Neuropsychological aspects of multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from neuropsychological impairments such as cognitive dysfunction, apathy, fatigue, and depression. However, physical disabilities in MS remain the main focus of daily clinical practice and of research into symptoms of the disease. In patients with MS, cognitive impairment typically involves domain-specific deficits rather than global cognitive decline, and sustained attention and information-processing speed are prominently affected. On the other hand, cognitive impairment in MS patients is often associated with other neuropsychological disorders, and its pathophysiology is complex. Neuropsychological impairments can influence activities of daily living and social activities in patients with MS. It has been suggested that cognitive impairment begins in the very early stages of the disease, but no established treatments are currently available. Urgent investigation into the treatment of neuropsychological impairments in MS is warranted, and challenges to conquer these widely neglected symptoms of the disease are continuing.