A recent study showed that 25% of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) suffer from cognitive decline even if they have very subtle if any physical disabilities. As many as 70% of MS patients suffer from cognitive decline (many with physical disabilities as well). The cognitive difficulties may include memory issues, multitasking, and information processing speed. To make the diagnosis of cognitive decline and define which processes are involved traditionally involves lengthy and expensive neuropsychological tests-which are rarely ordered for those reasons.
Even though cognitive decline is so prevalent in MS, it is often overlooked in face of symptoms that you can see, like difficulty with walking and motor weakness. Further, the disability scale that is employed most at MS centers to track disability is the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). This is a lengthy test that has great inter-rater variability (meaning that two clinicians determining the score often derive vastly different results). Further, it requires clinician training which is not even always done by MS specialists, let alone general neurologists or primary care doctors (who treat the majority of MS patients). One fundamental flaw of the EDSS is that the score is heavily weighted toward ambulation, with very little quantitative scoring for cognition. The result is that MS patients suffering with cognitive impairment do not get the support they need to maintain functional living.
The BeCare MS Mobile App has extensive quantitative cognitive testing conducted through gamified activities on the phone as well as subjective symptom questionnaires. The app also has gamified quantitative measurement of ambulation, motor, sensory and cerebellar function, as well as calculation of the EDSS which has been validated at academic instiutions. By using the BeCare MS App, you can track the effectiveness of your both your neurologic and cognitive function, which can help you work with your clinician to determine the next best step. Be empowered; be a driver in your own MS care.