics of demyelinating lesions and performance of basic executive functions in a sample of MS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 21 adult patients with scores of 0 to 5 on the Kurtzke scale and no exacerbations of the disease in at least 3 months prior to the evaluation date. They completed the Stroop test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The location of the lesions was determined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed by a blinded expert in neuroimaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Demyelinating lesions were more frequently located in the frontal and occipital lobes. The Stroop test showed that as cognitive demand increased on each of the sections in the test, reaction time and number of errors increased. On the WCST, 33.33% of patients registered as having moderate cognitive impairment. No correlation could be found between demyelinating lesion characteristics (location, size, and number) and patients' scores on the tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Explanations of the causes of cognitive impairment in MS should examine a variety of biological, psychological, and social factors instead of focusing solely on demyelinating lesions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurología del desarrollo, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Montes Urales 800, Col Virreyes, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, México, DF, México. Electronic address: valdrete@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Aldrete Cortez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duriez-Sotelo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Mora
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pérez-Zuno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004522:Educational Status; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult