French consensus procedure for neuropsychological assessment in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is one of the invisible symptoms of Multiple sclerosis (MS), which could be associated with depression, unemployment, reduced social interaction, inability to drive, and compromised quality of life. Moreover, the presence of cognitive impairment can be considered as a long-term prognostic factor and in the follow-up of disability. So, cognitive assessment is a crucial element in clinical follow-up of patients with MS (pwMS). International recommendations mention the use of the Brief International Cognitive Assessment in MS (BICAMS). The BICAMS, that has been recently validated in French is a brief non-exhaustive assessment, developed as a short screening battery, hence needing other supplemented tests. The present paper aims to propose a consensus, approved by expert French consensus from the Cognition group of the SF-SEP (http://sfsep.org [Société Francophone de la Sclérose en Plaques]), for cognitive assessment of pwMS suggesting the tools that should be used in order to apprehend the other cognitive impairments that could appear in MS.

Keywords: Cognitive assessment; French consensus; Multiple sclerosis.