Looking Beyond Dose: Identifying Responders and Non-Responders to RehaCom Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation in Progressive MS-The CogEx Study.
Cecilia Meza, Roberto S Hernandez, Silvana L Costa and 17 others
PMID 42033185WHAT IT FOUND
Computerized cognitive training helps some people with progressive MS improve processing speed, but not all modules work equally.
Progressing through Attention/Concentration tasks was linked to greater gains, while other modules showed little benefit or hit difficulty ceilings.
Key findings
01Participants who progressed further in the Attention/Concentration module showed significantly greater improvement in processing speed compared to those who did not.
02Higher baseline processing speed and premorbid IQ were strong predictors of better cognitive outcomes after training.
03Training gains did not transfer to memory outcomes, and no participants reached the final level of the Divided Attention modules.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was a secondary analysis of a larger trial and was not powered for these specific endpoints, making the findings exploratory. Ceiling effects in some modules and zero completion in others limited the ability to assess their true contribution. The analysis did not include a sham cognitive rehabilitation control group, so practice effects from repeated testing cannot be fully ruled out. Results apply only to people with progressive MS and established cognitive impairment, not to those with relapsing-remitting disease or milder deficits.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Several authors reported no conflicts, while others disclosed consulting fees, research support, or advisory board roles with multiple pharmaceutical companies (including Biogen, Roche, Novartis, Merck, and Bayer) and other organizations. One author is a member of the editorial board for the journal publishing this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all computerized cognitive training modules are equally effective or that gains will generalize to memory. The benefits were specific to processing speed and linked closely to progression in the Attention/Concentration module, while other modules showed limited utility or no completion.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →