January 25, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Diets promoting inflammation may slowly lead to depression, anxiety Foods that promote inflammation appear to contribute to the development over time of depression and anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study that followed patients for 10 years reports. A pro-inflammatory diet, however, was not linked to fatigue, a common MS symptom. āIf the relationship with…
October 31, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Better sleep linked to quality of life, mental health in children with MS In children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), poor sleep quality is linked to fatigue, depression, and worse quality of life, a study has found. While no significant differences in sleep measures were identified between children and adolescents with MS compared with those without the neurodegenerative condition, sleep can have…
October 30, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Saffron supplement, exercise combo may ease depression in MS women Combining a saffron supplement and an exercise program for three months was seen to significantly ease depression and improve quality of life for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study in Iran found. The combination of the two treatments worked better than either approach alone. “Although … the corrective…
October 3, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Remote therapy program found to ease depression for MS patients A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program delivered virtually ā using self-paced remote modules ā significantly eased depressive symptoms and improved life quality in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with depression, according to new research. A Phase 3 trial testing the remote program had aimed to determine if an internet-delivered platform…
September 15, 2023 Columns by John Connor Aggressive MS has me depressed for one whole day How do you start a column about depression that isnāt, well, depressing? Thatās a question for me to answer rather than you lot. If youāre still reading this weekās musings, then so far Iāve done pretty darned good. It was a confluence of events that fortunately involved water. I’d…
June 6, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Depression not a causal risk factor for disability progression: Study Physical disability, not whether patients are depressed, when they’re diagnosed with multiple sclerosis significantly influences their future disability progression, according to a recent U.K. registry study. Although patients who were depressed at the time of their diagnosis were more likely to accumulate significant disability and require an aid to…
April 3, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS sexual issues associated with fatigue, depression: Study Issues with sexual performance and satisfaction are common with multiple sclerosis (MS), and show significant associations with measures of quality of life, a study shows. Sexual problems tend to be more pronounced among patients with severe fatigue and depression, data suggest. These findings highlight areas where healthcare providers can…
January 20, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Brain Circuit Associated With MS-related Depression Identified Researchers have identified specific areas of brain damage associated with depression in multiple sclerosis (MS), but not with other symptoms of the disease. The findings could pave the way toward new treatments for MS-related depression that work to stimulate these regions. “The more we know about the connectivity of…
December 14, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Caring for mental health with multiple sclerosis In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked psychologist Amy MB Sullivan to answer some of your questions related to implementing integrative medicine in multiple sclerosisĀ care. Sullivan is a board-certified staff clinical health psychologist and the director of behavioral medicine at the Mellen…
December 2, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Eating Lots of Acidic Foods Linked to Worse, Longer Depression in MS Eating a lot of acidic foods like meat, eggs, cheese, and grains ā and fewer alkaline ones, such as fruits, vegetables, and milk ā is significantly associated with worse depression scores over five years among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. “The level of depression at the…
October 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Passive Health Tracking Can Predict Changes in MS, Study Says Data passively collected by smartphone apps and fitness trackers can be used to accurately predict the risk of depression, severe fatigue, poor sleep quality, and symptom worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) when in-person health visits are suddenly limited. These are the findings of a small study that…
September 13, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Understanding MS Burden, Support Needs Can Challenge Couples Differences are evident in the perceived frequency of expressions of support needs and disease burden between people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and their life partners, a Swiss study found. People without MS responded in a survey to feeling their partnersā communication about these issues was more frequent than the…
September 7, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD High-intensity Resistance Training May Help MS Patients With Fatigue Three months of once-weekly sessions of high-intensity resistance training ā consisting of strength exercises followed by a short recovery between sets ā effectively eased fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experiencing low energy and tiredness, a trial in Sweden shows. This intervention also lessened feelings of depression and anxiety,…
August 25, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo The Difference Between Living and Existing After My PPMS Diagnosis Itās been a year and a half since I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). I still have use of my limbs and am able to walk, albeit shakily, without a walker. My eyesight has not been affected, I drive, and am able to carry on a…
August 8, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Adding Nursing Care in MS May Ease Patient Depression, Anxiety Adding a specialized nurse practitioner (NP) to a neurologist-based standard care team was found to significantly lessen depression and anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a six-month study in Canada. People with multiple sclerosis ā dubbed “PwMS” by researchers ā who received the add-on…
