Cognitive dysfunction in patients with CIS or newly diagnosed MS

Glanz BI, Holland CM, Gauthier SA et al.  Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13:   senior author Howard Weiner BWH

Authors studied 92 patients with CIS/new MS and fouund 49 % impaired on one or more tests of the battery.  There was not correlation with MRI measures of disease including T2 lesion volume, NAWM, grey matter volume or brain parenchymal fraction.

Tests given were Rao's brief repeatable battery including SRT, 10/36 Spatial Recall test, SDMT, PASAT, COWAT, CES Depression Scale.  PASAT, SDMT, and SRT were the clear tests that showed abnormalities in MS v healthy controls. 

Authors contrast their results to Achiron and Barak (JNNP 2003) who found visual learning and recall , COWAT and SDMT to be most abnormal tests.  Other studies were Feinstein (Brain, 1992; 115: 1403-15) and Callanan MM et al (Warrington) Brain 1989; 112: 361-74.