Affiliations: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen,
Germany | Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain
Research, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany | Department of Neurology, St. Johannes Hospital, Hagen,
Germany | Swiss Epilepsy Center, Zurich, Switzerland | Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Bayer Pharma
Research Center, Wuppertal, Germany
Note: [] Corresponding author: Pedro M. Faustmann, Faculty of Medicine,
Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Ruhr-University of
Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. Tel.: +49 234 32
24405; Fax: +49 234 32 14089; E-mail: pedro.m.faustmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Abstract: Cognitive and emotional capabilities were evaluated in 73 female
patients with stable relapsing-remitting definite, and/or laboratory-supported
multiple sclerosis (MS) and were compared with 32 matched healthy controls.
Patients were categorized according to their score in the expanded disability
status scale (EDSS) to either no (EDSS 0, n = 33) or few clinical signs (EDSS
1–2, n = 40) of MS without physical disability. Patients with EDSS > 0 were characterized by significantly (p
< 0.001) higher scores on "von Zerssen's" depression scale, compared to
controls. Patients with higher EDSS scores (1–2) showed significantly
decreased performance with respect to the total score of Kimura's
Recurring-Figures-Test (p < 0.001), in addition. Regarding
visuo-constructive functioning, patients with EDSS=0 performed to a
significantly lower level (p < 0.001), compared to controls. These results indicate that depression may present as an early sign
in MS followed by cognitive impairment, in particular visuo-spatial short-term
memory, before physical disability appears. Neuropsychological tests as
mentioned here could serve as early diagnostic tools to detect subtle disease
progression and to initiate and monitor disease modifying therapies.