July 26, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Exercise in Early MS May Ease Mood Disorders via Immune Alterations Exercise prior to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) was associated with less depression and anxiety among patients, likely due to a reduction in the levels of an inflammatory molecule called interleukin-2 (IL-2), a study revealed. “This finding supports the notion that exercise in the early stages may act…
July 13, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Women with MS More Likely to Be Sexually, Emotionally Abused Rates of sexual and emotional abuse are higher in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with women in the general population, according to a new study from Norway. These women are also at more than two times higher risk of being revictimized, which occurs when a person who has…
July 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early MS Symptoms May Help Predict Diagnosis, Disease Course Some prodromal symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā symptoms that are evident before the disease begins in earnest ā could help to predict the course of MS, a new study proposes. In particular, its researchers suggest that MS patients with prodromal depression are more likely to be diagnosed…
June 20, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Neural Sleeve Improves Mobility, Reduces Pain and Depression: Cionic Cionic‘s leg-worn Neural Sleeve, recently authorized in the U.S. to aid walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that impair mobility, reduced foot drop in a small clinical trial. Patients in the trial also reported marked reductions in pain and mental health problems, according to…
June 2, 2022 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD Pandemic’s Negative Aspects Tied to Worse Disability in MS Patients Worsening disability was associated with worry about COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the U.S. and Italy, a study evaluating the pandemic’s impact has found. In both countries, MS patients with greater psychological disabilities, such as depression, were more likely to have worrying thoughts, while those…
May 16, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Music, Resilience, Childhood Abuse, Exercise Biogen, MedRhythms Working on Music Therapy for MS Gait Issues This is music to my ears. Sorry, I couldn’t resist, but I’m a big music fan. Music in my ears really motivates me when I’m exercising. So the idea of using computer-based music therapy to improve someone’s gait has…
May 12, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Stress-reducing Activities Linked to Lower Risk of Depression, Fatigue Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients undertaking stress-reducing activities ā particularly physical and relaxation activities or meditation ā at least once a week are less likely to have depression, an international study shows. Additional links were found between physical activity and reduced risk of fatigue, and between meditation and a greater…
May 6, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Keto Diet Improved Life Quality of RRMS Patients in Trial Eating a ketogenic diet ā one low in carbohydrates and high in fats ā led to markedly less fatigue and depression for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in a small clinical trial that was designed to assess the tolerability of the dietary intervention. Measures of disability and quality…
April 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New Bouts of Depression, Anxiety Linked to Pandemic, US Survey Finds Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) report new bouts of depression and anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but factors that often influence such mental health concerns were not associated with anxiety or depression in the patient group Ā surveyed for a recent U.S. study. “We found that…
April 4, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Irisin Hormone May Underlie Benefits of Aerobic Exercise for RRMS Six weeks of aerobic exercise led to benefits in cognition, fatigue, and depression among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which may be due to increases in blood levels of a hormone called irisin, according to data from a randomized, controlled trial. “Considering the high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms…
March 24, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Online Mindfulness Program Helps Patients With Depression, Trial Finds Eight weeks of an online mindfulness program significantly lowered levels of depression and improved quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers in Australia report. āThis study adds to growing evidence on how wellness strategies can help people with MS to reduce symptoms and enable fuller participation…
March 9, 2022 News by Somi Igbene, PhD Ketogenic Diet Eases Symptoms, Aids Life Quality in Small RRMS Study A short-term ketogenic diet, which dramatically cuts carbohydrate consumption, is safe and results in significant improvements in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a small study in patients reported. āOur study provides evidence that a ketogenic diet is safe and beneficial, reducing some symptoms for people with MS, when…
March 7, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Using Trait Mindfulness Techniques May Help Reduce Depression in MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reported fewer difficulties regulating their emotions, and reduced depressive symptoms when they applied trait mindfulness techniques, a study showed. Trait mindfulness refers to an innate ability to pay and maintain attention to moments in the present with an open, non-judgmental attitude. Notably, the use of…
January 31, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Higher Risk of Long COVID Possible With MS, UK Study Suggests Nearly a third of multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients with COVID-19 experience symptoms that last at least one month, according to a review of of more than 550 infected MS patients in the U.K. who did not need to be hospitalized. This study’s rate is higher than that reported for the…
January 21, 2022 Columns by John Connor The World According to MS Ennui Move along, move along. Nothing to read here. What a great start to a column! Last week, my worries about MS lifted as I was consumed by a glitch in my computer software. Iām pleased to report that Iāve found a whole series of admittedly fiddly workarounds. Iām even…