Prospective memory and the efficacy of a memory strategy in multiple sclerosis.

Prospective memory (PM), which is the ability to remember to carry out actions that are planned for the future, plays an important role in professional and social life as well as in activities of daily living. This study examined PM performance among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and evaluated the efficacy of a mnemonic strategy, implementation intentions. Compared to controls, adults with MS were impaired on PM, both in terms of acting when encountering the correct circumstances (prospective component) and in terms of remembering the correct action to perform (retrospective component).

Recognizing and treating common psychiatric disorders in multiple sclerosis.

Background: The rate of depression and other psychiatric disorders is greater in multiple sclerosis (MS) than in other chronic conditions or neurologic diseases. This means that clinical neurologists seeing MS patients will frequently be engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric distress.

Review Summary: This review provides a summary of what is known about psychiatric dysfunction in MS.

Initial construct validation of frequently employed ANAM measures through structural equation modeling.

ANAM measures were based on procedures used in both clinical and performance assessment. This paper reviews data from studies designed to delineate specific neurocognitive functions assessed by more commonly used ANAM measures. Data are brought together from both exploratory and confirmatory analyses.

The use of ANAM to assess the side-effect profiles and efficacy of medication.

Cognition has become increasingly important as an outcome measure in studies of medication. Traditional neuropsychological assessment is limited in its ability to detect subtle, medication-related changes and it is not suitable for the rapid serial assessment required in most clinical trials. Thus, investigators have turned to computerized neuropsychological assessment for its repeatability, sensitivity to subtle cognitive changes, and ease of administration.

Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: Assessment, imaging, and risk factors.

Up to 70% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience cognitive dysfunction during the course of their disease. The most often affected domains are attention, memory, and information processing speed. Sequelae of cognitive dysfunction include negative effects on activities of daily living, employment, and relationships.

Depression and multiple sclerosis: Review of a lethal combination.

Depression is the most frequent psychiatric disorder in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The etiology of depression is multifactorial and likely associated with psychosocial stress, focal demyelinating lesions, and immune dysfunction. Proper diagnosis and severity assessment are critical prior to initiation of therapy.

Desloratadine for allergic rhinitis.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) affect up to 40% of the population (depending on geographical area), and are associated with significant morbidity, socioeconomic costs and reductions in quality of life. Antihistamines are a first-line therapy, with newer nonsedating agents having superseded sedating first-generation drugs. Desloratadine is a nonsedating, nonimpairing antihistamine that is effective in relieving nasal and non-nasal symptoms of SAR and PAR, including nasal congestion.

A comparison of the effect of diphenhydramine and desloratadine on vigilance and cognitive function during treatment of ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis.

Background: Decrements in cognitive performance are associated with the use of sedating antihistamines. Most, but not all, second-generation antihistamines have been found to be nonsedating.

Objective: To examine the central nervous system (CNS) profile of a new second-generation antihistamine, desloratadine.

Decrements in vigilance and cognitive functioning associated with ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis.

Background And Objective: The adverse effects of untreated seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) on performance in the workplace, school, and home are poorly understood. To delineate more clearly the impact and consequences of the disease on performance, the effect of symptomatic AR on vigilance and a wide range of cognitive functions was investigated.

Methods: A battery of automated neuropsychological tests was administered to asymptomatic adult subjects with histories of AR.