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Abstract Details

Tracking cognitive change in people with multiple sclerosis – 5 year follow up of the original Irish BICAMS validation cohort.
Multiple Sclerosis
P4 - Poster Session 4 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)
9-017
To assess cognitive change in a cohort of pwMS over 5 years using Brief International Cognitive Assessment in Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS).

Cognitive impairment affects 20-40% of people with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis and greater than 50% of people with progressive MS.   Cognitive impairment predicts future vocational status, income, adherence to treatment and behaviour.  Limited data exists on evolution of cognition over time. 


67 pwMS who were part of the original  BICAMS  validation cohort in 2014 were invited for 5-year follow up assessment.  Single Digit Modaility Test (SDMT), Calfiornia Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-2) and Brief Visual MTR (BVMTR) as well as comprehensive assements of mood, fatigue and quality of life were performed.

50 pwMS returned for follow up assessment.  33% of this cohort had cognitive impairment on at least one domain of BICAMS at baseline. The mean age at follow up was 49 years (SD12).  There was no difference in SDMT at five years (p=0.95).  There was a significant improvement in BVMTR (p=0.002) and CVLT (p=0.002) over five years.   Anxiety scores were stable over time, but there was a significant improvement in depression scores (p=0.0001).  

There was no correlation between anxiety, depression or fatigue and cognitive measures. There was however a strong correlation between depression and fatigue scores (r=.71, p<0.001).


There is a trend towards cognitive stability over five years in a cohort of pwMS.  Practice effects are unlikely to impact the results given the long interval between testing.  Treatment with DMTs may have had an impact on preservation of cognition. Predictors of cognitive stability remain elusive.
Authors/Disclosures
Maria Gaughan, MBBS (St Vincent'S Hospital)
PRESENTER 		Dr. Gaughan has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Novartis. Dr. Gaughan has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Roche. Dr. Gaughan has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Novartis. Dr. Gaughan has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Merck.
No disclosure on file
No disclosure on file
No disclosure on file
Christopher McGuigan, MD (Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital) An immediate family member of Prof. McGuigan has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Novartis. Prof. McGuigan has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Roche. Prof. McGuigan has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Merck. The institution of Prof. McGuigan has received research support from Novartis.