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Cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis patients with cerebellar symptoms

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italyp.valentino{at}isn.cnr.it

A Cerasa

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

C Chiriaco

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy

R Nisticò

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

D Pirritano

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy

MC Gioia

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

P Lanza

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

M Canino

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy

F Del Giudice

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy

O Gallo

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

F Condino

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

G Torchia

Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

A Quattrone

Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy; Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone, Cosenza, Italy

Background

Cerebellar dysfunction is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, neuropsychological studies of this clinical feature are lacking.

Objective

We investigate the neuropsychological features in relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients with and without cerebellar dysfunction.

Methods

Twenty-one RR-MS patients with cerebellar dysfunction (RR-MSc), characterized by prevalent ataxic gait and nystagmus, and 21 RR-MS patients without any cerebellar manifestation (RR-MSnc) pair-matched for demographical and clinical variables were studied. All patients from each group underwent an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. Magnetic resonance imaging analysis included hyperintense fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery lesion load in the whole brain as well as in the four lobes separately.

Results

Any significant differences were detected in total and regional lesion load measurements between the two groups. RR-MSc group performed equally as well as the RR-MSnc group on many of the cognitive exploration measures. Nevertheless, the RR-MSc group performed more poorly than the RR-MSnc group on attention tests (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) and verbal fluency tests (Controlled Oral Word Association Test); neither of the test results proved to be affected by regional lesion loads.

Conclusion

These results highlight the importance of considering cognitive deficits associated with the presence of cerebellar symptoms in RR-MS.

Key Words: attention • cerebellum • cognitive functions • multiple sclerosis • verbal fluency

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 15, No. 7, 854-859 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1352458509104589


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