Improved cognitive outcomes in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis treated with daclizumab beta: Results from the DECIDE study:

Background:Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), with cognitive processing speed being the most frequently affected domain.Objective:Examine the effects of daclizumab beta versus intramuscular (IM) interferon (IFN) beta-1a on cognitive processing speed as assessed by Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).Methods:In DECIDE, patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) (age: 18–55 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 0–5.0) were randomized to daclizumab beta (n = 919) or IM IFN beta-1a (n = 922) for 96–144 weeks. SDMT was administered at baseline and at 24-week intervals.Results:At week 96, significantly greater mean improvement from baseline in SDMT was observed with daclizumab beta versus IM IFN beta-1a (p = 0.0274). Significantly more patients treated with daclizumab beta showed clinically meaningful improvement in SDMT (increase from baseline of ⩾3 points (p = 0.0153) or ⩾4 points (p = 0.0366)), and significantly fewer patients showed clinically meaningf...