Effects of Training on Central Auditory Function in Multiple Sclerosis

Inclusion Criteria

• age 21-65 years;
• a clinical or laboratory supported diagnosis of "definite" MS;
• a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, or secondary progressive MS;
• a Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) of 0 to 7.0, inclusive;
• no history of a clinical relapse or change in EDSS for three months preceding entry into the study; and
• a brain MRI scan that shows at least three white-matter lesions on T2-weighted images consistent with MS

Exclusion Criteria

• current major disease or disorder other than MS (e.g., cancer, end-stage renal disease, end-stage cardiopulmonary disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes);
• other neurological conditions that could interfere with the ability to respond to tests and questionnaires;
• non-native speaker of English (since test materials are presented in English);
• pregnant (due to potential negative effects on the fetus during fMRI);
• more than a mild degree (less than a 40 dB HL four-frequency pure-tone average [PTA]) of hearing loss bilaterally (since the presence of more than a mild degree of peripheral hearing impairment may impact CAP test results);
• metal implants (due to fMRI constraints); and
• left-handedness