News

#CMSC16 – Home DVD-Guided Exercise May Help Older MS Patients Improve Physical Function, Quality of Life

Positive results from a home-based exercise intervention designed to target flexibility, toning, and balance for older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests that exercise is important for improving  patient quality of life. The study, “A Qualitative Study of a Home-Based DVD Exercise Intervention in Older Adults with Multiple Sclerosis,” was…

#CMSC16 – MS Mice Show Reduced Disease Severity After Treatment with Vegetable Compound

Research from Indiana University School of Medicine showed that D3T – a compound that triggers copying of antioxidant genes and production of the antioxidant glutathione – delays disease development and lowers disease severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) animal models. The models mimicked multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans, advancing further exploration…

#CMSC16 – Fingolimod (Gilenya) Offers Consistent Health Benefits in Relapsing-Remitting MS Patients

Researchers at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Washington and Novartis Pharma revealed that Gilenya (fingolimod) induced a consistent and significant reduction in disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results were recently presented at the June 1-4 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual…

#CMSC16 – MS Patients, Physical Therapists Have Distinct Decision-Making Processes for Improving Gait, Balance

Understanding and combining decision-making processes of both patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and physical therapists to improve balance and gait — the movement of the lower limbs for locomotion — may help optimize patient outcomes. The findings were recently shown in an oral presentation titled “Understanding Engagement Decisions to Maximize Gait…

#CMSC16 – Ocrevus (Ocrelizumab) in PPMS Prevented Disability Progression, Lowered MRI Lesion Volume, Study Shows

Data recently presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting showed that Roche/Genentech’s investigational drug ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) lowered the risk of disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a condition for which no approved treatments exist. The study was presented during the “…

#CMSC16 – Genentech’s Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) a Promising Therapy for Primary Progressive MS; Interview with Lead Researcher

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, was founded more than 35 years ago and has been focused on a variety of research fields, including cancer, immunology, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic diseases, and infectious diseases. Genentech has been committed to discovering and developing new medicines for patients with major diseases of the nervous…

#CMSC16 – RRMS Patients’ Five-Year Clinical Outcome Improved Through Combined Immunosuppresive Therapy, Cell Transplantation

Results from a Phase 2 clinical trial showed that five-year clinical outcomes of patients with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are significantly improved when patients are treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy combined with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. The study, “Five-Year Outcomes of Halt-MS: High-
Dose Immunosuppressive Therapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Cell…

#CMSC16 – STRIVE Study Confirms Tysabri (Natalizumab) Safety in Early Relapsing-Remitting MS

Results from the STRIVE study support the safety of natalizumab (Tysabri) as a therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The study, “Natalizumab in Anti-JC Virus Seronegative Patients with Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Interim Results from the STRIVE Study,” was recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis…

#CMSC16 – Delayed-release Dimethyl Fumarate Benefits Newly Diagnosed MS Patients, According to Study

Newly diagnosed patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show significant improvements when treated with delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF), especially in terms of reduction in confirmed disability progression. The study, “Efficacy of Delayed-Release Dimethyl Fumarate in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Using a Composite Measure of Disability,” was recently presented at the…

#CMSC16 – MS Research Highlights How Sensory Processing, Fatigue, and Cognition Assessment May Improve Clinical Care

Melissa A. Colbeck, an investigator at the Occupational Therapy, Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, studied how different sensory processing approaches, cognition, and fatigue influence the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings suggested that establishing a relationship between the three factors and quality of life…

#CMSC16 – MS Care Should Include Fatigue, Sleep Quality and Inattentiveness Assessment, Study Shows

Mayis Al Dughmi, of the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Kansas Medical Center, recently presented her findings on the relationship between fatigue, measured using the Neurological Fatigue Index (NFI-MS), and sleep quality and attentiveness in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings indicate that cognitive…

#CMSC16 – Assessing and Treating Psychiatric Disorders in MS Patients May Improve Prognosis, Quality of Life

Assessing and treating psychiatric disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may improve their quality of life and disease prognosis, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School, who presented their work titled “Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis: Assessment and Management” at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)…

#CMSC16 – Exclusive Interview with Dr. Rosalind Kalb on MS Care and Family Involvement

Dr. Rosalind Kalb, vice president of the Professional Resource Center at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York City, recently presented her work at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) June 1-4 in National Harbor, Maryland. She participated in several symposiums, primarily “Gaining Perspectives on Advanced…

#CMSC16 – Researchers Present Findings Showing Women with MS Have Significant Depression, Fatigue, Decline in Cognitive Function

Researchers at the University of Arizona studied the psychosocial symptoms felt by a group of female patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from the southwestern United States, and found significant relationships between depression, fatigue, and cognitive decline — symptoms also related with poorer quality of life and reduced mental and…

#CMSC16 – MS Patients at Higher Risk for Loneliness, Study Shows

Researchers who looked at manifestations of loneliness found that the burden of loneliness is much higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients when compared to healthy people. The study, “Loneliness in Multiple Sclerosis: Putative Antecedents and Manifestations,” was recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) June…

#CMSC16 – Novel Model of Home Care for Patients with Progressive MS Proven Beneficial, Increased Patients’ Satisfaction

A new model of care implemented to address the needs of patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers has proven beneficial by reducing hospital stays, avoiding major care expenses, and improving patients’ satisfaction. The model has been tested in MS patients with high disability scores, and preliminary results of…

#CMSC16 – Interview with Bayer’s VP and General Manager on Betaconnect/Betaseron and Customized Therapy

Global pharma Bayer Healthcare aims to improve human health by diagnosing, preventing, and treating a variety of diseases. The company currently provides products for general medicine, hematology, neurology, oncology, and women’s healthcare. In 1993, Bayer’s Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) became the first disease-modifying drug to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for…

#CMSC16 – Home Evaluation Prototype to Improve At-home Rehabilitation After Hospitalization

Researchers at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta are developing a prototype that addresses physical and cognitive parameters, daily routines, and homes of patients to better implement rehabilitation within the home environment. The study was presented in “Functional Home Evaluation: Missing Pieces in Treatment and Transition Processes” during the Consortium…

#CMSC16 – Study of PPMS Patient Characteristics Highlights Need for More Information

People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) are usually older and more disabled than those with relapsing-remitting MS, researchers at Washington University reported. The team is studying demographic and clinical characteristics of PPMS patients enrolled in the NARCOMS registry, to better understand their unmet needs and possibly improve research into potential treatments. The study, “…