Cognitive dysfunction in patients with clinically isolated syndromes or newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis.

Publication Type	Academic Article
Authors	Glanz B, Holland C, Gauthier S, Amunwa E, Liptak Z, Houtchens M, Sperling R, Khoury S, Guttmann C, Weiner H
Journal	Mult Scler
Volume	13
Issue	8
Pagination	1004-10
Date Published	07/10/2007
ISSN	1352-4585
Keywords	Brain, Cognition Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis
Abstract	Cognitive dysfunction is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and has been associated with MRI measures of lesion burden and atrophy. Little is known about the prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with early MS. The associations between cognitive impairment and MRI measures of disease severity early in the disease course are also unclear. This study used a brief battery of cognitive tests to determine the prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairment in patients with clinically isolated syndromes or newly diagnosed MS. The associations between cognitive impairment and MRI measures of disease severity early in the disease course were also examined. Ninety-two patients with clinically isolated syndromes or the diagnosis of MS within the last 3 years participating in the CLIMB study underwent a neurologic examination, neuropsychological evaluation and MRI at 1.5 T. Forty-nine percent of patients were impaired on one or more cognitive measures. There were no significant correlations between cognitive scores and MRI measures of disease severity including total T2 lesion volume, normal appearing white matter volume, grey matter volume, and brain parenchymal fraction. These findings suggest that cognitive impairment may predate the appearance of gross structural abnormalities on MRI and serve as an early marker of disease activity in MS.
DOI	10.1177/1352458507077943
PubMed ID	17623735