Association between smoking and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with a high prevalence of cognitive impairment.
• Smoking is a known risk factor for various health issues, but its specific impact on cognitive function in MS patients remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potentially deleterious effects of heavy cigarette smoking on the cognitive function (mentation) of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
• To address the gap in research regarding the relationship between smoking and cognitive impairment in MS.

Main Methods:

• The study included MS patients aged 18-65 who had graduated elementary school and received care at Bezmialem Vakıf University Neurology Clinic.
• Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N).
• Heavy smokers were defined as those with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years.

Main Results:

• The study comprised two groups: 20 heavy smokers and 24 nonsmokers.
• Heavy smokers demonstrated significantly more impaired cognitive functioning compared to nonsmokers (P=0.04).
• Among patients with cognitive impairment, scores on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test were lower in 78.9% of heavy smokers, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test scores were lower in 63.2%.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a significant association between heavy smoking and increased cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis patients.
• This research supports previous findings that smoking may negatively impact MS progression and relapse rates.
• Further extensive research is warranted to fully understand the complex relationship between smoking and cognitive decline in MS.