The Balearic Association for Multiple Sclerosis (ABDEM) is organising the first national conference for over 80 professionals in the field on 30 and 31 October in Santa Ponsa, the theme of which is cerebral atrophy and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.
Increased incidence of such impairment has led to this conference being arranged and to renowned specialists and those with technical expertise in neurorehabilitation coming to provide advice for improving strategies in addressing cognitive deterioration.
In recent decades, there has been considerable progress in neurorehabilitation and pharmacological treatment of multiple sclerosis, and there is considerable evidence as to how this has been positive in preventing physical disability.
This is one factor that highlights a new situation whereby there are increasingly more cases of people with high and medium levels of physical autonomy who do, however, have levels of cognitive deficit which make difficult or hinder personal autonomy in everyday life.
Through different research into cerebral atrophy among people with MS, it has been observed that brain deterioration advances with more than average rapidity. Most authors estimate the prevalence of cognitive deficit in 50-65% of cases and a global and severe deficit in between ten and twenty per cent.
It is also known that once cognitive disorders appear they often remain and worsen with time. This scenario presents a technical challenge of deploying new strategies and methodologies which take the prevention, care, maintenance and rehabilitation of cognitive functions more into account.