Cognitive Monitoring of a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune disease characterized by demyelination, inflammation, and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Between 30% and 50% of individuals with MS have cognitive impairment. Thus, the process of cognitive rehabilitation aims to enable the patient to live, reduce, and/or overcome the cognitive deficits of the disease. This study reports the experience of an undergraduate psychology extension project that implemented cognitive monitoring with a patient suffering from MS. Initially, the patient submitted to a neuropsychological assessment that identified deficits and preserved cognitive functions. The evaluation also showed deficits in long-term memory, lexical comprehension, arithmetic understanding, and learning. Subsequently, the patient received weekly cognitive monitoring for a period of six months. After the monitoring period, the patient made a neuropsychological reassessment in which a significant improvement in long-term memory and arithmetic understanding was found. Although the other results remained unchanged, this study shows that cognitive monitoring can have a positive impact on patients with MS. It also shows how the experience of an extension project can assist in the training of psychology students.

Multiple Sclerosis; Cognitive Therapy; Multiple Sclerosis; Reahabilitation