Cognitive trajectories in 4 patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis: serial evaluation over a decade

Neuropsychological performances, quality of life, and psychological issues in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis: a narrative review

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is primarily a disease diagnosed in young and middle-aged adults. Although MS is a rare condition in pediatric age, an increasing rate of patients is diagnosed under the age of 18. The disabling nature of the disease cannot be reduced only to physical symptoms. Several additional symptoms such as cognitive impairment, fatigue, and psychological symptoms are common features of pediatric MS. The reviewed literature suggests that, despite the lower physical disability, children and adolescents diagnosed with MS are vulnerable to cognitive impairment even in the early stage of the disease. The neuropsychological profile of pediatric MS may resemble that of adult MS, including an impairment in attention/information processing speed, learning, verbal, and visuospatial memory. However, cognitive difficulties in children and adolescents are more likely to involve also general intelligence and linguistic abilities, presumably due to patients' younger age and cognitive growth stage. Cognitive difficulties, beyond physical disability and relapses, may have a considerable impact on learning and school achievement. Depression and fatigue are other highly prevalent disturbances in pediatric MS and may contribute to patients' low functional outcomes. Overall, these manifestations may cause considerable functional impairment on daily activities and quality of life that may require individualized rehabilitative treatment and extensive psychosocial care. Additional neuropsychological research evaluating larger samples, using more homogenous methods, and exploring the role of MS treatment on cognitive and psychological development is required.

Language impairments in people with autoimmune neurological diseases: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Autoimmune neurological diseases (ANDs) are a specific type of autoimmune disease that affect cells within the central and peripheral nervous system. ANDs trigger various physical/neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, language impairments in people with ANDs are not well characterized. Here we aimed to determine the kinds of language impairment that most commonly emerge in 10 ANDs, the characteristics of the patients (demographic, neurological damage), and the assessment methods used.

METHODS

We followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). PubMed and Google Scholar were searched. We used a list of search terms containing 10 types of ANDs (e.g., multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis) in combination with the terms aphasia, dysphasia, fluency, language, listening, morphology, phonology, pragmatics, reading, semantics, speaking, syntax, writing. The reference lists and citations of the relevant papers were also investigated. The type of AND, patient characteristics, neurological damage and examination technique, language tests administered, and main findings were noted for each study meeting the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

We found 171 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. These comprised group studies and case studies. Language impairments differed largely among types of ANDs. Neurological findings were mentioned in most of the papers, but specific language tests were rarely used.

CONCLUSIONS

Language symptoms in people with ANDs are commonly reported. These are often not full descriptions or only focus on specific time points in the course of the disease. Future research needs to assess specific language functions in people with ANDs and relate their language impairments to brain damage at different stages of disease evolution.

Auditory central pathways in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease. Auditory evoked potential studies have demonstrated conduction and neural processing deficits in adults with MS, but little is known about the electrophysiological responses in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the central auditory pathway with brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and long-latency auditory evoked potentials (LLAEP) in children and adolescents with MS.

METHODS

The study comprised 17 individuals with MS, of both sexes, aged 9 to 18 years, and 17 healthy volunteers, matched for age and sex. All individuals had normal hearing and no middle ear impairments. They were assessed with click-BAEP and LLAEP through oddball paradigm and tone-burst stimuli.

RESULTS

Abnormal responses were observed in 60% of electrophysiologic assessments of individuals with MS. In BAEP, 58.82% of MS patients had abnormal responses, with longer wave V latency and therefore longer III-V and I-V interpeak latencies than healthy volunteers. In LLAEP, 52.94% of MS patients had abnormal responses. Although statistical differences were found only in P2-N2 amplitude, MS patients had longer latencies and smaller amplitudes than healthy volunteers in all components.

CONCLUSION

Children and adolescents with MS had abnormal BAEP responses, with delayed neural conduction between the cochlear nucleus and the lateral lemniscus. Also, abnormal LLAEP results suggest a decrease in neural processing speed and auditory sensory discrimination response.

Association between intelligence quotient scores and body mass index in pediatric multiple sclerosis

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and intelligence quotient scores (IQ). The sample included 11 patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis between 8 and 17 years, mean age 14.45 years (SD = 2.69). The BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children V and the Abbreviated Weschler Intelligence Scale were used to measure total IQ. Average sample BMI and IQ were 24.61 (SD = 5.53) (range: 19-39.4) and 86.63 (SD = 14.79) (range: 66-111), respectively. Results of the Pearson correlation indicated that there was a significant negative association between BMI and IQ, (r = -0.608, p = 0.042). R-squared was 0.370. We discuss if lower IQ lead to BMI gains or whether overweight/obesity lead to intellectual functioning changes. Implication for practice and future research are presented.

