| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRUNO BROCHET | + 2251 word(s) | 2251 | 2022-01-07 04:37:45 | | | |
| 2 | Lindsay Dong | Meta information modification | 2251 | 2022-01-26 02:14:51 | | | | |
| 3 | Lindsay Dong | Meta information modification | 2251 | 2022-01-26 02:15:25 | | | | |
| 4 | Lindsay Dong | Meta information modification | 2251 | 2022-03-28 04:18:45 | | |
Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) is the most promising approach for treating multiple sclerosis (MS)-related cognitive impairment (CI), despite important methodological shortcomings. CR programs could include techniques designed to improve specific domains of cognitive function such as memory, attention, or executive functions, but they can also include psychotherapy targeting emotional symptoms, behavioral interventions, and interventions targeting psychomotor issues such as motor–cognitive interference.
After an initial pilot study dedicated to the modified-story memory technique (mSMT)-based rehabilitation method [13], which is basically an imagery- and context-based memory retraining program, Chiaravalloti et al. [14] conducted a pivotal study on a larger sample (86 patients) with a positive result on the main criterion, the learning slope of an NP test of EM (California Verbal Learning Test-second edition, CVLT-II), and a positive effect on Functional Assessment of MS (FAMS), an assessment of HR-QoL, as a secondary endpoint. These positive results were maintained at the remote evaluation performed six months after treatment. The second primary endpoint assessing everyday objective memory (RBMT) was also significantly more improved in the treated group than in the control group but with a small effect size. This study did not show any efficacy of booster sessions.
A study compared a 13-week individual NP rehabilitation program in a large sample of patients (99) with no intervention [17][18]. The primary endpoint of this study was the subjective perception of deficits using the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ). A greater improvement of this score was observed in the rehabilitated group compared to the control group. Regarding the NP tests, such as the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), which was the second primary outcome, and the other tests of the Brief-Repeatable Battery (BRB), no significant improvement was observed, except for the Trial Making Test-A (TMT-A). Note that the intervention’s total duration in this partially negative study was much lower than in the other two individual multidomain studies (780 min versus 3600 and 2250 min).
The REACTIV study was launched to demonstrate the superiority of a specific CR program (REACTIV) over nonspecific intervention (NSI) for NP assessment, virtual reality cognitive testing, and daily cognitive functioning in MS [19]. It was a single-blind RCT comparing these two interventions in patients with MS selected based on CI at specific tests of IPS, WM, and EF. Both programs included 50 individual sessions administered three times a week for 17 weeks. The specific intervention was tailored to patients’ deficits. The primary endpoint was NP assessment of IPS, attention, EF, and WM. Secondary endpoints included ecological assessment by tasks in a virtual reality environment (Urban Daily Cog®) and daily cognitive functioning assessment. More NP scores improved significantly in the active group and several NP scores, alertness and divided attention, and the ecological assessments improved significantly more after specific CR than after NSI. Lastly, SCR improved daily cognitive functioning. Most improvements were maintained 4 months after the end of the intervention. However, HR-Qol was not shown to be improved. The study showed the interest of an individualized and intense intervention including a meta-cognitive approach. It was also the first to show a transfer in ecological tasks. However, the study was underpowered for showing a larger effect on cognitive function. The study was performed in a real-world setting with rehabilitation by speech therapists in city practice.
A double-blind multicenter study compared group rehabilitation to a sham intervention (non-training) [20]. In a fairly large sample of patients selected on the basis of the presence of a cognitive deficit, the main evaluation criterion was EM measured by the Selective Reminding Test (SRT), and a significant difference was observed in the learning curve between the treated group and the control group. WM also improved. However, there was no improvement in the other functions studied (EF, IPS). There was also no positive effect on HR-QoL.
The RCTs concerning multidomain CR, including attention, IPS, EF, and WM, have been developed in three categories of setting: in institutions, at home with telerehabilitation (online), and at home offline. The duration and number of CT rehabilitation sessions varied from one study to another with sessions lasting 30 to 60 min with a frequency of 2 to 3 per week for a duration of 4 to 12 weeks and a total duration of 300 to 2160 min.
