News National MS Society Grants $457,921 to Kessler Foundation Researcher National MS Society Grants $457,921 to Kessler Foundation Researcher by Patricia Silva, PhD | November 4, 2014 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ recently awarded MS researcher Lauren Strober, PhD from the Kessler Foundation, a three-year grant for her investigational research, totaling $457,921. The funding is part of a multi-site study that will be conducted by the investigator to understand the influence that having more up-to-date normativeĀ data for a key Multiple Sclerosis test that can improve its use in clinical settings. Lauren Strober’s project will analyze theĀ Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), which is a standard clinical tool used by physicians to evaluate patients’ brain processing speed in MS patients, and evaluate how having more updated data can improve its clinical use. Dr. Strober believes that an updated test will enable more accurate evaluations in the future, taking into consideration alterations, as well as being able to predict the disease progression and outcomes. āDecline in processing speed is a common cognitive symptom that has predictive value,ā explained Strober, āwhich is why accurate assessment of processing speed is important for planning optimal treatment and care for individuals with MS. The traditional version of SDMT has been widely used for measuring disease progression in MS, but has limitations due to lack of standardization of normative data. The test needs to take into account age, gender, and education. Our study will address these concerns.ā [adrotate group=”4″] In addition to the Kessler Foundation, where she serves asĀ senior research scientist in Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research, Strober will test herĀ updated test, the SDMT-Oral Version, at Penn State University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of Washington. Strober had recently been part of a major study designed to bridge a gap on MS research focusing on the decline of cognitive impairment over time, as previously reported by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Along withĀ Stephen Rao, PhD, Jar-Chi Lee, Elizabeth Fisher, PhD, and Richard Rudick, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, the researcher ended up participating in one of the largest longitudinal studies ever conducted on MS cognition. āWhile cognitive impairment is known to affect 40 to 65% of individuals with multiple sclerosis, few studies have followed the pattern of cognitive decline over time, which is important for understanding long-term care and outcomes associated with multiple sclerosis,ā she said. Print This Page About the Author Patricia Silva, PhD PatrĆcia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆcia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles. Tags Kessler Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Symbol Digit Modalities Test
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