title: Two Years Follow up of Domain Specific Cognitive Training in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: Cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been reported to induce neuropsychological improvements, but the persistence of these effects has been scarcely investigated over long follow ups. Here, the results of a multicenter randomized clinical trial are reported, in which the efficacy of 15 week domain specific cognitive training was evaluated at 2 years follow up in 41 patients. Included patients were randomly assigned either to domain specific cognitive rehabilitation, or to aspecific psychological intervention. Patients who still resulted to be cognitively impaired at 1 year follow up were resubmitted to the same treatment, whereas the recovered ones were not. Neuropsychological tests and functional scales were administered at 2 years follow up to all the patients. Results revealed that both at 1 and at 2 years follow up more patients in the aspecific group (18/19, 94% and 13/17, 76% respectively) than in the specific group (11/22, 50% and 5/15, 33% respectively) resulted to be cognitively impaired. Furthermore patients belonging to the specific group showed significantly less impaired tests compared with the aspecific group ones (p = 0.02) and a significant amelioration in the majority of the tests. On the contrary patients in the aspecific group did not change. The specific group subjects also perceived a subjective improvement in their cognitive performance, while the aspecific group patients did not. These results showed that short time domain specific cognitive rehabilitation is a useful treatment for patients with MS, shows very long lasting effects, compared to aspecific psychological interventions. Also subjective cognitive amelioration was found in patients submitted to domain specific treatment after 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, Spedali Civili of Brescia Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattioli
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, Spedali Civili of Brescia Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bellomi
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology Unit, Spedali Civili of Brescia Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stampatori
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, University of Ancona Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Provinciali
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, University of Ancona Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Compagnucci
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, MS Center, University of Genova Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uccelli
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, MS Center, University of Genova Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pardini
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Valtellina Valchiavenna Sondrio, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santuccio
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Valtellina Valchiavenna Sondrio, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuditta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fregonese
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Fidenza Hospital Fidenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pattini
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Fidenza Hospital Fidenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allegri
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Como Hospital Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Como Hospital Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Pavia University Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montomoli
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corso
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, University of Padova Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica, University of Padova Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, MS Center, Gallarate Hospital Gallarate, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, MS Center, Gallarate Hospital Gallarate, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roscio
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, Ferrara University Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tola
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, Ferrara University Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calanca
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, Lecco Hospital Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.affiliation: UO Neurologia, Lecco Hospital Lecco, Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trafficante
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Spedali Civili of Brescia Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Ruggero
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capra
keywords: cognitive rehabilitation; multiple sclerosis; neuropsychology; randomize clinical trial