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Commentary|Podcasts|November 13, 2026

Episode 179: Cognitive Changes in Multiple Sclerosis: Rethinking Processing Speed and Memory

Mind Moments®, a podcast from NeurologyLive®, brings you an exclusive interview with James F. Sumowski, PhD. [LISTEN TIME: 21 minutes]

Episode 178 of the NeurologyLive® Mind Moments® podcast is now live! Scroll down to listen or click here to subscribe on your favorite streaming service.

The Mind Moments podcast features exclusive interviews with leaders in the field discussing the latest research and disease management strategies across the breadth of neurology, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, dementia, sleep disorders, and more.

In episode 179, “Cognitive Changes in Multiple Sclerosis: Rethinking Processing Speed and Memory,” James F. Sumowski, PhD, a professor of neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discussed how earlier diagnosis and more effective disease-modifying therapies may have changed the cognitive profile of multiple sclerosis (MS). Findings from his recently published study challenge the view that slowed processing speed is the primary cognitive deficit: performance on some speed measures was in the normative range, while patients commonly reported word-finding and memory difficulties.1

During the conversation, he also described executive-function deficits among patients with progressive MS and the potential contribution of mild depression to attention and day-to-day functioning. In the RADIEMS (Reserve against Disability in Early MS) cohort, cognition remained broadly stable over 8 years, although patients may experience fluctuations. In addition, Sumowski emphasized that cognitive assessments should better reflect patients’ reported experiences, including word-finding difficulties and brain fog.

The stories featured in this week’s Neurology News Minute, which will give you quick updates on the following developments in neurology, are further detailed here:

Click here to view more of our latest FDA news coverage.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

  • 1:28 — How the understanding of MS cognition has changed
  • 4:70 — What the SDMT measures
  • 5:84 — Processing speed, memory, and patient-reported concerns
  • 8:33 — Neuro News Minute
  • 10:50 — Executive function and depression
  • 13:02 — Cognitive stability in the RADIEMS cohort
  • 16:32 — Potential effects of treatment and inflammation
  • 19:02 — Word-finding difficulties over time

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REFERENCE
1. Sumowski JF, Levy S, Katz Sand I, et al. Cognition in multiple sclerosis within the modern diagnostic and treatment era. Brain. 2026;149(5):1732-1749. doi:10.1093/brain/awaf446

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