May 12, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD CMSC and NeurologyLive Series, ‘Ever Changing Face of MS,’ Opens for Doctors TheĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has launched a monthly webinar series, in partnership with NeurologyLive, to keepĀ doctors and others treating people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) informed of the latest in disease care and research. Called “The Ever Changing Face of MS,” the series opened on…
April 30, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD CMSC 2020 Meeting Will Be Free and Online May 26-29 To ensure the safety of its participants during the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual MeetingĀ will be a free virtual conference on May 26ā29. This meeting is considered the largest educational conference in North America for healthcare professionals working in multiple sclerosis…
April 9, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New Database to Compile COVID-19 Data About People with MS and Related Diseases The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have created a new database to track COVID-19 infections in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The database, calledĀ COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases),…
January 17, 2020 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc CMSC Announces 4 Winners of Pilot Research Awards for 2019 TheĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) named four scientists the winners of itsĀ Pilot Research Award for 2019, given to support projects thought to advance the CMSCās mission and improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The awards, supported by EMD Serono (known as Merck…
December 4, 2019 News by Catarina Silva CMSC Joins NeurologyLive Program for Specialists Caring for Those with MS, Like Diseases NeurologyLive, a platform for healthcare specialists, has added The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) to its Strategic Alliance Partnership program that works to share insights and experiences to benefit people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families. A collaborative mix of neurological centers, networks, and…
October 9, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD CMSC Grant to Support Kessler Foundation Study of Low-risk Exercise in MS The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has awarded a grant to Kessler Foundation researchers, supporting a pilot study into how well different low-risk exercise regimens ease multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and improve patients’ well-being. The grant recipients areĀ John DeLuca, PhD, senior vice president for…
July 15, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD CMSC Opens Weeklong Mental Health Program to Help Mentor and Train MS Specialists The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), working with the Foundation of the CMSC (FCMSC) and EMD Serono, launched a new Mental Health Mini-Mentorship Program to help clinicians better understand the psychological and mental health challenges that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) face on a daily…
May 28, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Experts Gather for Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting The latest research in multiple sclerosis (MS), along with the most recent advancements in treatment strategies and comprehensive care, will be presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, which beings today. Running through June 1 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, the…
April 4, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS CMSC Announces Technology Contests to Improve MS Patients’ Quality Of Life TheĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) announced two contests that will be featured at itsĀ Annual Meeting, May 28āJune 1 in Seattle, Washington. The contests, calledĀ āDesign for Rehabilitation ā Take the Challenge” and “CMSC Neuroinnovator,ā are aimed at creating new technologies to improve the quality of…
May 15, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC2018 – Julie Roberts, Country Music Singer and MS Advocate, Performing at CMSC Meeting Julie Roberts, a country music singer and multiple sclerosis (MS) patient advocate, will perform at the upcomingĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)ās annual meeting,Ā the association announced Roberts, diagnosed with MS while making her second recording in 2005, will also attend CMSC sessions to learn more about…
March 23, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Puts Together a Special MS Month Agenda The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) is partnering with a number of organizations duringĀ Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March toĀ provide education, research and services to the MS community. CMSC is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs and resources to MS professionals, healthcare providers, researchers and the…
March 7, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Centers Consortium Develops Healthcare Associate Certification Exam The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)Ā has developed aĀ Multiple Sclerosis Healthcare Associate (MSHA) Certification Examination for all non-licensed, educated and trained medical personnel working inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The MSHA Certification Examination provides formal recognition of a specialized body of knowledge felt to be necessary to provide optimal…
January 29, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Registrations Open for Upcoming Nashville CMSC 2018 Meeting Registrations are now open for the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), set for May 30-June 2 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The CMSC Annual Meeting is the nation’s largest educational conference and professional development event for healthcare practitioners, researchers and…
November 21, 2017 News by Larry Luxner Patients Tell Their Stories in Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers’ Online Videos Maryland special education teacher Ingrid Hanson says that since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago, sheās developed a better understanding of her students’ needs and the importance of teamwork. Flavia Nelson helps treat MS in the Hispanic community in Houston. Flavia Nelson, an MS…
November 20, 2017 News by Larry Luxner Nearly 1 Million Americans Have Multiple Sclerosis, NMSS Prevalence Study Finds An estimated 947,000 people in the U.S. have multiple sclerosis (MS) ā more than double the long-accepted figure of 400,000 ā according to a newly completed study organized and funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). āThis is definitely not what we expected,ā Ā Nicholas G. LaRocca, vice…
October 18, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester New Video Series Features ‘It Takes a Team’ Thereās a difference between being lucky and being blessed. I learned that difference in 1992, after giving birth to our son. Once the doctors counted 10 toes, 10 fingers and we heard the babyās first cry, I remarked to my husband how lucky we were.
