Mariana Branco1,2, Luis Ruano1,2,3, Emilio Portaccio4, Benedetta Goretti4,5, Claudia Niccolai5, Francesco Patti6, Clara Chisari6, Paolo Gallo7, Paola Grossi7,8, Angelo Ghezzi9, Marco Roscio9, Flavia Mattioli10, Fabio Bellomi10, Marta Simone11, Rosa Gemma Viterbo12, Maria Pia Amato13,14. 1. Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Entre Douro e Vouga, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal. 2. Departamento de Epidemiologia Clínica Medicina Preditiva e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 3. EPIUnit, Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 4. SOC Neurologia - Firenze, AUSL Toscana Centro, Florence, Italy. 5. Department NEUROFARBA, Section Neurosciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. 6. University of Catania, Catania, Italy. 7. University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 8. Department, ASST Crema, Neuroimmunology Center, Cardiocerebrovascular, Crema, Italy. 9. Gallarate Hospital, Varese, Italy. 10. ASST Spedali Civili Brescia Neuropsychology Unit, Brescia, Italy. 11. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Child and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University "Aldo Moro" Bari, Bari, Italy. 12. University of Bari, Bari, Italy. 13. Department NEUROFARBA, Section Neurosciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. mariapia.amato@unifi.it. 14. IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy. mariapia.amato@unifi.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The increase in life expectancy of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) requires a better knowledge of disease features in the older patients group. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment (CI) in older patients with MS and perform a comparison with younger patients. METHODS: Patients were consecutively recruited for 6 months. Cognitive performance was assessed through the Brief Repeatable Battery and the Stroop Test. CI was defined as impairment in ≥ 2 cognitive domains. RESULTS: We identified 111 patients older than 55 years (mean age 59.7 years). The prevalence of CI was 77.4%, which was significantly higher than in younger patients (42.8%; p < 0.01). Information processing speed was the most impaired domain (68.8%), followed by verbal learning (49.5%), executive function (47.7%), and visuospatial learning (26.6%). We found no significant differences in the prevalence of impairment in the distinct cognitive domains between older and younger patients with CI. Depression and fatigue were not associated with increased CI among patients in the older age group (p > 0.70). CONCLUSION: There is a remarkably high frequency of CI in older patients with MS. The similar profile of CI between older and younger patients suggests that CI is mostly directly related to MS itself and not to comorbid age-related disorders.
BACKGROUND: The increase in life expectancy of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) requires a better knowledge of disease features in the older patients group. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment (CI) in older patients with MS and perform a comparison with younger patients. METHODS:Patients were consecutively recruited for 6 months. Cognitive performance was assessed through the Brief Repeatable Battery and the Stroop Test. CI was defined as impairment in ≥ 2 cognitive domains. RESULTS: We identified 111 patients older than 55 years (mean age 59.7 years). The prevalence of CI was 77.4%, which was significantly higher than in younger patients (42.8%; p < 0.01). Information processing speed was the most impaired domain (68.8%), followed by verbal learning (49.5%), executive function (47.7%), and visuospatial learning (26.6%). We found no significant differences in the prevalence of impairment in the distinct cognitive domains between older and younger patients with CI. Depression and fatigue were not associated with increased CI among patients in the older age group (p > 0.70). CONCLUSION: There is a remarkably high frequency of CI in older patients with MS. The similar profile of CI between older and younger patients suggests that CI is mostly directly related to MS itself and not to comorbid age-related disorders.
Authors: Hsueh-Sheng Chiang; Alka Khera; Barbara E Stopschinski; Olaf Stuve; John Hart; Brendan Kelley; Trung Nguyen Journal: Geriatrics (Basel) Date: 2022-06-05