Patient-reported memory is not well-aligned with objective performance on traditional memory assessments (i.e., word list-learning), which were adopted before disease-modifying therapies were available. We re-examined relationships between patient-reported memory and traditional objective measurement procedures (i.e., word-list-learning) versus story repetition, which may better reflect everyday memory demands and patterns of disease-related parietal atrophy.

Patient-reported memory difficulty was more related to story repetition than word-list-learning and visuospatial memory tests, and may therefore provide a more accurate representation of patients’ memory deficits in their daily life. The results also suggest a more complex picture of MS memory dysfunction as the result of subtle language-mediated deficits, which align with recent neuroimaging evidence identifying prominent early parietal cortical atrophy.