Intervention to Reduce Perceived Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is among the most prevalent autoimmune diseases among young and middle-aged adults. Up to 65% of MS patients experience objective cognitive impairment including problems with information processing speed, memory, and executive functioning. However, patients commonly overestimate the extent of their cognitive dysfunction which can result in inaccurate perceptions of their true cognitive abilities. Exaggerated perceptions of cognitive impairment are predictive of future decline and associated with depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. Despite this, no study has examined an intervention aimed at changing misperceptions related to perceived cognitive impairment in MS when objective measures are incongruent with self-reported cognitive symptoms. The purpose of the present study is to develop and pilot a brief intervention for MS patients who perceive cognitive impairment, but perform in the normal or expected range on objective measures of cognition.