Among people suffering from multiple sclerosis, cognitive impairments are common, affecting one’s full quality of life and daily functioning.
In a new study, researchers at the Kessler Foundation conducted a comprehensive review of recent developments in treatment interventions for cognitive impairment caused by the condition. Their study appears in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Reviews Neurology.
“Cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training have been identified as possible candidates for treating MS-related cognitive impairment; however, cognitive dysfunction is still often considered to be poorly managed in patients with MS,” the co-authors explained in their findings.
“This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the treatment and management of cognitive impairment in people with MS.”
In their study, researchers lay out the challenges facing experts involved in research, theoretical rationales, and advancements in the treatment and rehabilitation of MS-induced cognitive impairment.
Researchers established the significance of exercise training as a treatment intervention for cognitive impairment, a purported better option than pharmacological approaches, which lack evidence at the present time.
“We also discuss future directions for research into the treatment of cognitive impairment in MS that should set the stage for the inclusion of cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training into clinical practice within the next decade,” the co-authors also stated in their findings.
The study, titled Treatment and management of cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis, was led by John DeLuca, Nancy Chiaravalloti, and Brian Sandroff.
