Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, involving inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration. It is the most common non-traumatic disabling disease affecting young adults. MS is characterized by its heterogeneity and unpredictable course, which make both evaluation and treatment complex. Patients may present with motor, sensory, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, all of which have a significant impact on quality of life. With regard to cognition, the impact of cognitive impairment in MS remains underestimated. However, it is observed in approximately 40-65% of patients and may be present at all stages of the disease, including the earliest ones (patients with low levels of disability and Clinically Isolated Syndromes - CIS). Notably, cognitive alterations appear to precede structural abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), representing a potential marker of disease activity. Therefore, early diagnosis and characterization of MS-related cognitive impairment are essential, followed by the implementation of patient-tailored cognitive rehabilitation programs, which have recently been shown to exert long-term effects persisting beyond the treatment period. The project aims to conduct a single-center, randomized, pragmatic, prospective clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment. Its primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of an innovative sociocognitive rehabilitation program in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In addition, the study seeks to characterize cognitive phenotypes in MS, investigate the role of cognitive reserve and metacognition in the effectiveness of the intervention, and correlate neuropsychological findings with other disease biomarkers, with the ultimate goal of proposing a predictive model of disease progression.
Age range
18 Years – 55 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment - MoCA (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Ekman's Faces Test - EFT (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test - RMET (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Symbol Digit Modalities Test - SDMT (part of BICAMS-Brief International cognitive Assessment Multiple Sclerosis neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
California Verbal Learning Test - CVLT-II (part of BICAMS-Brief International cognitive Assessment Multiple Sclerosis neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - BVMT-R (part of BICAMS-Brief International cognitive Assessment Multiple Sclerosis neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Clinical Trials Unit do Centro Académico Clínico de Coimbra CTU CTU-CACC
Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test - PASAT (part of BRBN-T: Brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Selective Reminding Test - SRT (part of BRBN-T: Brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
10/36 Spatial Recall Test - SPART (part of BRBN-T: Brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Word List Generation Test - WLG (part of BRBN-T: Brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Boston Naming Test - BNT (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
d2 Test of Attention (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months
Irregular Word Reading Test - TeLPI (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline.
Stroop Test (neuropsychological test)
Timeframe: At baseline, follow-up 12 months, 18 months and follow-up 24 months