Dr. DeLuca added that patients with MS who have low cognitive reserve show greater impairment in cognition than those with high cognitive reserve, despite displaying similar levels of brain atrophy on MRI. “People who develop a brain that’s more resistant to the expression of MS will be much less likely to show these cognitive problems,” he said.
This finding has significant implications for the cognitive rehabilitation of patients with MS. Patients might build cognitive reserve through intellectual hobbies such as reading, art, and music, as well as by engaging in aerobic exercise.
For a young person diagnosed with MS, “building a cognitive reserve is going to be the very backbone of cognitive rehabilitation,” said Dr. DeLuca. “It may not be protective against disease progression, but it could be protective against the expression of the disease.”
Dr. DeLuca emphasized that cognitive rehabilitation influences the family life, employment, social relationships, and everyday life of patients. “Cognitive interventions can have a profound effect on the life of persons with MS, and that’s something we really need to focus on,” he concluded.
—Lauren LeBano
Click here to listen to an accompanying audio interview.