"Women seem to be more protected against developing cognitive impairment than Men when using Avonex and Rebif"



"our findings suggest that early IFN-β treatment may not only protect those with cognitive symptoms from further cognitive decline, but may also prevent the development of cognitive impairment"

Subcutaneous Interferon β-1a (Interferon beta 1a is sold under the trade names Avonex and Rebif) May Protect against Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: 5-Year Follow-up of the COGIMUS Study.
Abstract 
CONCLUSIONS:
This study suggests that sc IFN β-1a dose-dependently stabilizes or delays cognitive impairment over a 5-year period in most patients with mild RRMS.
Women seem to be more protected against developing cognitive impairment, which may indicate greater response to therapy or the inherently better prognosis associated with female sex in MS.

Indeed, large epidemiological studies have shown that men reach the same level of disability (EDSS score) as women in a shorter time from diagnosis, are more likely to present with a primary inherently worse prognosis in men; that is, in the absence of treatment, the degree of cognitive decline in men may have been even greater than was observed.

COGIMUS confirmed that cognitive impairment affects a significant proportion of patients from the early stages of MS: over half of all patients in this cohort had impaired performance on at least one cognitive test despite being at an early stage of the disease and having a mild level of disability at study entry [16]. As existing cognitive impairment is a risk factor for further cognitive decline [40], it is clearly important that patients with cognitive symptoms are identified and their treatment tailored as necessary. However, the observation that cognitive impairment can develop during the first 5 years of the disease in patients who previously had no evidence of cognitive symptoms highlights that all patients are potentially at risk of cognitive impairment [19]. The importance of initiating early DMD treatment to prevent or slow the accumulation of damage to the CNS, including brain atrophy [41], and thus physical disability, is now recognized.

As cognitive decline occurs in the absence of ongoing relapse or disability progression even in the early stages of disease [21], our findings suggest that early IFN-β treatment may not only protect those with cognitive symptoms from further cognitive decline, but may also prevent the development of cognitive impairment. 


READ THE FULL STUDY AT: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3796707/

Labels: Avonex