Cognitive impairment and event-related potentials in paediatric multiple sclerosis: 2-year study
S Lori1, E Portaccio, V Zipoli
1Department of Neurophysiopathology, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy.
Insights
Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) patients show cognitive decline linked to P300 event-related potential changes. This neurophysiological marker may help monitor cognitive function in children and adolescents with MS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Neurophysiology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) onset before 18 years affects 3-10% of patients.
- Cognitive impairment is a significant concern in pediatric MS, but its neurophysiological basis is understudied.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) offer a potential window into brain function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between event-related potentials (ERPs) and cognitive performance in pediatric MS patients.
- To compare neurophysiological correlates of cognition in children and adolescents with MS versus healthy controls (HC).
- To provide two-year follow-up data on cognitive and neurophysiological changes.
Main Methods:
- Assessed six pediatric MS patients (ages 9-17) using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery at two time points.
- Recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) using an odd-ball acoustic paradigm in patients and nine HC.
- Classified patients as cognitively impaired based on performance on multiple cognitive tasks.
Main Results:
- At baseline, 4/6 pediatric MS patients were cognitively impaired, showing abnormal P300 latencies and amplitudes.
- After two years, 5/6 patients showed cognitive deterioration, paralleled by worsening P300 parameters.
- Abnormal P300 findings correlated with cognitive deficits in pediatric MS.
Conclusions:
- Changes in P300 parameters in pediatric MS patients occur in parallel with cognitive performance decline.
- The P300 component of event-related potentials may serve as an objective biomarker for monitoring cognitive changes in pediatric MS.
- Further research is warranted to validate P300 as a clinical tool for pediatric MS management.
Abstract:
Approximately, 3-10% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) present a disease onset before the age of 18 years. Although growing attention is dedicated to cognitive impairment and its functional consequences in paediatric MS, so far no study has explored possible neurophysiologic correlates. The study's aim was to describe event-related potentials in relationship with cognitive performance in children and adolescents with MS compared with demographically matched healthy controls (HC), providing two-year follow-up data. Six MS subjects aged between 9 and 17 years were assessed through an extensive neuropsychological battery at two time points. Event-related potentials with an odd-ball acoustic paradigm were also recorded in the patients and in nine HC. At baseline, four out of six patients failed three or more cognitive tasks and were classified as cognitively impaired. In all the cognitively impaired patients, we found abnormal latencies and amplitudes of the P300. After 2 years, five patients exhibited a deteriorating cognitive performance and a corresponding deterioration of the P300 parameters. In our group of children and adolescents with MS, changes in P300 parameters proceeded in parallel with deteriorating cognitive performance. P300 might represent an objective parameter to monitor cognitive changes in paediatric MS.
