Neuropsychological effects of interferon β-1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Fischer, Jill S.; Priore, Roger L.; Jacobs, Lawrence D.; Cookfair, Diane L.; Rudick, Richard A.; Herndon, Robert M.; Richert, John R.; Salazar, Andres M.; Goodkin, Donald E.; Granger, Carl V.; Simon, Jack H.; Grafman, Jordan H.; Lezak, Muriel D.; O'Reilly Hovey, Kathleen M.; Kawczak Perkins, Katherine; Barilla-Clark, Danielle; Schacter, Mark; Shucard, David W.; Davidson, Anna L.; Wende, Karl E.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), yet few studies have examined effects of treatment on neuropsychological (NP) performance. To evaluate the effects of interferon β-1a (IFNβ-1a, 30 μg administered intramuscularly once weekly [Avonex]) on cognitive function, a Comprehensive NP Battery was administered at baseline and week 104 to relapsing MS patients in the phase III study, 166 of whom completed both assessments. A Brief NP Battery was also administered at 6-month intervals. The primary NP outcome measure was 2-year change on the Comprehensive NP Battery, grouped into domains of information processing and learning/memory (set A), visuospatial abilities and problem solving (set B), and verbal abilities and attention span (set C). NP effects were most pronounced in cognitive domains vulnerable to MS: IFNβ-1a had a significant beneficial effect on the set A composite, with a favorable trend evident on set B. Secondary outcome analyses revealed significant between-group differences in slopes for Brief NP Battery performance and time to sustained deterioration in a Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test processing rate, favoring the IFNβ-1a group. These results support and extend previous observations of significant beneficial effects of IFNβ-1a for relapsing MS. Ann Neurol 2000;48:885-892

Annals of Neurology, 2000, Vol 48, Issue 6, p885

0364-5134

Academic Journal