Researchers found that rituximab resulted in improved cognitive function in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine.

One of the most severe impairments caused by multiple sclerosis is cognitive, which often manifests as slower information processing speed. The rate and severity of cognitive impairment depend on the subtype of multiple sclerosis; studies suggest that patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis suffer from greater cognitive impairment than patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. 

“Therapeutically, symptomatic treatments unfortunately have little positive effect in improving [multiple sclerosis] patients’ cognitive status,” the authors of the study wrote. 

Explore more great content on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) →
Integrated Assessment Scores Can Help Identify Risk of Long-Term Disability in MS
Drug Modifying Therapies a Confusing Maze for MS Patients
Neuronal Plasticity: The Next Frontier In Neurology and CNS Disorders
Continue Reading

Rituximab is a newer therapy in the field of multiple sclerosis, and its properties have been studied in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Overall, the results have been positive. The authors of the study hence decided to investigate the effects of rituximab on cognitive impairment in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. 

Read more about multiple sclerosis etiology 

The research team recruited 35 patients from the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic of Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran. All patients had progressive disability over the previous 2 years and were candidates for receiving rituximab. The participants must showed progression of morbidity, defined as worsening of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, in the last 3 to 6 months.

The patients were given rituximab, and their cognitive function was measured using the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis (MACFIMS) test. 

“Rituximab showed a significant positive effect on a number of subgroups of the MACFIMS test, including Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test,” the authors of the study reported. 

In addition, none of the participants suffered from an attack during the study. The findings suggest rituximab can help patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis achieve disease stability.

Reference

Salehizadeh S, Saeedi R, Sahraian MA, et al. Effect of rituximab on the cognitive impairment in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Caspian J Intern Med. 2022;13(3):484-489. doi:10.22088/cjim.13.3.484

Biogen Neurologists rituxan rituximab secondary progressive multiple sclerosis