General cognitive decline has frequently been described in multiple sclerosis literature. Specific predictors of memory decline have yet to be determined. Furthermore, general cognitive differences...Show moreGeneral cognitive decline has frequently been described in multiple sclerosis literature. Specific predictors of memory decline have yet to be determined. Furthermore, general cognitive differences between sexes have already been determined in MS. However, relatively little is known about sex differences in specific memory functioning and its decline over time. The aims of this paper were to identify sex differences in memory functioning in MS patients’ latest and second to latest visits to a MS clinic, and to identify predicting factors of memory decline in MS. This was a longitudinal cohort study of retrospective nature in which data was obtained from 253 MS patients (26.5 % male, 73.5% female, mean age in years = 53.9, mean disease duration in years = 17.3, SD = 10.2SD = 13.2, 8.8% had primary progressive MS, 30.3% had secondary progressive MS, 60.2% had relapse remitting MS, and the phenotype of 0.7% was unknown) in an MS rehabilitation center in Belgium. Verbal memory functioning was determined with the use of two subtests of the Buschke Selective Reminding Test. Visuospatial memory was determined with the Spatial Recall Test (SPART). To determine if patients were impaired in memory functioning at baseline, a cutoff score of 1.5SD or lower compared to the norm group was used. Patients that showed a decline in memory scores of >0.25SD per year were defined as “declining”. Our results showed that more women than men were impaired on all memory tests at their latest visit. Furthermore, patients declining on visual memory were found to perceive more pain and discomfort (p = .017, Cohen’s d = .730), problems in daily activities (p = .038, Cohen’s d = .632), and experienced more problems with selfcare (p = .035, Cohen’s d = .641). Moreover, patients declining on verbal memory showed more signs of depressive thoughts (p = .025, Cohen’s d = .816) and anxiety (p = .013, Cohen’s d = .828). The current research was successful in identifying differences between men and women at their latest visit, although we were not able to identify predicting factors of memory decline. Furthermore, we were successful in depicting cognitive differences between declining and non- declining MS patients. Future research should elaborate on the effect of depression, anxiety, quality of life, and possibly fatigue, on memory decline. Additionally, predictors of decline should be identified to eventually improve the care of MS patients and consequently decrease their rate of cognitive deterioration.Show less
