Although Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common
acquired neurologic disease of adults in North America,
approximately 5 percent of MS patients develop symptoms in childhood or
adolescence. Currently, there is very limited literature concerning
pediatric MS. This means that the impact of the disease on
neurologic function, cognition, academic achievement, and
psychosocial adjustment is relatively unknown.
The aim of our research is to examine the clinical and demographic
features of a large group of pediatric MS patients and document the
performance of these children in measures of cognition, school
performance, and emotional health.
The pediatric MS group will be compared to an age and gender matched
group of healthy controls. To our knowledge, this will represent the
first large-scale neurological, neuropsychological, and psychosocial
study of pediatric MS patients.
The results of this effort will advance the health care of
individuals with MS by documenting the medical, educational, and
emotional needs of this population, and will provide invaluable data
on the impact of inflammation and demyelination on the developing
central nervous system.
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