Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis scores are associated with the cortical thickness of specific cortical areas in relapsing-remitting patients

Abstract

Background: Cognitive impairment is frequent and disabling in multiple sclerosis (MS). The Brief International Cognitive Assessment in MS (BICAMS) is a recent short battery usable in clinical practice for cognitive evaluation of MS patients.

Objective: To find cortical areas or brain volumes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) structural sequences associated with BICAMS scores in MS.

Methods: In this cross-sectional single-center study (NCT03656055, September 4, 2018), 96 relapsing remitting-MS patients under natalizumab and without recent clinical or radiological inflammation were included. Patients underwent brain MRI and the three BICAMS tests, evaluating information processing speed (SDMT), visuo-spatial memory (BVMT-R), and verbal memory (FVLT).

Results: Cortical thickness in the left frontal superior and the right precentral gyri was associated with BVMT-R scores whereas cortical thickness in the left Broca's area and the right superior temporal gyrus was associated with FVLT scores. We observed associations between white matter inflammatory lesions connected to these cortical regions and BICAMS subscores.

Conclusions: BICAMS scores are associated with specific cortical areas, the cognitive domain matching the known functions of the cortical area. Specific cognitive impairments in MS may be associated with specific cortical regions, themselves influenced by white matter inflammatory lesions and demographical parameters (age, sex, education level).

Keywords: BICAMS; Cognition; MRI; Multiple sclerosis; Tractography.