Assessing the presence of oligoclonal IgM bands as a prognostic biomarker of cognitive decline in the early stages of multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Abstract Background An association has been found between the presence of lipid‐specific oligoclonal IgM bands (LS‐OCMB) in cerebrospinal fluid and a more severe clinical multiple sclerosis course. Objective To investigate lipid‐specific oligoclonal IgM bands as a prognostic biomarker of cognitive impairment in the early stages of multiple sclerosis. Methods Forty‐four patients underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline and 4 years. Cognitive performance at follow‐up was compared adjusting by age, education, anxiety–depression, and baseline performance. Results LS‐OCMB+ patients only performed worse for Long‐Term Storage in the Selective Reminding Test (p = .018). Conclusion There are no remarkable cognitive differences between LS‐OCMB– and LS‐OCMB+ patients in the early stages of MS.

Keywords

• biomarkers
• cognitive impairment
• multiple sclerosis
• neuropsychology
• oligoclonal bands