Cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with first-line disease-modifying therapy: a...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Immunology
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently causes cognitive impairment, even in early disease stages.
• The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) is a validated tool for assessing cognitive function in MS.
• Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) are known to impact long-term cognitive outcomes in MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of DMDs (IFNB1-a SC, IFNB1-b, and GA) in mitigating cognitive deficits in newly diagnosed relapsing-remitting MS patients.
• To compare the cognitive effects of IFNB and GA treatments using the BICAMS battery.
• To monitor cognitive changes in MS patients over a 12-month period.

Main Methods:

• 161 newly diagnosed MS patients on DMDs and 102 healthy controls were enrolled.
• Patients were categorized into three treatment groups: IFNB1-a SC, IFNB1-b, and GA.
• Cognitive function was assessed using the BICAMS battery (SDMT, BVMT-R, CVLT-II) and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at baseline and 12 months.

Main Results:

• MS patients exhibited significantly lower mean cognitive test scores compared to healthy controls.
• Cognitive impairment decreased in MS patients from 31.7% to 21.7% (CVLT) and 26.1% to 18.6% (BVMT-R) at 12 months.
• A significant difference in cognitive status was observed between MS patients on IFNB/GA and the healthy control group.

Conclusions:

• DMDs, specifically IFNB and GA, demonstrate a positive impact on cognitive function in MS patients.
• The BICAMS battery is effective for monitoring treatment-related cognitive changes in MS.
• This study provides the first direct comparison of IFNB and GA for cognitive assessment in MS using BICAMS.