Does a Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Preserve Cognitive Abilities and Employment?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system and can lead to cognitive impairments in those affected. These difficulties, such as slowed information processing speed or memory problems, often impact daily life and the ability to work. A recent study examined the impact of an oral treatment, cladribine, on cognitive functions and the professional situation of patients suffering from a progressive form of the disease.

For two years, researchers followed adults with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis. The results show that the participants’ cognitive abilities, assessed by standardized tests, remained stable over time. Specifically, information processing speed, an aspect often impaired in these patients, was maintained or even improved for the majority of them. The tests also measured verbal memory and visual memory, two functions that showed no significant decline.

Another important aspect of the study concerns employment. Despite the challenges posed by the disease, more than 40% of participants held full-time jobs at the start of the study, and this proportion remained similar after two years. Even during the pandemic, when many workers experienced professional disruptions, patients on cladribine maintained remarkable stability in their work activity.

These observations suggest that cladribine treatment may help preserve cognitive functions and the ability to work in people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis. The disease often leads to a reduction in brain volume, but here, this loss was limited, which may partly explain the encouraging results. Although each patient responds differently, this study sheds positive light on the long-term effectiveness of the treatment.

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Original Publication

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40120-026-00897-0

Title: Stability in Cognition and Employment in People with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Cladribine Tablets: Two-year Phase IV CLARIFY-MS Study

Journal: Neurology and Therapy

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Bruno Brochet; Dawn Langdon; Eva Kubala Havrdova; Jeanette Lechner-Scott; Xavier Montalban; Francesco Patti; Fredrik Piehl; Alessandra Solari; Raymond Hupperts; Nektaria Alexandri; Annette Lehn; Andrzej Smyk; Krzysztof Selmaj;