A third of RRMS patients experience cognitive impairments, study finds

Around one-third of people living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience cognitive impairments, an Australian review of 50 previously published studies has revealed.

This review indicates that cognitive issues may be slightly less prevalent in relapsing remitting MS than previously thought, with earlier estimates ranging from about 40% to 65%. The data from nearly 6,000

Milena Gandy, PhD, the senior author of the study and a clinical psychologist and researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, believes these findings will provide newly diagnosed MS patients with a clearer understanding of what they might expect. “When someone [receives] any new diagnosis, it is natural to search for information, and while it’s important to know there is a risk, seeing such a wide‑ranging figure as 40 to 65 percent hasn’t been helpful because it makes it easy to think the worst,” she explains.

“This not only gives patients a more realistic idea of their risk level, but also lets them know what to look out for, what can be done, and to plan better for the future,” she said.