Different software programs were used, the most frequent being RehaCom®. Up to 2021, eight studies have been published with this software, and four blinded RCTs were selected for this review [22][23][24][25]. Several studies have looked at other CT programs in MS and are summarized in Table 1.
| 1st Author | Year | Intervention (Software) | Session Duration (Min) | CR Duration (Weeks) | Total Duration (Min) | Control Intervention | Main Positive Results (Primary Outcomes) | LTFU (Mths) | Positive Results (Secondary Outcomes) | Other Positive Results | Main Negative Results (Primary Outcomes Underlined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerasa et al. [22] | 2013 | RehaCom | 60 min twice a week | 6 | 720 | Placebo training | no specified primary outcome | ND | ST | BRB tests, TMT | |
| Amato et al. [26] | 2014 | APT | 60 min twice a week | 12 | 1440 | Placebo training | no specified primary outcome | 6 | PASAT | SDMT * | |
| De Giglio et al. [27] | 2015 | DKBT | 30 min 3 times a week | 8 | 720 | No intervention | no specified primary outcome | ND | ST, SDMT, some MSQoL54 subscales | PASAT | |
| Hancock et al. [28] | 2015 | PS Insight and Brain Twister n-back | 30 min 6 times a week | 6 | 1080 | Sham training | PASAT | ND | SDMT, LNS, Digit backward | ||
| Pedullà et al. [29] | 2016 | Cogni-Track | 30 min 5 times a week | 8 | 1200 | Non-adaptative training | no specified primary outcome | 6 | SRT, SDMT, PASAT, WLG | SPART, WCST | |
| Campbell et al. [23] | 2016 | RehaCom | 45 min 3 times a week | 6 | 810 | Placebo training | SDMT | 3 | BVMT, CVLT, FAMS, EQ-5D | ||
| Charvet et al. [30] | 2017 | Brain HQ (PS) | 60 min 5 times a week | 12 | 1800 | Placebo training | Composite NP score | ND | |||
| Grasso et al. [31] | 2017 | APT | 60 min 3 times a week | 12 | 2160 | No intervention | no specified primary outcome | 6 | ** | ||
| Messinis et al. [24] | 2017 | RehaCom | 60 min twice a week | 10 | 1200 | No intervention | no specified primary outcome | 6 | Verbal EM, attention, verbal fluency, IPS z scores | ||
| Chiaravalloti et al. [32] | 2018 | SPT | 30 min twice a week | 5 | 300 | No intervention | ND | TIADL | WAIS digit symbol * | ||
| Messinis et al. [25] | 2020 | RehaCom | 45 min 3 times a week | 8 | 1080 | Placebo training | SDMT, GVLT, BVMT | ND | EQ-5D | ||
| Vilou et al. [33] | 2020 | Brain HQ (PS) | 40 min twice a week | 6 | 480 | No intervention | no specified primary outcome | ND | GVLT, BVMT, TMT-A, ST | SDMT | |
| Blair et al. [34] | 2021 | Cogmed | 30–45 min 5 times a week | 5 | 750–1125 | No intervention | 6 | PASAT *, SDMT *, ST * |
Altogether, the studies about memory individual CR support the efficacy of m-SMT for improving learning in MS patients. This technique is able to improve verbal episodic memory and HR-QoL. There is some evidence of the efficiency of daily cognitive functioning, but there is no evidence of transfer in other domains. More data are necessary to support other methods of memory individual CR.
Most studies of specialized individual rehabilitation have given positive and encouraging results, but this type of rehabilitation requires significant human resources and a significant time investment by patients.
The large number of studies about CT is probably due to the ease of this technique. The possibility of implementing this CT at home and with telerehabilitation is also very promising. The variety of software used in these studies makes it difficult to compare them. RehaCom has been the most used. All in all, these studies on RehaCom tend to show the effectiveness of this rehabilitation program in MS but leave several important questions unanswered: its use in telerehabilitation, its effectiveness on specific sub-domains according to the cognitive domain most affected, the interest of adding individual rehabilitation sessions including in particular a meta-cognitive approach, its effectiveness on daily cognitive functioning assessed by ecological tests, and its effect on quality of life in RRMS.