title: Neuropsychological syndromes in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) is common (45-65%).Deficits occur in speed of information processing (SIP), memory, attention, executive functions (EF) and visuoconstruction.Involvement of cognitive functions like language and gnosis is rare and lesser known. Our aim is to describe the cognitive function and the clinical and radiological features of five patients with MS and with neuropsychological syndromes (NPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of MS patients with NPS studied, using specific tests of SIP, memory, attention, EF, visuo-spatial abilities, praxis and language.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample included four women (3 relapsing-remitting MS/1 secondary progressive MS) and one man with primary progressive MS (aged between 30-55 years). Cognitive symptoms were the initial complaint in three cases. Three cases presented apperceptive agnosia and constructive apraxia, one case presented alexia with agraphia and the fifth patient presented motor aphasia. Four patients suffered cognitive dysfunction considered typical of MS. Magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in all cases showed high lesion volumes in T1 and T2-weighted sequences. A good correlation was observed between cognitive deficits and the location of the lesions in four patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPS may be the initial complaint in MS patients, often associated with other cognitive deficits, and it shows a close relationship with lesion location.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Móstoles.
authors.forename: Ma José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gil Moreno
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerezo García
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marasescu
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinel González
authors.forename: Laudino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López Álvarez
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aladro Benito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000377:Agnosia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D000381:Agraphia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D001039:Aphasia, Broca / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D001072:Apraxias / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies