Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia hosted the 9th Annual Meeting on Multiple Sclerosis and Cognitive Impairment, organised by the UCAM Chair of Clinical Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, directed by Dr José Meca. Top national experts in the field attended the meeting, which addressed the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of this chronic disease that affects the central nervous system.

Special emphasis was placed on the cognitive effects on patients throughout the conference, which according to José Meca, ‘is a complicated aspect to identify, not only for doctors but also for the patients themselves. Early detection is essential in order to be able to take corrective measures and, in the future, therapeutic measures.’

One of the topics of the meeting is the impact of artificial intelligence on research and clinical practice. In this regard, Meca has pointed out that ‘advances in this field are swift, but implementing them is complex. In research, artificial intelligence is offering many opportunities, yet its use in clinical practice is advancing at a different pace.’ In this sense, various technological applications that can contribute to improving both the diagnosis and cognitive stimulation of patients were analysed at the conference.

Another key aspect is the need for new markers to enable early detection of the evolution of the disease. ‘In multiple sclerosis, robust biological markers are still to be found, even though several studies in recent years show that the determination of neurofilaments light chain in blood should be incorporated into clinical practice and help to predict when a patient may develop cognitive impairment’, explained the director of the Chair.

This meeting also served to analyse the evolution of the prevalence of this disease in Spain and in the Region of Murcia. According to the data presented, the number of cases is increasing, although new treatments have managed to significantly slow down the degree of disability in many patients. 'Twenty or thirty years ago, when many of them turned 50, they had such a high degree of disability that we stopped seeing them in the clinic. Thanks to the treatments available, many of them are still leading active and functional lives today.’

Despite the advances, experts agree that there is still much to be done in the fight against multiple sclerosis, especially with regard to cognitive deterioration. ‘Recent treatments have improved the situation, but we are still far from being able to completely stop the progression. The key is to detect and diagnose it in time to try to slow its progress,’ concluded Meca.

9th National Course on Multiple Sclerosis and Cognition

This event reinforces the commitment of the UCAM to research and training in the field of neuroscience, providing a forum for the leading experts in multiple sclerosis in Spain and promoting the development of new strategies to improve the quality of life of patients.