Cognitive impairment is correlated with reduced quality of life in patients with clinically isolated syndrome

To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and potential QoL determinants in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Eighteen CIS patients and eighteen controls were submitted to QoL evaluation with Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis QoL instrument (FAMS). Cognition was evaluated with specific battery tests; Anxiety and depression with Beck Anxiety (BAI) and Depression (BDI) Inventories and Neurological disability with Guy's Neurological Disability Scale (GNDS). There was a significant difference in QoL between CIS patients and controls. CIS patients had worse performance in Paced Auditory Serial Addition 2 seconds (p=0.009) and fluency tests (p=0.0038). There was a significant difference in BAI (p=0.003), but no significant difference in BDI between patients and controls. There were significant correlations between QoL measure and verbal fluency and Stroop's test. Cognition, but not anxiety, depression and disability, was associated with reduced quality of life.