[Morphology of demyelination plaques vs cognitive and emotional disorders in multiple sclerosis patients]

The interrelationship between psychological examination and MRI findings was studied in 70 patients with MS. The cognitive and emotional functions were examined by a battery of tests: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Visual Retention Test, Hamilton Depression Scale. In MRI examination the localization, area, and the morphology of the plaques were examined. According to plaque's morphology the patients were divided into two groups: with confluent plaques and those with patchy-shaped ones. The signs of dementia were found significantly more frequently in the group with confluent plaques (p. < 0.04). In this group of patients also single-function disorders like disturbances of verbal memory, attention, visual memory, cause- and effect thinking, abstract thinking, and visual-motor coordination were significantly more frequent (p. < 0.01). In the same group the signs of fatigue syndrome were more frequently encountered (p. < 0.02). The authors conclude that the disturbances found in cognitive function may reflect the symptoms of subcortical dementia in MS patients.