Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) means learning to navigate daily life where both body and mind are sometimes put to the test. While physical symptoms like fatigue or walking difficulties are often at the forefront, cognitive difficulties remain more discreet, almost invisible. Yet they affect a significant portion of people with MS and can significantly impact quality of life, work, and social relationships. Frequent memory lapses, difficulty finding words, a feeling of being “slow” when processing information… These experiences are not inevitable.
The good news is that solutions exist. Cognitive rehabilitation is a recognized and effective approach to help you better manage these disorders. Think of your brain as a muscle: with appropriate and regular training, it can develop new strategies, strengthen its circuits, and compensate for affected areas. But faced with this cerebral “gym,” a question arises: who should you turn to? Who is the right coach to accompany you? This article aims to enlighten you about the different professionals to consult and the tools that can help you on this journey.
Understanding Your Symptoms: The First Step to Action
Before seeking who can help you, it’s important to put words to what you’re experiencing. Recognizing symptoms is the first step to taking action. Cognitive disorders in MS are not related to a decrease in intelligence, but rather to a slowing or disruption of certain brain functions.
What are the Most Common Cognitive Symptoms?
Difficulties can vary from person to person, but certain functions are more frequently affected. You may recognize yourself in one or several of these descriptions:
Information processing speed: You have the impression that your brain functions more slowly. Following a rapid conversation, understanding a joke on the fly, or reacting promptly in an unexpected situation can become a challenge. It’s a bit like your internal internet connection has become less fast.
Memory, especially working memory: You forget an appointment you just wrote down, you lose track of what you wanted to say in the middle of a sentence, or you have trouble remembering a short shopping list. It’s not about forgetting old memories, but rather retaining and manipulating information over a short period of time.
Attention and concentration: Concentrating on a single task, like reading a book or filling out a form, becomes difficult, especially if there are distractions around you (noise, conversations, etc.). You may feel easily “overwhelmed” by information.
Executive functions: This somewhat complex term encompasses essential daily skills: planning (organizing a trip, preparing a meal), problem-solving, mental flexibility (switching from one task to another), and decision-making. You might have trouble organizing yourself or starting an activity.
Why is Cognitive Rehabilitation Essential?
Ignoring these symptoms can lead to social withdrawal, loss of confidence, and professional or personal difficulties. Cognitive rehabilitation is not a miracle solution that erases MS lesions, but it is a powerful strategy for regaining control. Its objective is twofold: on one hand, to stimulate and “retrain” brain functions that are weakened; on the other hand, to teach you compensation strategies to work around daily difficulties. It’s a direct investment in your autonomy and well-being. By strengthening your cognitive abilities, you strengthen your ability to manage all other aspects of your life with the disease.
First-Line Healthcare Professionals
Your care journey is teamwork. Before meeting rehabilitation specialists, two professionals play a central role in coordination and diagnosis.
The Neurologist: Your Conductor
The neurologist is the multiple sclerosis specialist. They make the diagnosis, establish your disease-modifying treatment, and monitor the disease’s progression. They are your primary contact for any MS-related questions. Regarding cognitive disorders, their role is crucial. They are the first to evaluate whether the difficulties you encounter are indeed related to the disease or to other factors (fatigue, anxiety, medication side effects).
Like a conductor, they will direct you to the right specialists. Never hesitate to speak openly with them about your cognitive difficulties, even if they seem trivial to you. They can prescribe a “neuropsychological assessment” to objectify the disorders and thus justify care by other professionals.
The General Practitioner: The First Point of Contact
Your family doctor knows you well, often over the long term. They are an essential link in the care chain. They may be the first person you confide your concerns about your memory or concentration to. They ensure comprehensive monitoring of your health and ensure that all aspects of your care are coordinated. They can liaise with the neurologist and help you prepare for your consultation by listing symptoms to address with you. Their role in listening and support is fundamental.
Cognitive Rehabilitation Specialists
Once disorders are identified, it’s time to take action. Three types of professionals specialize in cognitive rehabilitation. Their approaches are different but highly complementary.
The Speech-Language Pathologist: Much More Than Speech
We often associate speech-language pathologists with childhood language disorders, but their field of expertise is much broader, particularly with adults with neurological diseases like MS. The speech-language pathologist is an expert in communication and the cognitive functions that underlie it.
Their work with you may focus on several areas: language (finding missing words), memory (learning techniques to better memorize), attention (exercises to improve your concentration ability), and executive functions (working on task planning). Sessions are based on concrete and fun exercises, adapted to your difficulties and objectives. For example, they might suggest an exercise where you need to plan the steps of a recipe in logical order to work on organization, or verbal memory games to strengthen your ability to retain information.
The Neuropsychologist: The Brain and Behavior Expert
The neuropsychologist is the specialist in fine assessment of cognitive functions. They generally perform the famous “neuropsychological assessment” prescribed by the neurologist. This assessment is a series of standardized tests that allow for a precise map of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses. It’s a fundamental step because it allows for a precise diagnosis of the nature and intensity of your disorders.
