Showing 145 results for "psychiatric"

Deep-brain Stimulation May Offer Way of Treating Fatigue in MS Patients, Pilot Study Finds

Deep-brain stimulation, a non-invasive way of targeting neurons in the cortex, can significantly ease symptoms of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, research drawn from a clinical trial suggests. These results, published in the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation, are in an article titled “Safety and preliminary efficacy of deep…

Myelin Loss Can Be Assessed With Innovative Imaging Approach, Study Suggests

A novel imaging approach enables assessment of key nervous system deterioration in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study in mice suggests. The research, “Development of a PET radioligand for potassium channels to image CNS demyelination,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. MS is characterized by damage to myelin (a process called demyelination), which is an insulating sheath around axons (the long projections of neurons) that enables effective neuronal communication. As a result, patients experience a variety of symptoms, including muscle stiffness and weakness, fatigue and pain. Although existing MS medications suppress immune responses and reduce flare-ups, none can cure the disease. Despite the importance of demyelination in MS, scientists and clinicians do not currently have a way to directly image myelin damage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used, but it does not enable the distinction between demyelination and inflammation, which are common in patients with MS. Upon myelin damage, voltage-gated potassium channels (cellular membrane proteins) become exposed. As a result, cells leak potassium, which impairs proper neuronal communication. This prompted researchers to develop a tracer that targets potassium channels. "In healthy myelinated neurons, potassium channels are usually buried underneath the myelin sheath," Brian Popko, PhD, the study’s senior author, said in a press release. Popko is a professor of neurological disorders and director of the Center for Peripheral Neuropathy at The University of Chicago. Exposed potassium channels can be targeted by the MS medication 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; dalfampridine), which partially repairs nerve conduction and mitigates MS symptoms. Using mouse models of MS, the researchers demonstrated that 4-AP binding to potassium channels is greater in demyelinated axons in comparison with well-myelinated axons. The greater binding of 4-AP led to its accumulation in damaged axons. Then, the team evaluated several fluorine-containing derivatives of 4-AP, and found that the most effective in binding to potassium channels was 3-fluoro-4-aminopyridine (3F4AP), which can be labeled with radioactive 18F. This labeling enables detection of demyelinated regions with a novel strategy based in positron emission tomography (PET). "3F4AP is the first tracer whose signal increases with demyelination, potentially solving some of the problems of its predecessors," said Pedro Brugarolas, PhD, first author of the study. Existing PET tracers bind to myelin. This translates to decreases in signal in the presence of myelin loss, “which can be problematic for imaging small lesions” Brugarolas noted. Importantly, the findings in mice were confirmed in monkeys. Experiments showed that the radiolabeled 3F4AP enters the primate brain and accumulates in areas with less myelin. Collectively, “these data indicate that [18F]3-F-4-AP may be a valuable PET tracer for detecting [central nervous system] demyelination noninvasively,” the team wrote. "We think that this PET approach can provide complementary information to MRI which can help us follow MS lesions over time," Popko said. The novel PET strategy enables the evaluation of therapies to repair myelination and also could help assess how much myelin loss is involved in other neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, but also in diseases not commonly linked to demyelination, "such as brain ischemia, psychiatric disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's," Popko concluded.

SPMS Patients Have Higher Illness Burden than RRMS Patients, Kantar Health Study Shows

Patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) have a higher burden of illness than patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, a new study showed. The study, “Characteristics, burden of illness, and physical functioning of patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional US survey,” appeared  in…

One Man’s Playground is Another Man’s Horror

Multiple sclerosis has a way of messing with one’s head. Whether it’s emotional or psychiatric disorders, fatigue, brain fog, or physical problems, there’s a lot to wrestle with. And to effectively battle this disease requires you to be in a certain state of mind. Let me give…

Multiple Sclerosis in Mother Increases Chance of Children Having ADHD, Study Suggests

Mothers with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, have a higher risk of having children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a Norwegian study. The findings were reported in a study titled “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring of Mothers With Inflammatory and Immune System Diseases”…

Pseudobulbar Affect and other rare MS conditions

Multiple sclerosis, as with other neurological disorders, brings a lot of changes to our bodies. Many changes and symptoms are much more common than others. It is the lesser-known conditions that MS evokes that sparked my interest for this column. Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA): is a rare condition reported to…

Prozac (fluoxetine) for Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis

Prozac (fluoxetine) is from a class of medicines called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Usually the drug is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some eating disorders, and panic attacks. It is also used off-label to treat fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Fluoxetine may need to be taken for several weeks…

Wellbutrin (bupropion) for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder, both of which are symptoms experienced by those with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bupropion is an aminoketone class antidepressant. It is a weak inhibitor of the transporters of dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that regulate mood and behavior),…

Prozac (fluoxetine) for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis

Prozac (fluoxetine) is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and some eating disorders. Prozac is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. In a positive way, it effects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or similar…

Paxil (paroxetine) for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis

Paxil (paroxetine) is used to treat depression and some types of anxiety. It is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. Paxil makes a positive affect on chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or similar conditions. Because depression is a common…

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis

Depression is a common and well documented symptom of multiple sclerosis. Effexor XR (venlafaxine) belongs to a group of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRI). The drug increases serotonin and norepinephrine, which are natural substances that positively affect communication between nerve cells or restore chemical balances in the brain. The…

Zoloft (sertraline) for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis

Zoloft (sertraline) is used to treat depression and certain types of anxiety. Because depression is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), it is often prescribed to those who have the disease. Zoloft is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. It positively affects…

Pamelor; Aventyl (nortriptyline) for Pain Management in Multiple Sclerosis

Pamelor and Aventyl (nortriptyline) are tricyclic antidepressants used to treat depression. In multiple sclerosis, they are frequently used in lower doses to treat neuropathic or nerve pain in the arms and legs (burning sensations, pins and needles, stabbing pains) caused by damage to the pain-regulating pathways of the brain…

Amitriptyline for Multiple Sclerosis

Last updated July 19, 2022, by Marisa Wexler, MS ✅ Fact-checked by Inês Martins, PhD What is amitriptyline for MS? Amitriptyline is an oral therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat depression. In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s sometimes used off-label to…

Tofranil (imipramine) for Bladder Dysfunction in MS

When people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience bladder dysfunction such as urinary frequency and incontinence, doctors may prescribe a medication such as Tofranil (imipramine) to treat or manage the problem. Tofranil is a tricyclic antidepressant that is more commonly used to treat depression, but people with MS may find it helpful to treat annoying bladder…

Heparin for MD Myelin Repair to Be Studied in United Kingdom

The MS Society in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, to examine if  heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…