MS Patients Can Improve Their Self-Awareness with Task Experience

A new study found that those with multiple sclerosis can boost their self-awareness through task-oriented cognitive rehabilitation.

Multiple sclerosis (MS), which affects 2.5 million people worldwide including 400,000 Americans, is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is one of the most common neurological conditions diagnosed among young people.

The study, led by the Kessler foundation, found that people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis can improve their self-awareness through task-oriented cognitive rehabilitation. Self-awareness is the ability of the individual to identify cognitive problems that is triggered due to brain injury. This is the first study on self-awareness in MS that includes assessment of online awareness including metacognitive awareness.

"Research that leads to better understanding of types of self-awareness, functional outcomes and QOL will aid the development of effective assessments and rehabilitation interventions," said Dr. Chiaravalloti. "The association between online awareness and task performance in this study, for example, may have implications for cognitive rehabilitation strategies in the MS population."

The study led by Yael Goverover, based the finding on the evaluation of 18 people with MS and 16 healthy controls. They were assessed for 2 types of self-awareness that includes metacognitive knowledge also known as intellectual awareness, and online awareness also known as emergent or anticipatory awareness.

Apart from this, the researchers also looked at the association between self-awareness, functional performance and the quality of life. For this, they assessed the functional behavior profile, questionnaires used before and after the functional tasks and the functional assessment of MS measure.

"Results showed that compared with controls, people with MS assessed their actual performance more realistically following completion of a task. This suggests that individuals may be able to improve their self-awareness through more experience with tasks," noted Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation.

The finding was documented in NeuroRehabilitation.