Multipl sklerozlu hastalarda depresyon ve nörodejenerasyonun kognitif bozulma üzerine etkileri

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease which causes various levels of disabilities in mobility and functional activities, creates severe incapacity and disturbs the life quality by restricting the social and professional life of the person. Corruption in cognitive functions happens in most of the MS patients.In this study, it is researched whether cognitive corruption is related to neuronal degeneration in neurons or patients? depression. Hence 108 patients diagnosed with MS have been evaluated. Tests have been applied to patients with ?Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis?, patients diagnosed with MS for at least a year, and patients whose EDSS scoring is between a scale of 0.5 and 5.0. Those who had taken pulse treatment within 3 months by the test date, have been excluded from the study.Each MS patient have been applied The Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Test (10/36 Spatial Recall Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Paced Auditory Serial Test, Word List Generation Test) Beck Depression Test and Benedict Test.Depression has been detected in 19.5 % of the patients, and cognitive function corruption in 41.7 % while 13.9 % of them have had both depression and cognitive function corruption. A psychotherapy of 3 months has been applied to the group diagnosed with both depression and cognitive function corruption together, and tests have been repeated after the psychotherapy. Although recovery has been experienced in most of the tests, a statistical correlation could be detected only in Paced Auditory Test and Beck Depression Test.Consequently, depression and corruption in cognitive functions are very common in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Studies made on larger populations are needed to be able to evaluate the effect of depression treatment on cognitive functions.Key words: multiple sclerosis, cognitive function, depression