Cognitive Issues in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the leading causes of disability in young adults. The onset of MS during developmental age makes pediatric patients particularly susceptible to cognitive impairment, resulting from both disease-related damage and failure of age-expected brain growth. Despite different test batteries and definitions, cognitive impairment has been consistently reported in approximately one-third of pediatric patients with MS. However, the lack of a uniform definition of cognitive impairment and the adoption of different test batteries have led to divergent results in terms of cognitive domains more frequently affected across the cohorts explored. This heterogeneity has hampered large international collaborative studies. Moreover, research aimed at the identification of risk factors (e.g., demographic, clinical, and radiological features) or protective factors (e.g., cognitive reserve, leisure activities) for cognitive decline is still scanty. Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, can be detected in these patients alongside cognitive decline or in isolation, and can negatively affect quality of life scores as well as academic performances. By using MRI, cognitive impairment was attributed to damage to specific brain compartments as well as to abnormal network activation patterns. However, multimodal MRI studies are still needed in order to assess the contribution of each MRI metric to cognitive impairment. Importantly, longitudinal studies have recently demonstrated failure of age-expected brain growth and of white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) maturation plays a relevant role in determining cognitive dysfunction, in addition to MS-related direct damage. Whether these growth retardations might result in specific cognitive profiles according to the age at disease onset has not been studied, yet. A better characterization of cognitive profiles in pediatric MS patients, as well as the definition of neuroanatomical substrates of cognitive impairment and their longitudinal evolution are needed to develop efficient therapeutic strategies against cognitive impairment in this patient population.

[Methodological issues of cognitive impairment studies in pediatric multiple sclerosis patients]

The article provides a review of the characteristics of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) and methods for its assessment in children. The features of the most frequently used neuropsychological batteries, with consideration of specifics of cognitive impairment in MS, and data on assessment of a state of cognitive functions obtained using neuropsychological tests are presented. The authors also discuss the issue of a long-term impact of the disease on a state of cognitive functions. Clinical factors, which can lead to cognitive impairment (type of multiple sclerosis, age at manifestation, number of relapses), are described.

Recommendations for cognitive screening and management in multiple sclerosis care

Purpose:

To promote understanding of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS), recommend optimal screening, monitoring, and treatment strategies, and address barriers to optimal management.

Methods:

The National MS Society (“Society”) convened experts in cognitive dysfunction (clinicians, researchers, and lay people with MS) to review the published literature, reach consensus on optimal strategies for screening, monitoring, and treating cognitive changes, and propose strategies to address barriers to optimal care.

Recommendations:

Based on current evidence, the Society makes the following recommendations, endorsed by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the International Multiple Sclerosis Cognition Society:

Cognitive and Behavioral Functioning in Childhood Acquired Demyelinating Syndromes

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to describe cognitive, academic, and psychosocial outcomes after an incident demyelinating event (acquired demyelinating syndromes, ADS) in childhood and to investigate the contribution of brain lesions and confirmed MS diagnosis on outcome.

METHODS

Thirty-six patients with ADS (mean age=12.2 years, SD=2.7, range: 7-16 years) underwent brain MRI scans at presentation and at 6-months follow-up. T2-weighted lesions on MRI were assessed using a binary classification. At 6-months follow-up, patients underwent neuropsychological evaluation and were compared with 42 healthy controls.

RESULTS

Cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes did not differ between the patients with ADS and controls. Three of 36 patients (8.3%) were identified with cognitive impairment, as determined by performance falling ≤1.5 SD below normative values on more than four independent tests in the battery. Poor performance on a visuomotor integration task was most common, observed among 6/32 patients, but this did not differ significantly from controls. Twelve of 36 patients received a diagnosis of MS within 3 years post-ADS. Patients with MS did not differ from children with monophasic ADS in terms of cognitive performance at the 6-months follow-up. Fatigue symptoms were reported in 50% of patients, irrespective of MS diagnosis. Presence of brain lesions at onset and 6 months post-incident demyelinating event did not associate with cognitive outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with ADS experience a favorable short-term neurocognitive outcome, even those confirmed to have MS. Longitudinal evaluations of children with monophasic ADS and MS are required to determine the possibility of late-emerging sequelae and their time course. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1050-1060).

Systematic Review of Cognitive Dysfunction in Pediatric and Juvenile Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Cognitive dysfunction is a common finding in individuals with multiple sclerosis at all ages. Cognitive impairment may drastically affect the life of younger patients with multiple sclerosis who are still undergoing education and schooling.

