Impact of Autoantibodies Against Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein in Paediatric Acquired Demyelinating Disease: Intellectual Functioning and Academic Performance

Paediatric acquired demyelinating syndromes (pADS) attack white matter pathways in the brain during an important period of development. Affected children can experience poor functional outcomes, including deficits in specific cognitive domains. Understanding risk factors for poor outcome will guide clinical management of these children. One clinical phenotype which may differentially impact cognitive outcomes is the presence of autoantibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). Preliminary research has suggested that cognitive difficulties exist in paediatric patients who test positive for MOG antibodies or MOGAD (Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Associated Disease) however, they experience a less severe profile compared to seronegative counterparts. The current study assesses children diagnosed with pADS who tested positive or negative for MOG-ab using standardised assessments of both intellectual functioning and academic ability. The results show that a subset of MOGAD patients experience clinically significant sequalae in intellectual functioning and academic ability. The neuropsychological profile also differed between children with and without MOG-ab positivity, with seronegative patients more likely to show a clinically relevant difficulties at the individual patient level. Whilst no differences existed at the group-level; the current study demonstrates the relative additional risk of intellectual / academic difficulty associated with MOG-ab seronegativity. This research further supports the growing perspective that MOG-positivity confers a more favourable neuropsychological outlook than is the case for their seronegative counterparts. This broadening consensus offers reassurance for clinicians, families, and patients.