Columns The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Viruses and MS, New Therapy Device, Tysabri vs. Gilenya and More MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Viruses and MS, New Therapy Device, Tysabri vs. Gilenya and More by Ed Tobias | October 10, 2016 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link I’m filling in for Ian Franks this week onĀ news item picks forĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today while Ian is in Moscow taking the first step in his HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) quest. We wish him well. Virus Linked to Respiratory Infections May Also Trigger Brain Diseases Like MS Some MS patients have said that, prior to their diagnosis they had a history of respiratory infections.Ā Could there be a link? A virus known to cause respiratory infections in people ā the human coronavirus (HCoV) ā may also be the source of neurological diseases thatĀ strike patients, seemingly out of the blue,Ā a new study reported. Results obtained in the study, āHuman Coronavirus OC43 Associated with Fatal Encephalitis,āĀ support the idea that diseases of unknown origin ā such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimerās, Parkinsonās, and, especially, encephalitis ā may be induced by this virus. ItĀ was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although this viral strand, HCoV-OC43, is typically āassociated with mild upper respiratory tract infections,ā the researchers continued, āit has been shown to have neuroinvasive properties.āĀ In vivo studies in mice, specifically, have demonstrated that āHCoV-OC43 can infect neurons and cause encephalitis.āAnother studyĀ also detected this virus in the cerebrospinal fluid of a child with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. In the case of multiple sclerosis, studies from the 1980sā90s have reported the presence of HCoV-OC43 in brain biopsies of MS patients. Further study of this would seem to be beneficial. University to Use New Balance and Mobility Trainer for Therapy, Research This is a device that could help patients while also protecting therapists. The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility TrainerĀ on its Austin, Texas campus. The device isĀ a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with physical therapy and occupational therapy experts to mitigate risk of injury from falls. Itās used to treat peopleĀ who have multiple sclerosis or spina bifida, or with neurological problems such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, as well as geriatric patients who are at risk ofĀ injury from falls. Additionally, the SafeGait 360ās Dynamic Fall Protection (DFP) feature is programmed to distinguish between a patientās intentional downward movement and when the patient is actually falling, allowing therapists to easily fine-tune the systemās fall protection sensitivity to accommodate and challenge individual patients at varying stages of independence. Physical therapists are regularly at risk of strains or injuries associated with patient handling and movement during therapy, with risk of injury from falls during therapy threatening the safety of both patients and therapists, and associated costs creating a substantial burden on the facility. The use of SafeGait in risk reduction protocols protects therapists and patients without compromising the therapy. Gait 360 will be used for research and to provide treatment for orthopedic andĀ geriatric patients, who are also at risk of injury from falls. It seems as if MS patients might benefit from this,Ā as well as others with severe mobility problems. Tysabri May Be More Effective Than Gilenya at Reducing Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Says Print This Page About the Author Ed Tobias People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He's lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed's a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Heās also the author of āThe Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.ā Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Floridaās Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun. Tags pick of the week's news Comments Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility TrainerĀ on its Austin, Texas campus. The device isĀ a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with physical therapy and occupational therapy experts to mitigate risk of injury from falls. Itās used to treat peopleĀ who have multiple sclerosis or spina bifida, or with neurological problems such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, as well as geriatric patients who are at risk ofĀ injury from falls. Additionally, the SafeGait 360ās Dynamic Fall Protection (DFP) feature is programmed to distinguish between a patientās intentional downward movement and when the patient is actually falling, allowing therapists to easily fine-tune the systemās fall protection sensitivity to accommodate and challenge individual patients at varying stages of independence. Physical therapists are regularly at risk of strains or injuries associated with patient handling and movement during therapy, with risk of injury from falls during therapy threatening the safety of both patients and therapists, and associated costs creating a substantial burden on the facility. The use of SafeGait in risk reduction protocols protects therapists and patients without compromising the therapy. Gait 360 will be used for research and to provide treatment for orthopedic andĀ geriatric patients, who are also at risk of injury from falls.
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