Cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders among multiple sclerosis patients from Latin America: Results of the RELACCEM study.

Background: Cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms impact many aspects of the lives of people with multiple sclerosis [MS]. This literature is based largely on North American and Western European samples, and little is known about these aspects of MS disability in Latin America.

Objective: RELACCEM is a longitudinal, multicenter study including MS centers in Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, Uruguay and Mexico. The goal is to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment (two or more cognitive domains under the 5th percentile of healthy controls performance) and the full range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in these regions, and how these symptoms relate to caregiver burden and employment.

Methods: Participants were 110 patients with relapsing-remitting [RR] course and less than five years of disease duration. Thirty-four healthy controls were also recruited. All participants were evaluated in one of 14 specialized centers.

Results: In additional to overall neurological disability, both cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms distinguished patients and controls. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 34.5% and 20.9% presented with clinically significant neuropsychiatric symptomatology. Cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of employment status.

Conclusions: This is the first multicenter epidemiological study of MS-associated cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Latin America. Results indicate that cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric decline symptoms, fatigue, depression and caregiver burden are already apparent at an early stage of the disease. The presence of neuropsychiatric abnormalities indicates the need for appropriate interventions as early as possible to mitigate psychosocial consequences of caregiver burden.