METHODS

We carried out a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations to assess the published data on multiple sclerosis and cognition in pediatric or juvenile patients. Only articles presenting original data on patients with multiple sclerosis diagnosed before age 18 years of age were included.

RESULTS

Thirty-two articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The conclusion from all articles was that cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis starting before the age of 18 years is both significant and disruptive and must be routinely assessed. However, assessment methods were heterogeneous and often very expensive to perform, whereas proposals for treatment were virtually absent in the literature.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive dysfunction can be a significant symptom of multiple sclerosis of early onset, but its impact and management needs to be better assessed. A task force should be created to study and manage cognitive dysfunction in pediatric and juvenile multiple sclerosis.

Recovery From Central Nervous System Acute Demyelination in Children

BACKGROUND

Few prospective studies have systematically evaluated the extent of recovery from incident acquired demyelinating syndromes (ADS) of the central nervous system in children.

METHODS

In a national cohort study of pediatric ADS, severity of the incident attack and extent of recovery by 12 months were evaluated. Annual evaluations were used to determine current diagnoses (monophasic ADS or multiple sclerosis [MS]) and new deficits.

RESULTS

Of 283 children, 244 (86%) required hospitalization for a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 6 (3-10) days, and 184 had moderate or severe deficits; 41 children were profoundly encephalopathic, 129 were unable to ambulate independently, and 59 with optic neuritis (ON) had moderately or severely impaired vision. Those with transverse myelitis (TM) and patients with monophasic disease were more likely to have moderate or severe deficits at onset. Twenty-seven children (10%) did not experience full neurologic recovery from their incident attack; 12 have severe residual deficits. Monophasic illness, TM, and moderate or severe deficits at onset were associated with poor recovery. After a median (IQR) follow-up of 5.06 (3.41-6.97) years, 59 children (21%) were diagnosed with MS; all recovered fully from their incident ADS attacks, although 6 subsequently acquired irreversible deficits after a median (IQR) observation period of 5.93 (4.01-7.02) years.

CONCLUSIONS

ADS is a serious illness, with 86% of affected Canadian children requiring hospitalization. More than 90% of children recovered physically from their ADS event, including those children experiencing onset of MS. However, permanent visual or spinal cord impairment occurred in some children with ON or TM.

Age of onset as a moderator of cognitive decline in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis

Cognitive impairment is often reported in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS). Using serial cognitive data from 35 individuals with pediatric-onset MS, this study examined how age at disease-onset and proxies of cognitive reserve may impact cognitive maturation over the course of childhood and adolescence. Neuropsychological evaluations were conducted at baseline and up to four more assessments. Of the 35 participants, 7 completed only one assessment, 5 completed two assessments, 13 completed three assessments, 10 completed four or more assessments. Growth curve modeling was used to assess longitudinal trajectories on the Trail Making Test-Part B (TMT-B) and the Symbol Digit Modalities (SDMT; oral version) and to examine how age at disease onset, baseline Full Scale IQ, and social status may moderate rate of change on these measures. Mean number of evaluations completed per patient was 2.8. Younger age at disease onset was associated with a greater likelihood of cognitive decline on both the TMT-B (p=.001) and SDMT (p=.005). Baseline IQ and parental social status did not moderate any of the cognitive trajectories. Findings suggest that younger age at disease-onset increases the vulnerability for disrupted performance on measures of information processing, visual scanning, perceptual/motor speed, and working memory. Proxies of cognitive reserve did not protect against the progression of decline on these measures. Young patients with MS should be advised to seek follow-up cognitive evaluation to assess cognitive maturation and to screen for the potential late emergence of cognitive deficits. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1-9).

Cognitive dysfunction in pediatric multiple sclerosis

Cognitive and neuropsychological impairments are well documented in adult multiple sclerosis (MS). Research has only recently focused on cognitive disabilities in pediatric cases, highlighting some differences between pediatric and adult cases. Impairments in several functions have been reported in children, particularly in relation to attention, processing speed, visual-motor skills, and language. Language seems to be particularly vulnerable in pediatric MS, unlike in adults in whom it is usually preserved. Deficits in executive functions, which are considered MS-specific in adults, have been inconsistently reported in children. In children, as compared to adults, the relationship between cognitive dysfunctions and the two other main symptoms of MS, fatigue and psychiatric disorders, was poorly explored. Furthermore, data on the correlations of cognitive impairments with clinical and neuroimaging features are scarce in children, and the results are often incongruent; interestingly, involvement of corpus callosum and reduced thalamic volume differentiated patients identified as having a cognitive impairment from those without a cognitive impairment. Further studies about pediatric MS are needed in order to better understand the impact of the disease on brain development and the resulting effect on cognitive functions, particularly with respect to different therapeutic strategies.