Cognitive impairment among patients with multiple sclerosis: associations with employment and quality of life
- 10 August 2016
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Postgraduate Medical Journal
- Vol. 93 (1097), 143-147
- https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2016-134071
Abstract
Objectives To explore the relationship between cognitive impairment and conventional measures of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), quality of life (QOL) and employment status using the brief international cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis (BICAMS) in the routine outpatient clinic. Methods 62 patients with MS were assessed on the BICAMS test battery for cognitive impairment. Data were obtained on employment status and a number of questionnaires completed including fatigue severity score, multiple sclerosis neuropsychological questionnaire, hospital anxiety and depression scale, the functional assessment of multiple sclerosis (FAMS) as well as on the EuroQOL five dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D). Other assessments include the patient activation measure and unidimensional self-efficacy scale for multiple sclerosis. Results Cognitive assessment revealed 44 subjects (65%) had evidence of cognitive impairment on formal testing. In comparison with patients without evidence of cognitive impairment, cognitively impaired patients exhibited significantly higher rates of unemployment (p=0.009). The symbol digits modalities test was the most significant predictor of unemployment. Cognitive impairment was associated with lower QOL scores on the FAMS (p=0.001) and EQ-5D (pConclusions BICAMS provides a sensitive and easy to administer screening test for cognitive impairment within the outpatient setting. Cognitive impairment is common in our cohort of patients with MS attending outpatients and appears to be associated with increased rates of unemployment and lower measures of QOL.Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- Comparison of the psychometric properties of two fatigue scales in multiple sclerosis.Rehabilitation Psychology, 2012
- Recommendations for a Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS)Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 2011
- Unemployment in multiple sclerosis: the contribution of personality and diseaseMultiple Sclerosis Journal, 2011
- Cognition in multiple sclerosisCurrent Opinion in Neurology, 2011
- The utility of regression-based norms in interpreting the minimal assessment of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis (MACFIMS)Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2009
- Costs and quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis in EuropeJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2006
- EQ-SD: a measure of health status from the EuroQol GroupAnnals of Medicine, 2001
- Validation of the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis quality of life instrumentNeurology, 1996
- Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosisNeurology, 1983
- The Hospital Anxiety and Depression ScaleActa Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1983