What MS Treatment Best Improves Cognitive Outcomes?

Treatment with daclizumab beta improves cognitive processing speed in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to the results of a recent study.

In their study, researchers sought to compare the effects of treatment with daclizumab beta versus intramuscular (IM) interferon (IFN) beta-1a on cognitive processing speed as assessed by Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).

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Participants were randomly assigned to receive either daclizumab beta (n = 919) or IM IFN beta-1a (n = 922) for 96–144 weeks, and SDMT was administered at baseline and at 24-week intervals.

At week 96, those patients treated with daclizumab beta saw significantly greater mean improvement from baseline SDMT, compared with those treated with IM IFN beta-1a (increase from baseline of ⩾3 points or ⩾4 points), with significantly fewer patients showing clinically meaningful worsening of SDMT.

“These results provide evidence for a benefit of daclizumab beta versus IM IFN beta-1a on cognitive processing speed in RRMS,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Benedict RHB, Cohan S, Lynch SG, et al. Improved cognitive outcomes in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis treated with daclizumab beta: Results from the DECIDE study. MSJ. 2018;24(6):795-804