Bridging cognitive gaps: development of novel diagnostic criteria for MCI in Multiple Sclerosis
type: CreativeWork
description: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by both inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes, predominantly affecting young adults. Cognitive impairment is a common but often underrecognized symptom of MS, affecting approximately 40% to 70% of patients. This impairment significantly reduces personal autonomy, limits work performance, and hinders active social participation, underscoring the need for early identification and effective management strategies. This PhD thesis aims to develop and validate specific diagnostic criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) tailored to the MS population (MS-MCI). Additionally, it seeks to characterize the cognitive impairments associated with MS, identify specific cognitive patterns and predictors, and investigate the role of mood, fatigue, cognitive reserve, and self-perception of cognitive difficulties in determining the MS-MCI diagnosis. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was conducted on a cohort of 229 MS patients, encompassing tests across multiple cognitive domains, including memory, attention, executive functions, language, and visuospatial abilities. Self-report questionnaires assessing fatigue, mood, cognitive reserve, and cognitive self-perception were also administered. Statistical analyses were performed to validate the MS-MCI criteria and to identify cognitive patterns and significant predictors of cognitive impairment. The findings demonstrated the utility and sensitivity of the newly developed MS-MCI criteria in capturing the nuanced spectrum of cognitive impairment among individuals with MS. A higher prevalence of cognitive impairment was revealed compared to previous reports, with impairments spanning language, memory, attention, executive functions, and visuospatial abilities. Notably, language functions emerged as particularly vulnerable, highlighting the necessity of including language-specific assessments in standard MS evaluations. A…
abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by both inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes, predominantly affecting young adults. Cognitive impairment is a common but often underrecognized symptom of MS, affecting approximately 40% to 70% of patients. This impairment significantly reduces personal autonomy, limits work performance, and hinders active social participation, underscoring the need for early identification and effective management strategies. This PhD thesis aims to develop and validate specific diagnostic criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) tailored to the MS population (MS-MCI). Additionally, it seeks to characterize the cognitive impairments associated with MS, identify specific cognitive patterns and predictors, and investigate the role of mood, fatigue, cognitive reserve, and self-perception of cognitive difficulties in determining the MS-MCI diagnosis. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was conducted on a cohort of 229 MS patients, encompassing tests across multiple cognitive domains, including memory, attention, executive functions, language, and visuospatial abilities. Self-report questionnaires assessing fatigue, mood, cognitive reserve, and cognitive self-perception were also administered. Statistical analyses were performed to validate the MS-MCI criteria and to identify cognitive patterns and significant predictors of cognitive impairment. The findings demonstrated the utility and sensitivity of the newly developed MS-MCI criteria in capturing the nuanced spectrum of cognitive impairment among individuals with MS. A higher prevalence of cognitive impairment was revealed compared to previous reports, with impairments spanning language, memory, attention, executive functions, and visuospatial abilities. Notably, language functions emerged as particularly vulnerable, highlighting the necessity of including language-specific assessments in standard MS evaluations. A…
author: CARTA, ELISA
language: eng
keywords: Settore MED/26 - Neurologia
date published: 2025-02-12T00:00:00+01:00
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:29:55Z
provider: Università di Cagliari
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Università degli Studi di Cagliari

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/11584/437925