Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. Although MS has been known since the 19th century, cognitive impairment (CI) was only recognised as an important feature of MS over the past 30 years. The reason is that, until recently, MS was perceived exclusively as a white matter disease, and cognition was thought to depend solely on the cortex. This article aims to review the prevalence, risk factors, profile and diagnosis of CI in MS. Imaging correlates and treatment will also be briefly discussed.