Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

NMSS Grant Supports Work Into Epstein-Barr Virus as MS Trigger

AĀ National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ grant is supporting an Australian-led research team aiming to better understand how the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be acting as a trigger for multiple sclerosis (MS). The funding will particularly be used to understand what molecules are being targeted by lymphocytes, immune cells that…

4 Weeks of Nabiximols Found to Ease Spasticity in MS Pilot Study

Four weeks of treatment with nabiximolsĀ ā€” an oral spray containing compounds found in the cannabis plant ā€” significantly reduced spasticity and generally improved arm and hand function in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with moderate-to-severe spasticity, according to a small pilot study in Italy. Notably, after nabiximols, patients showed…

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,…

Eye Scans May Help to Diagnose MS in Children

A machine learning approach based on eye scans was employed by researchers to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) in children with up to 80% accuracy. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans also provided enough data to diagnose other demyelinating diseases with 75% accuracy. OCT is an imaging tool that uses…

RRMS Onset Taking Place at Older Ages Over Past 50 Years

The first symptoms of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have been appearing increasingly later in life, according to a Spanish study covering nearly five decades. From the 1970s through the 2010s, the average age at disease onset rose by more than 10 years in both men and women, its researchers…

UCSF Researcher Earns Scientific Breakthrough Award

This yearā€™s Scientific Breakthrough Award, funded by the American Brain Foundation, has been awarded to Stephen Hauser, MD, for helping to understand the genetic basis, immune processes, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The award recognizes the work of an individual or a team whose research has contributed…

MS Research Prize Goes to Barcelona Neurologist

A researcher in Barcelona, Spain, has been chosen to receive the 2022 John Dystel Prize for his work advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The $40,000 prize, given jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), will be…

Blood Stem Cell Transplant May Help Immune System Longer

Treatment with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) seems to reboot the immune system in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for at least three years, a small study found. The study, ā€œSustained immunotolerance in multiple sclerosis after stem cell transplant,ā€ was published in Annals of Clinical and…

Cognition-targeted Exercise May Boost CBTā€™s Easing of Fatigue

Cognition-targeting exercise, when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) ā€” a type of talk therapy ā€” may further ease fatigue and other symptoms in people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study found. The study, ā€œThe added value of cognition-targeted exercise versus symptom-targeted exercise for multiple sclerosis fatigue: A randomized…

Cortrophin Gel Now Available in US at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime

Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection), an injectable gel medication approved for acute flares in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic autoimmune diseases, is now available through the AllianceRx Walgreens Prime specialty pharmacy to patients living in the U.S. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

Sensorimotor Exercise Linked to Better Overall Quality of Life

Sensorimotor exercise, which aims to improve the neuromuscular system with reduced pressure interventions, such as robotic-assisted training or aquatic exercises, was found to have the greatest total benefits on both mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, aerobic exercises ā€” such…

OTC Melatonin Improves Sleep Quality in MS Patients, Trial Finds

Taking the hormone melatonin may increase overall sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a clinical trial found. The compound, available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement, was particularly effective at extending sleep time in patients. Of note, sleep time decreased with age, meaning that ā€œyounger participants may have…