Išsėtine skleroze ir epilepsija sergančių asmenų kognityvinių funkcijų ypatumai.

Cognitive dysfunction is most common in neurodegenerative diseases which start at advanced age. Epilepsy and multiple sclerosis are diseases that can cause cognitive dysfunction for young persons, which is un common for healthy individuals and isn't associated with neither physiological changes of advanced age nor with neuronal death. The aim of this study was to investigate cognitive features of persons with multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy and healthy controls, locate cognitive impairments and assess their relationships with disease, health and demographic variables. 90 persons participated in this study: 30 with epilepsy, 30 with multiple sclerosis and 30 healthy controls. Individuals with multiple sclerosis or epilepsy were taken from VUL SK Neurology Department and VULS SK Consultation Clinic. Cognitive functions were assessed with CANTABeclipse 3.0.0 neuropsychologic test battery. The selected tests assess 1. choice reaction time; 2. working memory capacity; 3. spatial planning and spatial working memory; 4. episodic learning and memory. The results showed impaired cognitive functioning in epilepsy and multiple sclerosis groups compared to control group. Persons with multiple sclerosis performed significantly worse on tests of choice reaction time, spatial span and spatial planning; persons with epilepsy -- on tests of spatial span, spatial planning and episodic learning and memory. Cognitive dysfunction in persons with epilepsy correlates with disease duration and seizure frequency. In persons with multiple sclerosis, physical disability and disease duration were not associated with cognitive abilities. In all three groups age, but not education, had significant influence on performance on tests of episodic learning and memory. Correlations between sex and cognitive abilities were found: control group men showed shorter reaction times, epilepsy group men per formed better on spatial working memory tasks, multiple sclerosis group women made less mistakes in choice re action time test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]