Following this assessment, the neuropsychologist is the architect of your rehabilitation program. They define therapeutic objectives and propose personalized rehabilitation strategies. They can conduct sessions themselves or work closely with a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist. Their approach is both scientific and human, aimed at helping you understand how your brain works and develop tools to better live with your difficulties.
The Occupational Therapist: Adapting Daily Life to Overcome Difficulties
The occupational therapist is the “how to do it” specialist. Their approach is eminently practical and anchored in your daily life. Their goal is not so much to “repair” a cognitive function as to find concrete solutions so that your difficulties have the least possible impact on your autonomy.
If you have planning problems, they will help you set up a visual agenda or use reminder apps on your phone. If you have attention disorders, they can help you organize your workspace to limit distractions. They work on real-life situations: shopping, managing a budget, organizing your administrative papers. The occupational therapist gives you tips, techniques, and tools to make your daily life simpler and more fluid, despite cognitive challenges.
Complementary Tools and Approaches for Brain Stimulation
Rehabilitation is not limited to weekly sessions with a therapist. For progress to be lasting, regular stimulation is key. Fortunately, technology today offers wonderful tools to accompany you daily.
Brain Training Programs on Tablets and Smartphones
Cognitive stimulation apps are increasingly used to complement traditional rehabilitation. They allow you to train in a fun way, at your own pace, wherever you are. It’s an excellent way to keep your brain active between appointments and reinforce the work done with your therapist. However, not all apps are equal. It’s important to choose programs designed or validated by healthcare professionals, which offer varied exercises and a difficulty level that adapts to your abilities.
The Example of DYNSEO’s Scarlett and Clint Applications
This is where solutions like our Scarlett and Clint brain training programs come in, specifically designed to be both fun and therapeutic. They are used by many people with multiple sclerosis, either autonomously at home or directly with their speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist.
Our Scarlett program is designed for individual use at home. It offers more than 30 memory, attention, logic, and language games, with a cultural and fun approach. You can work on your memory by recognizing master paintings, stimulate your language with general knowledge quizzes, or train your logic with adapted sudokus. The difficulty level automatically adjusts to your performance so you’re always stimulated, without ever being in a failure situation.
The Clint program, meanwhile, is designed to be used in pairs or groups, often facilitated by a healthcare professional. Your speech-language pathologist, for example, can use Clint during a session to work on specific objectives in an interactive and motivating way. This creates a framework for exchange and sharing that can be very beneficial.
How Do These Tools Integrate into Your Care Journey?
These programs don’t replace professional follow-up, but they complement it perfectly. They act as a bridge between your rehabilitation sessions. Here’s how they can help you concretely:
Daily reinforcement: They allow you to practice a few minutes each day, which is much more effective than a single long session per week for anchoring progress.
Motivation: The fun aspect and variety of games help maintain your motivation over the long term, which is crucial in rehabilitation.
Link with the therapist: Our programs allow professionals to monitor your progress remotely. Your speech-language pathologist can see the games you’ve played, your scores, and thus adapt the next session based on your results and difficulties.
Adaptability: The programs are designed to be accessible, even if you have motor or visual disorders associated with MS, with simple interfaces and customization options.
Implementing a Personalized Rehabilitation Strategy
As you will have understood, cognitive rehabilitation is not a single solution but a set of coordinated strategies. For it to be effective, it must be custom-built for you.
The Importance of a Multidisciplinary Approach
The key to success lies in collaboration between different professionals. Imagine your care journey as a sports team where you are the main player. The neurologist is the sports director who sets the overall strategy. The neuropsychologist is the analyst who evaluates your performance. The speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist are specialized coaches who train you on specific aspects. And tools like Scarlett or Clint are your personal training equipment. Each team member brings their expertise to help you achieve your goal.
Your Active Role in Rehabilitation
You are not a simple spectator of your rehabilitation; you are its main actor. Your involvement and regularity are the engines of change. Be honest with your therapists about your difficulties, but also about your desires and life objectives. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, to give your opinion on exercises. It’s your brain, your daily life. Rehabilitation must make sense to you. Be patient with yourself; progress is not always linear, there will be good days and bad days. The important thing is to persevere.
Setting Realistic and Measurable Goals
In collaboration with your therapists, define goals that are important to you and achievable. It’s not about aiming for “perfection,” but functional improvement. A goal could be: “Being able to remember a list of 5 shopping items without having to write it down” or “Being able to follow a 10-minute conversation with a friend without losing track.” Celebrate every small victory, because these, put together, build great successes and restore confidence in your abilities.
Conclusion
If you live with cognitive disorders related to multiple sclerosis, know that you are not alone and that concrete solutions exist. The journey begins by talking to your neurologist. They will know how to guide you to a team of specialists – speech-language pathologist, neuropsychologist, occupational therapist – who will build a custom program with you. Innovative digital tools, like our Scarlett and Clint applications, can become precious allies for daily training and reinforcing the work done in sessions. Cognitive rehabilitation is a journey that requires commitment, but it’s a decisive step to preserve your autonomy, quality of life, and self-confidence.
