Cognitive and brain reserve in multiple sclerosis--A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Cognitive impairment (CI) affects 40-70% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with disease burden explaining only partial variance.
• The cognitive reserve (CR) hypothesis suggests individual differences in cognitive capacity may buffer against neurological damage.
• Previous studies confirmed CR in MS but lacked comprehensive CR indices and clinically relevant assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings on the protective effects of CR and brain reserve (BR) in MS.
• To collectively examine CR indices and utilize clinically relevant neuropsychological assessments.
• To investigate the moderating role of CR and BR on cognitive function in MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 141 MS patients (128 RRMS, 13 SPMS).
• CR assessed using the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq); BR by intracranial volume.
• Neuropsychological assessment via the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS); MRI for volumetric imaging.

Main Results:

• CR significantly moderated the association between grey matter volumes and verbal memory.
• BR moderated the effect of total brain volume on verbal memory.
• Disability and depression showed significant negative correlations with cognitive scores.

Conclusions:

• CR and BR primarily offer protection for memory function in MS.
• Composite CR measures and clinically oriented assessments confirm the protective role of CR and BR.
• Future research should focus on interventions to enhance CR for preventing CI in MS.