Monitoring cognitive change in multiple sclerosis using a computerized cognitive battery

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Neurology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Cognitive monitoring in multiple sclerosis (MS) presents challenges for detecting short-term changes.
• Computerized cognitive batteries, like the CogState Brief Battery, offer rapid assessment of cognitive domains frequently affected in MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability and sensitivity of the CogState Brief Battery in MS patients compared to healthy controls.
• To compare the 12-month sensitivity of the CogState Brief Battery against the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).

Main Methods:

• Compared demographic, clinical (EDSS), and psychological (depression, anxiety) data with cognitive test performances.
• Assessed 51 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, 19 secondary progressive MS (SPMS) patients, and 40 healthy controls.
• Utilized linear mixed models to analyze longitudinal data from 37 RRMS patients over 12 months.

Main Results:

• Both CogState Brief Battery and PASAT differentiated MS patients from controls at baseline.
• CogState Brief Battery tasks demonstrated higher acceptability and lower anxiety induction than PASAT.
• RRMS patients showed significant reaction time slowing on CogState Brief Battery tasks over 12 months, while PASAT scores remained stable.

Conclusions:

• The CogState Brief Battery is a highly acceptable tool for assessing cognitive function in MS.
• It exhibits superior sensitivity in detecting cognitive changes over 12 months compared to PASAT.
• The CogState Brief Battery shows potential as a practical tool for cognitive monitoring in clinical MS settings.