David Orange, NARCOMS Staff Writer with contributions from John Brockington, MD, Associate Professor and Director, Division of General Neurology at the University of Alabama at… »
Other Posts
Driving with Multiple Sclerosis: Can I? Should I?David Orange, NARCOMS Staff Writer with contributions from John Brockington, MD, Associate Professor and Director, Division of... »
Osteoporosis and Physical Activity Among NARCOMS ParticipantsIntroduction Osteoporosis is a bone disease causing thinning of the bones. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures... »
Studies
The Impact of Stressful Life Events on Risk of Relapse in Women With Multiple Sclerosis: A Prospective Study
The aims of this study were first, to examine the general relation between stressful life events (SLEs) and clinical relapses in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and second, to investigate the relations of the specific stressor attributes of duration, type, and severity on MS exacerbations. Twenty-six ambulating women with relapsing-remitting MS were followed-up for a… »
No Effect of Birth Weight on the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: A Population-Based Study
This study addresses the question of birth weight and the development of MS. Genetic and environmental factors have important roles in MS susceptibility. It has been shown that a low birth weight increases the risk of several adult-onset diseases. Conducted in a population-based Canadian cohort, this study investigated whether there is any difference in birth… »
Cognitive Impairment in MS can be Predicted by Imaging Early in the Disease
Cognitive impairment is common in MS and adds significantly to the burden of the disease. The ability to predict future cognitive impairment from imaging obtained at disease onset has not been investigated. An English study on the matter has been published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. Sixty-two patients imaged within 3 months… »
MS Relapses: A Multivariable Analysis of Residual Disability Determinants
Recovery from MS relapses is variable. The factors influencing persistence of residual disability (RD) after a relapse are still to be thoroughly elucidated. This study out of the University of Turin in Italy, sought to assess RD after MS relapses and to define the factors associated with persistence of RD. The full article can be… »
MR in the Diagnosis and Monitoring of MS: An Overview
This article, published in the European Journal of Radiology, identifies MS as a chronic, persistent inflammatory-demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that typically presents as an acute clinically isolated syndrome attributable to a monofocal or multifocal demyelinating lesion, which usually affects the optic nerve, spinal cord, or brainstem and cerebellum. Although the diagnosis of… »
Pregnancy, Delivery, and Birth Outcome in Different Stages of Maternal MS
To investigate the influence of maternal MS on pregnancy, this study compared pregnancy, delivery, and birth outcome in births prior to onset of MS (pre MS), between MS onset and diagnosis (early MS), and after diagnosis of MS (manifest MS). Mothers with MS were identifi ed through linkage of the Norwegian MS Registry and the… »
Relationship between Combat Related Posttraumtic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and MS
The interrelation between chronic stress and MS has always been known, but the biological foundation for this phenomenon has not yet been proven. A case-study of five patients, both diagnosed with MS and PTSD, attempts to demonstrate various dimensions of interrelation between these two diseases. The article, published in Pyschiatria Danubina, points out the problems… »
Experiences of Diagnosis and Treatment Among People With MS
The aim of this qualitative study performed by the Applied Research Centre in Health and Lifestyle Interventions in Coventry, UK, was to examine patients’ experiences of being diagnosed with MS, the information that they were given at this time, subsequent treatment, and its impact on their lives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24… »
Access to and Utilization of Neurolgists By People With MS
Access To and Utilization of Neurologists by People With MS This study examined access to and use of neurologists among a broad, national sample of people with MS; identified demographic, economic, and clinical factors associated with access and use; and examined differences in treatment and management of MS. Data was collected from 2,156 people with… »
Prevalence of ‘Poor Sleep’ Among Patients With MS: An Independent Predictor of Mental and Physical Status
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A Longitudinal Study on Effects of a Six-Week Course for Energy Conservation for Patients With MS
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NARCOMS Report-Recent Research Findings
Ruth Ann Marrie, MD, PhD-Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation-CMSC/NARCOMS Research Fellow; Tuula Tyry, PhD, MAED-NARCOMS Program and Editorial Manager-Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona Introduction The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) started the NARCOMS project in 1993 to aid multiple sclerosis (MS) research. More than 32,000 persons have enrolled in… »
Study Shows Weight Training Gives Patients With MS Physical and Emotional Benefits
A new University of Florida study has found that lifting weights can improve muscle strength and quality of life for people afflicted with MS. According to Lesley White, a professor in the department of applied physiology and kinesiology at University of Florida and the study’s lead author, this is the first published report using a… »
Exercise Therapy for MS
A study published in the January 2005 issue of Cochrane Database System Reviews by M.B. Rietberg and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of exercise therapy for patients with MS in terms of activities of daily living and health-related quality of life. According to the authors, no intervention has proven effective in modifying long-term disease prognosis in… »
Exposure to Infant Siblings and MS Risk: A New Study
According to a study published in the January 2005 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association exposure to an infant sibling in the first 6 years of life was associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) among 408 people studied in Tasmania, Australia. A history of exposure to infants was also associated… »
Assessment of Patients With MS
Location: National study sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), based in Bethesda, MD Purpose: Developing a better understanding of the cause of MS. Eligibility: Male or female of 16 to 65 years of age; establishment of MS or initial episode consistent with initial presentation of MS; not currently on specific… »
Epstein-Barr Virus in Pediatric MS: Results of a study of the Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), Al-Sabah Hospital, Shuwaikh, Kuwait
Context Infection with common viruses, particularly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), has been postulated to contribute to the pathobiology of MS. Detailed virological studies in pediatric MS have not been previously reported. Objective To evaluate whether children with MS are more likely to be seropositive for EBV or other common viruses than their healthy age-matched peers. Design,… »
Dysphagia and Multiple Sclerosis: Results of a study conducted at Neurologisches Krankenhaus Munchen (NKM), Munich, Germany
Over 30% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from swallowing symptoms, a higher rate than previously assumed. Neurogenic dysphagia (ND) may cause many different kinds of oropharyngeal sensorimotor dysfunctions in people with MS, and is associated with both the amount of disability and brainstem signs. About 15% of people with MS with mild disability… »
Initial Chemotherapy Treatment Reduces Relapses in Patients With MS
According to a study presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, mitoxantrone, a chemical routinely used to fight breast cancer, leukemia, and malignant lymphoma, dramatically decreases disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) for at least 4 years. Induction therapy, frequently used against cancers, is designed to wipe out… »
New Imaging Tests Shed Light on Brain Matter Changes in Relatives of Patients With MS
According to a recently published study, relatives of patients with MS have a higher risk of developing MS than the general population. The study to evaluate risk involved 30 relatives of patients at the Department of Neurology, Medical Academy in Lodz, Poland, and the Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, in… »
