Cognitive impairment as marker of diffuse brain abnormalities in early relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Issue 4 (16th March 2005)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deloire, M S A; Salort, E; Bonnet, M; Arimone, Y; Boudineau, M; Amieva, H; Barroso, B; Ouallet, J-C; Pachai, C; Galliaud, E; Petry, K G; Dousset, V; Fabrigoule, C; Brochet, B
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Volume 76:Issue 4(2005)
• Page Start: 519
• Page End: 526
• Publication Date: 2005-03-16
• Subjects: BNT, Boston naming test -- BRB, brief repeatable battery -- EDSS, expanded disability status scale -- FLAIR, fast fluid attenuated inversion-recovery -- ICC, intracranial cavity -- MADRS, Montgomery and Asberg depression rating scale -- MI, mutual information -- MSFC, multiple sclerosis functional composite -- MTR, magnetisation transfer ratio -- NAGM, normal appearing grey matter -- NAWM, normal appearing white matter -- NHPT, nine hole peg test -- PASAT, paced auditory serial addition test -- QOL, quality of life -- RFF, Ruff figural fluency test -- RRMS, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis -- SDMT, symbol digit modalities test -- SRT, selective reminding test -- TWT, timed 25 foot walking test -- UKNDS, United Kingdom neurological disability scale -- WAIS-R, Wechsler adult intelligence scale, revised -- WLG, word list generation test; multiple sclerosis -- cognition -- magnetic resonance imaging -- magnetisation transfer imaging; Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2004.045872
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3050

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: To establish the frequency of cognitive impairment in a population based sample of patients with recently diagnosed relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and to determine the relation between cognitive abnormalities and the extent of macroscopic and microscopic tissue damage revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetisation transfer (MT) imaging. Methods: 58 patients with RRMS consecutively diagnosed in the previous six months in Aquitaine and 70 healthy controls underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests. Lesion load and atrophy indices (brain parenchymal fraction and ventricular fraction) were measured on brain MRI. MT ratio (MTR) histograms were obtained from lesions, normal appearing white matter (NAWM), and normal appearing grey matter (NAGM). Gadolinium enhanced lesions were counted. Results: 44 RRMS patients could be individually matched with healthy controls for age, sex, and education. Patients performed worse in tests of verbal and spatial memory, attention, information processing speed, inhibition, and conceptualisation. Measures of attention and information processing speed were correlated with lesion load, mean NAWM MTR, and the peak location of the NAGM MTR histogram in the patients. Multivariate regression analysis showed that lesion load and mean NAWM MTR were among the MR indices that were most significantly associated with impairment of attention and information processing speed in these early RRMS cases. Conclusions: Cognitive impairment appears to be common in the early stages of RRMS, mainly affecting attention, information processing speed, memory, inhibition, and conceptualisation. The severity of these deficits reflects the extent of the lesions and the severity of tissue disorganisation outside lesions.