Purpose of Review

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that mainly affects young adults and that is one of the leading causes of disability in this age group, with cognitive impairment occurring early in the course of the disease. This article summarizes the current knowledge about cognitive dysfunction in the early phase of MS, including biomarkers, MRI correlates, and its value as a prognostic marker.

Recent Findings

New sets of neuropsychological tests have been established to screen for cognitive dysfunction more easily and accurately. Moreover, structural changes detected by brain MRI and several biomarkers found in cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum have been recently correlated with decreased cognitive performance. Additionally, factors influencing cognition in MS, such as disease-modifying therapy, mood disorders, and lifestyle, are better described.

Summary

Cognitive impairment early in the course of MS is suggested as a prognostic factor for disease progression. However, clear-cut definitions of the early stage of MS as well as unified criteria for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment are still lacking. New and more reliable tools for evaluating cognition in MS patients should be developed and introduced into everyday practice to facilitate the implementation of effective disease-modifying therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and lifestyle management.

中文翻译：

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多发性硬化症早期的认知功能障碍-多少以及如何重要？

审查目的

多发性硬化症（MS）是中枢神经系统的脱髓鞘疾病，主要影响年轻人，并且是该年龄段的残疾的主要原因之一，在该过程的早期发生认知障碍。本文总结了有关MS早期认知功能障碍的最新知识，包括生物标志物，MRI相关性及其作为预后标志物的价值。

最近的发现

已经建立了新的一组神经心理学测试，以更容易，更准确地筛查认知功能障碍。此外，最近通过脑部MRI检测到的结构变化以及在脑脊液和血清中发现的几种生物标记物已与认知能力下降相关。另外，更好地描述了影响MS认知的因素，例如疾病缓解疗法，情绪障碍和生活方式。

概要

MS早期认知障碍被认为是疾病进展的预后因素。然而，仍缺乏明确的MS早期定义以及用于认知障碍诊断的统一标准。应该开发新的和更可靠的评估MS患者认知的工具，并将其引入日常实践中，以促进有效的疾病缓解疗法，认知康复和生活方式管理的实施。