MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Vitamin D Deficiency, Emotions, Neurostimulation

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by Ed Tobias |

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Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Issues in Study

I’ve taken a vitamin D supplement for many years because numerous studies have shown a correlation between low vitamin D levels and MS. My levels have been normal for years, and I assume the supplement has helped. Even so, I’ve dealt with “cog fog” off and on during my four decades of living with MS. So, did my vitamin D levels matter? This study was restricted to newly diagnosed people. Did I begin my vitamin D supplements too late?

Low vitamin D levels in the bloodstream are associated with slower information processing speeds in people withĀ early-stageĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study suggests.

ā€œOur data support the hypothesis that vitamin D is involved in cognition in MS,ā€ its researchers concluded.

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Patients Feel Emotions Intensely But Can Struggle to See Them in Others

In this small study, 25 women with relapsing-remitting MS and others in a control group were given the Florida Affect Battery, which assesses facial and emotion recognition. Those with MS did more poorly than those in the control group on two parts of the test: facial affect selection, which involves identifying facial expressions named by the examiner, and facial affect matching, a test that requires matching a picture of an emotional face to another face with the same expression. Those with MS also had more difficulty discriminating between angry and neutral expressions, and discriminating between anger and sadness. How does this match up with the way we identify emotions in others?

People withĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) have more difficulty recognizing emotions in others, and they experience emotions more intensely than healthy people, a small study found.

The study, ā€œEmotional experience is increased and emotion recognition decreased in multiple sclerosis,ā€ was published inĀ Scientific Reports.

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Neurostimulation via Neubie Aids Movement With MS, Company Says

The Neubie device provides electrical stimulation to create neuroplasticity, which in effect rewires brain connections to improve a patient’s range of motion and strength. In the press release quoted in this story, physical therapists said that six patients who were treated with it “made measurable progress,” but the release doesn’t specify what that progress was or how it was measured. It also doesn’t provide a price tag for this three-day treatment session led by physical therapists who follow the company’s NeuFit method. The retail price of the Neubie device is $18,000.

Neubie, a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device developed byĀ NeuFit, led to measurable improvements in function and strength in the sixĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients who participated in a three-day physical therapy bootcamp, the company announced in aĀ press release.

The Neubie device is part of theĀ NeuFit methodĀ to re-educate the neuromuscular system and help to ease chronic pain, and allow people to heal faster and perform better. The patented devise, cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, works by sending direct electrical signals through the skin to nerves at locations where patients are experiencing pain or difficulties with muscle movement.

These signals are meant to change the neurological patterns that delay recovery and to Ā re-educate the body for more optimal functioning. Neubie aims to induce a re-wiring of brain connections ā€” a feature called neuroplasticity ā€” to give patients a greater range of motion, more strength, and better function.

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Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.

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