Phonemic processing is below expectations and linked to word-finding difficulty in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Word-finding difficulty is prevalent but poorly understood in persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Objective: The objective was to investigate our hypothesis that phonological processing ability is below expectations and related to word-finding difficulty in patients with RRMS.

Method: Data were analyzed from patients with RRMS ( = 50) on patient-reported word-finding difficulty (PR-WFD) and objective performance on Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) Phonemic Proficiency (PP; analysis of phonemes within words), Word Reading (WR; proxy of premorbid literacy and verbal ability), and Sentence Repetition (SR; auditory processing of word-level information).

Depression symptoms and cognition in multiple sclerosis: Longitudinal evidence of a specific link to executive control.

Background: Depression symptoms are prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) and associated with poorer cognition in cross-sectional studies; it is unknown whether changes in depression symptoms track with cognitive changes longitudinally.

Objective: Investigate whether changes in depression symptoms correspond with cognitive changes over time in MS, and identify specific cognitive functions related to depression symptoms.

Method: Persons with early relapse-onset MS ( = 165) completed a depression questionnaire (Beck Depression Inventory FastScreen) and tests of cognitive speed, executive control, and memory at baseline and 3-year follow-up.