By David Orange and Timothy Vollmer, MD, FAAN
Several new medications are emerging for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), including five orally-administered drugs. Many of… »
Other Posts
Osteoporosis and Physical Activity Among NARCOMS ParticipantsIntroduction Osteoporosis is a bone disease causing thinning of the bones. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures... »
Emerging Medications for Multiple SclerosisBy David Orange and Timothy Vollmer, MD, FAAN
Several new medications are emerging for the treatment of multiple
... »
Studies
Cholesterol Drugs Show Promise in Treating MS
Medications used to treat high cholesterol such as Lipitor could potentially slow the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study involved 81 patients with early-stage MS who were chosen at random to be treated with Lipitor–a popular medication that belongs to a… »
Two Kinds of Multiple Sclerosis
Source: Stanford School of Medicine (http://med.stanford.edu)
By Bruce Goldman, Science Writer, Office of Communication & Public Affairs–Stanford University School of Medicine
There may be two distinct versions of multiple sclerosis, a study in both animal models and human blood samples suggests. What’s more, a patient’s responsiveness to the most popular first-line drug for this episodic and all-too-often… »
Copaxone 15-Year Study in Patients With MS
Source: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. recently announced the publication of data from the 15-year clinical study with Copaxone® (glatiramer acetate injection), which is the longest prospective and continuous evaluation ever conducted in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. The data were published in the February issue of the journal Multiple Sclerosis.
The 15-year clinical… »
Mothers With MS May Be Unique in Their Management of Fatigue
Source: East Carolina University, College of Human Ecology
Mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be managing fatigue in strikingly different ways than well mothers or those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), say researchers at East Carolina University. In spite of the debilitating fatigue that many people with MS regularly experience, the fatigue that mothers with MS experience… »
MS More Aggressive in Children
Source: University of Buffalo, www.buffalo.edu
Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in childhood show that pediatric onset multiple sclerosis is more aggressive, and causes more brain lesions, than MS diagnosed in adulthood, researchers at the University at Buffalo have reported.
Interestingly, however, patients with pediatric-onset MS — which comprise up to 5 percent… »
High Internet Use of People With MS Could Lead to Innovative Treatment Strategies
High internet use by people with Multiple Sclerosis may lead to some very innovative treatment… »
Epstein-Barr Virus Link to MS: More Questions Than Answers
Researchers Kevin C. O’Connor, PhD of Harvard Medical School and colleagues recently reported in the journal Brain, the lack of evidence directly linking Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis. However, it does not refute past research that demonstrates the possibility that EBV could be a risk factor in developing… »
Researchers Identify Two Genes as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Multiple Sclerosis
Source: Mayo Clinic News, www.mayoclinic.org
A Mayo Clinic study has found that two genes in mice were associated with good central nervous system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings give researchers new hope for developing more effective therapies for patients with MS and for predicting MS patients’ outcomes.
“It’s possible that the identification of these… »
New Data on Paralysis Could Impact Future Treatment Strategies
By Tom Scott
Sufficient information on the prevalence of Americans living with paralysis and spinal cord injuries (SCI) has always been hard to come by. Most information cited in educational literature and on many Web sites regarding paralysis and SCI is extremely outdated. This presents numerous hurdles in devising new or evaluating existing policies, programs, and… »
The Treatment of MS With Inosine
Inosine is a basic compound found in cells. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of inosine in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The secondary objectives are to assess the effects of inosine administration on serum urate (UA) levels, the progression of neurologic disability, the cumulative number of new,… »
PML and RRMS: A Comparative Study
The objective of this study from Wayne State University is to identify clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features that distinguish progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) from relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
Using retrospective medical record review from two urban teaching hospitals in Detroit, Michigan, the scientists studied forty-five patients with confirmed PML and 100 patients with RRMS…. »
Cost Effectiveness and Budget Impact of Natalizumab in Patients With RRMS
Disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is the largest single-cost item that contributes to the total per-patient cost of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disabling disorder of the central nervous system. Natalizumab is the most recent DMT to be approved for the treatment of relapsing MS and may be an attractive alternative to interferon beta and glatiramer acetate (GA)…. »
Cognitive Testing, Gender and Brain Lesions May Predict MS Disease Progression Risk
Source: American Academy of Neurology
Cognitive testing may help people with inactive or benign multiple sclerosis (MS) better predict their future with the disease, according to a study published in the July 29, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Gender and brain lesions may also determine the risk… »
Smoking Associated With More Rapid Progression of Multiple Sclerosis
Source: JAMA/Archives
Patients with multiple sclerosis who smoke appear to experience a more rapid progression of their disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Cigarette smokers are at higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to background information in the article. However, the effect of… »
MS: A New Theory for Why Repair of the Brain’s Wiring Fails
Scientists have uncovered new evidence suggesting that damage to nerve cells in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) accumulates because the body’s natural mechanism for repairing the nerve coating called myelin stalls… »
Two Gene Locations May Unravel Mystery of MS
An international study conducted by researchers from Australia and New Zealand have uncovered two new gene locations that may reveal insight into the genectic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Professor Trevor Kilpatrick, director of Neurosciences at the University of Melbourne (www.unimelb.edu.au) who co-cordinated the study with Dr. Justin Rubio of Florey Neurosciences Institutes.”
“The… »
Breastfeeding Associated With a Reduced Risk of Relapse in Women With Multiple Sclerosis
Source: JAMA/Archives
CHICAGO—Women with multiple sclerosis who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months appear less likely to experience a relapse within a year after their baby’s birth, according to a report posted online that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a… »
Use of Cognitive Aids and Other Assistive Technology by Individuals With MS
This study investigated the use of assistive technology (AT), unmet needs for AT, and examine correlates of use of memory aids and cognitive strategies among individuals with MS. A total of 1,063 community dwelling adults with MS in Washington State were given a self-report survey to assess use of AT as well as depression, fatigue,… »
Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With MS in the HALT Trial
An update on Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With MS. From the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Western MS Center at the University of… »
UCSF Identifies Glutamate as Predictor of Disease Progression in MS
Source: UCSF News Office
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have identified a correlation between higher levels of glutamate, which occurs naturally in the brain as a byproduct of metabolism, and greater disease burden in multiple sclerosis patients. The study is the first to measure glutamate toxicity in the brain over time and suggests… »
