Abstract General Information

Title

Profile of cognitive impairment and neuroimaging analysis across MS subtypes in a 4-year longitudinal study

Abstract

Cognitive impairment (CI) has been increasingly recognized as an important complaint of patients with MS, affecting 40 to 70% of patients, having a negative impact on the quality of life of these individuals. In this context, our objective is to evaluate the profile of cognitive impairment in PMS (Progressive Multiple Sclerosis) and RRMS forms through neuropsychological evaluation and correlate with MRI findings in 4 years of follow-up. Method: 18 patients with RRMS and 24 with PMS underwent neurological assessment, neuropsychological tests (BRB-N, Boston Naming and Tower of London) and 3T MRI (Brain volumetric assessment performed using the FreeSurfer program). Tests and MRI were performed at two time points (t1 and t2), spaced 4 years apart. For neuropsychological analysis, cognitive domains were classified into six groups and classified into two categories (CI, no CI). Results: At t1, encompassing all participants, the most frequently affected domain was the information processing speed (IPS) (33%). At least 57.1% of the individuals, at t1, had some altered cognitive domain. At t2, 78.6% of the participants had at least one domain with dysfunction, being more prevalent in the verbal domain (50% of individuals, 33% PMS) and IPS (42.9% of individuals, 33% PMS). The combinations of altered cognitive domains were greater in the PMS group compared to the RRMS group. Quantitative comparative analyzes between the RRMS and PMS groups did not obtain statistically significant differences at t1 and t2. The same was found in the volumetric analysis of the brain structures evaluated in this study. During the 4-year evaluation, RAW was found in 4.76% of the sample, PIRA in 33% and PIRMA in 2.38%. conclusion: The profile of cognitive impairment showed a similar pattern between the RRMS and PMS groups, however the extent of impairment was greater in the PMS.