title: Cognitive performance, fatigue and event-related potentials in patients with clinically isolated syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive impairment and fatigue are regarded as important aspects of multiple sclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive performance, the level of fatigue and parameters of event-related potentials (ERP) in patients diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 44 patients with CIS and 45 healthy controls. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRBNT), fatigue - using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Auditory ERP were performed and the parameters of N200 and P300 components were analyzed. Neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures were referred to clinical and radiological features of the disease activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty five% of patients failed in at least one test from BRBNT, mainly within the domains of memory and attention. In 18% of patients FSS corresponded with moderate or severe fatigue. The mean latency of N200 and P300 was significantly longer and amplitude of P300 was lower in those patients with CIS than in the controls. Significant correlations were found between the results of MFIS and tests evaluating verbal memory and attention, as well as between N200 latency and results of tests for verbal memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive performance and fatigue deserve attention from the earliest clinical stage of MS. Abnormalities of event-related potentials in CIS suggest early impact of the disease on functional neural networks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: annapd@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pokryszko-Dragan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dziadkowiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Mieszko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zagrajek
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Slotwinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gruszka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podemski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinically isolated syndrome; Cognition; Event-related potentials; Fatigue; Multiple sclerosis