Photovoice Methods Pilot Study of Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Cognitive impairment (CI) affects over 70% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), significantly impacting daily life and quality of life.
• Standard assessments for CI in MS lack insight into the subjective experience of cognitive changes.
• The feasibility of photovoice for researching CI in MS is not well established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and methodological utility of photovoice for exploring CI as a lived experience in MS.
• To gather insights for designing future qualitative studies on CI in MS.

Main Methods:

• Recruited adults with MS who reported significant CI from an online support group.
• Participants engaged in a 7-day photovoice activity, generating images and written reflections.
• Conducted 90-minute photo-elicitation interviews; analysis focused on methodological illustration.

Main Results:

• Participants visually and narratively represented CI experiences in daily life.
• Photographs illustrated the disconnect between internal CI and external appearance, use of humor, reliance on coping tools, and evolving framing of CI.
• Demonstrated participants' ability to visually and narratively convey their CI experiences.

Conclusions:

• Photovoice effectively documents cognitive experiences in MS that traditional methods may miss.
• Visual narratives from photovoice align with previous research on invisible MS symptoms.
• Photovoice serves as a valuable complementary qualitative approach for understanding CI management in MS.