Trial reportJournal of neurology2025
Measuring cognitive change in secondary progressive MS: an analysis of the ASCEND cognition substudy.
Trial report in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- [XVIII Post-ECTRIMS Meeting: Review of the New Developments Presented at the 2025 ECTRIMS Congress (Part II)].Revista de neurologia · 2026Article
- The practice effect of smartphone-derived cognitive processing speed assessments as a proxy of cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease modification using adaptive cognitive assessments to improve responsiveness-a simulation study.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Article
- Implications of practice effects for the design of Alzheimer clinical trials.Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). Accurate measurement of cognitive change is essential for clinical trials.
methodsThe change in cognitive scores, clinical metrics of physical disability, and neuroradiological metrics was quantified in data from a phase-3 randomized controlled trial of natalizumab in secondary progressive MS (SPMS). The adults diagnosed with SPMS for ≥ 2 years and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores from 3 to 6.5 were randomized to receive natalizumab or placebo for 96 weeks. We evaluated change in Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Selective Reminding Test (SRT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT-R), two subjective cognitive measures, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-FS), Timed 25-foot Walk Test, Nine Hole Peg Test, measures of brain volume, and T2 lesion volume.
resultsThe outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 48-, and 96-week follow-up. There were no significant differences in cognitive change between treatment arms. SDMT and PASAT scores improved over 96-weeks: mean SDMT scores by 4.5 points (SD 9.3), mean PASAT scores by 2.4 points (SD 9.4). Verbal and visuospatial memory test performance showed no consistent change. All MRI measures showed decreased brain volumes. NHPT scores worsened little and T25FW showed steadily worsening scores.
conclusionsImprovements in SDMT and PASAT performance were observed regardless of treatment arm. These findings are consistent with prior studies in MS. As it is unlikely that cognition improves over time in people with a chronic neurologic disease, these results support the need for cognitive outcomes that overcome practice and learning effects to accurately quantify change.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40220155What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.