John DeLuca, PhD: Addressing Cognitive Problems in MS

"The idea of medication, cognitive rehab and exercise, might be the wave of the future of how we treat cognitive problems in persons with MS."

At the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis held in Dallas, Texas, John DeLuca, PhD, spoke with NeurologyLive in an interview to discuss the work that he and colleagues at the Kessler Foundation have developed to help address cognitive problems in multiple sclerosis.

Much of the work at the Kessler Foundation has focused on developing individual therapies like cognitive rehabilitation that teach patients how to utilize techniques in everyday life to improve learning, memory and processing speed. DeLuca explained that the idea of medication, cognitive rehab and exercise might just be the wave of the future for cognitive treatment.

The most recent guidelines from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society say that there needs to be at least annual cognitive assessments with real neuropsychological tests to monitor cognitive problems so patients can be treated adequately. DeLuca emphasized the importance of and need for clinicians to add the assessment of cognitive problems in the clinic to the standard of practice.