Presence and significant determinants of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and to identify clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in MS.


METHODS
303 patients with MS and 279 healthy controls were administered the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological tests (BRB-N); measures of pre-morbid verbal competence and neuropsychiatric measures were also administered.


RESULTS
Patients and healthy controls were matched for age, gender, education and pre-morbid verbal Intelligence Quotient. Patients presenting with cognitive impairment were 108/303 (35.6%). In the overall group of participants, the significant predictors of the most sensitive BRB-N scores were: presence of MS, age, education, and Vocabulary. The significant predictors when considering MS patients only were: course of MS, age, education, vocabulary, and depression. Using logistic regression analyses, significant determinants of the presence of cognitive impairment in relapsing-remitting MS patients were: duration of illness (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.010-1.097, p = 0.015), Expanded Disability Status Scale score (OR = 1.247, 95% CI = 1.024-1.517, p = 0.028), and vocabulary (OR = 0.960, 95% CI = 0.936-0.984, p = 0.001), while in the smaller group of progressive MS patients these predictors did not play a significant role in determining the cognitive outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results corroborate the evidence about the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with MS. Furthermore, our findings identify significant clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in a large sample of MS patients for the first time. Implications for further research and clinical practice were discussed.
Department of Mental Health, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital Medical School, University of Turin, ASL TO3, Orbassano, Italy.
Martina
M
Borghi
Marco
M
Cavallo
Sara
S
Carletto
Luca
L
Ostacoli
Marco
M
Zuffranieri
Rocco Luigi
RL
Picci
Francesco
F
Scavelli
Harriet
H
Johnston
Pier Maria
PM
Furlan
Antonio
A
Bertolotto
Simona
S
Malucchi
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests