Pulsed methylprednisolone induces a reversible impairment of memory in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol. 97; no. 6; pp. 366 - 369
• Main Authors: Oliveri, R. L., Sibilia, G., Valentino, P., Russo, C., Romeo, N., Quattrone, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.1998; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; corticosteroids; Female; Humans; Immunomodulators; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Medical sciences; memory; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Methylprednisolone - adverse effects; multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy; Neuropsychological Tests; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recurrence; relapse; Remission Induction; Severity of Illness Index; Human; Corticosteroid; Memory disorder; Nervous system diseases; Relapse; Multiple sclerosis; Cognitive disorder; Intravenous administration; Neuropsychological test; Exploration; Psychometrics; Route of administration; Methylprednisolone; Inflammatory disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Remission; Immunosuppressive agent
• ISSN: 0001-6314; 1600-0404
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1998.tb05967.x

Objective – Chronic administration of corticosteroids has been reported to selectively impair explicit memory in systemic diseases without central nervous system involvement. Our aim was to verify that a short course of pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) administered for the treatment of a relapse impairs cognitive functions in relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and to determine whether this impairment is reversible. Material and methods – Neuropsychological evaluations were made before the start of treatment, and 7 and 60 days after the end of treatment in 14 RRMS patients. The neuropsychological battery was also administered to 12 controls matched for age, sex and years of education. Results – RRMS patients performed worse than the controls at their baseline evaluation for a variety of neuropsychological tasks. IVMP administration induced a selective impairment of explicit memory which completely recovered 60 days after treatment. Conclusions – In RRMS patients, IVMP induces a selective and reversible impairment of explicit memory.