Relationships between indices of cognitive reserve and cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis

The present study aims to investigate the relationships between indices of cognitive reserve and cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). In this descriptive-correlational study, the statistical population included all pwMS who visited the MS Clinic of Isfahan, (Iran) in 2022. The convenience sampling method was employed to select 106 patients. The research instruments included the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq) and Multiple Sclerosis Neuropsychological Questionnaire (MSNQ). Multiple regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were adopted for data analysis in SPSS. Regression analysis revealed that CRI-education and CRI-working activity had significant relationships with cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). The coefficient of determination indicated that cognitive reserve explained 16% of changes in cognitive impairment in pwMS. Considered an index of cognitive reserve, leisure time (CRI-leisure time) had no significant relationships with cognitive impairment in pwMS. Although there were no confirmed relationships between gender and cognitive impairment in pwMS, there was a significant difference in the degree of cognitive impairment based on marital status (p < 0.01).