Regional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lesion Burden and Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract
COGNITIVE dysfunction is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with estimates ranging from 40% to 65% of patients with MS showing impairment on tests of attention, speed of information processing, and recent memory.1-4 Several recent studies5-13 have investigated the relationship between MS lesion burden as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and degree of cognitive impairment, with general agreement that poor cognitive performance is associated with increased total lesion volume.