Avaliação do efeito da psicoterapia de grupo sobre as funções cognitivas de pacientes com esclerose múltipla que apresentam simultaneamente alterações cognitivas e depressão Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease considered to be of autoimmune origin and characterized by focal inflammatory-demyelinating lesions, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting the white matter, cortex and deep gray matter of the brain 1 . The demyelination associated with MS lesions and axonal degeneration is responsible for neurological disabilities in patients with MS 1 . One or more psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression, are observed in approximately 80% of individuals with MS 2,3 . Schiffer noted that a high incidence and prevalence of depressive symptoms have been reported in MS compared to many other neurological diseases 4 . Assessments with neuropsychological tests can identify the presence of cognitive dysfunction in 65% of patients with MS, compared to only 5% of outpatient controls 5 . Cognitive dysfunction, independent of the physical disability created by the disease itself, is an important factor that impairs routine daily activities and decreases labor productivity 6,7,8 . Cognitive disorders observed in MS usually affect memory,