Cognitive Function Testing for Multiple Sclerosis: Why Do It? And When?

Memory problems, slowed thinking, and mental fatigue are common in people with MS. Cognitive testing can identify problems so solutions can be found.

By Don RaufMedically Reviewed by Samuel Mackenzie, MD, PhD
Last Updated: July 1, 2019

Neuropsychologists use a variety of tests to look for cognitive deficits in people with MS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is well known for causing physical symptoms, such as numbness, spasticity, and loss of balance. It is less well recognized as a cause of cognitive impairment, even though up to two-thirds of the people who have MS develop problems with thinking, learning, and memory, according to an article published in the journal Cerebrum.

“When people are diagnosed with MS, doctors may focus on the physical symptoms and how to treat them, but what is often ignored are the cognitive problems people with MS experience: memory issues, thinking more slowly, and mental fatigue,” says Helen Genova, PhD, assistant director of the Kessler Foundation’s Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research in New Jersey.

“All of these symptoms can have a negative impact on the person, and can affect their daily lives in a significant way,” Dr. Genova says.

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In particular, cognitive function is a major predictor of employment status among people with MS.

But leaving the workforce doesn’t have to be an automatic consequence of developing MS. In at least some cases, cognitive rehabilitation and learning ways to compensate for cognitive deficits can keep a person functioning at the job, at home, and socially.

This is where cognitive function testing comes in, to discern which cognitive functions are affected and what forms of rehabilitation might help.

Cognitive problems can be subtle at first, notes the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Individuals may have difficulty finding the right words, making decisions, following conversations, and performing tasks.

Memory, problem-solving, abstract reasoning, and visual-spatial abilities can all be affected.

“In individuals with MS, the white matter tracts [fibers] become compromised, and therefore connections throughout the brain are not as efficient,” says Brittany LeMonda, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

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