October 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Revises MRI Guidelines The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers has updated guidelines for using magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate people suspected of having multiple sclerosis. Doctors use the MRI guidelines not only to diagnose MS but also to track treatment results. A task force is reviewing the new guidelines before they're published. The working document is called Ā "Revised Guidelines of the CMSC MRI Protocol for the Diagnosis and Follow-up of MS." The task force, composed of neurologists, radiologists and imaging scientists experienced in MS, met in January 2017 to revise the guidelines. They also updated information about the situations for which standardized brain and spinal cord MRI scans should be used. One change is a recommendation that gadolinium, a contrast agent in scans, be used cautiously. The previous update, published in 2015, included no constraints on the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents.Ā But soon after publication, information emerged showing that gadolinium, although not toxic, accumulates in the brain. This prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recommend limiting the use of gadolinium to āappropriate clinical circumstances.ā To mirror the increased awareness of gadolinium deposits, the new guidelines say: āWhile there is no known central nervous system toxicity, these agents should be used judiciously, recognizing that gadolinium continues to play an invaluable role in specific circumstances related to the diagnosis and follow-up of individuals with MS.ā Since 2009, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers has addressed a number of other issues. One is encouraging the use of three-dimensional MRI for brain scans. Another is developing protocols for monitoring severe optic nerve inflammation and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, a brain disease caused by a virus. The guidelines have been revised to recommend the specific timing of scans for monitoring PML. The update also includes recommendations for theĀ timing of scans on patients receiving disease-modifying drugs. Since 2009, the guidelines have included recommendations on scans of radiologic isolated syndrome, a condition where MS-like MRI lesions are present without symptoms. And they have included provisions onĀ the value of using MRI changes to evaluate treatment effectiveness. The centers' goal "is to standardize the MRI protocol and make these recommendations a useful guideline for neurologists, neuroradiologists, and related healthcare professionals during initial evaluations and during follow-up of patients with MS, and ultimately provide optimum care for those individuals dealing with this unpredictable disease,ā June Halper, the centers' chief executive officer, said in a press release.
August 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consortium Announces New MS Physician Assistant Special Interest Group The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) will form a new Physician Assistant Special Interest Group to provide physician assistants (PAs) with a specialized forum to exchange ideas and information on multiple sclerosis (MS) patient care. CMSC is an educational, training, and networking organization for MS healthcare professionals…
May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Genentech Starts Site to Connect MS Patients and Caregivers with Resources GenentechĀ has rolled out a website to connect multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and caregivers with resources that can help them. The company unveiledĀ GatherMSĀ at the annual meeting of the Consortium for Multiple Sclerosis CentersĀ in New Orleans. The event started May 24 and will end May 27. Genentech created GatherMS…
May 1, 2017 News by Charles Moore #CMSC17 – Experts to Focus on MS Patient Care at CMSC Annual Meeting in New Orleans The 31st Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) will take placeĀ May 24-27 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Typically hosting more than 2,000 attendees and 70 exhibitors, this event is the premier North American educational conference for international clinicians and scientists…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Transcript of Interview with Dr. Robert Lisak, a Neurologist and MS Expert, About Ocrevus Here is a transcript of the Multiple Sclerosis News Today interview about Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) with Dr. Robert Lisak of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). Lisak, a professor of neurology and of immunology and microbiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, is aĀ former…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus Holds Promise, But Needs to Prove Itself in ‘Long Term,’ Says Dr. Robert Lisak with CMSC Interest inĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first FDA-approved treatment for bothĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, isĀ running high among patients and the organization representing them ā as, arguably, are expectations ofĀ its use. But how do physicians involved in MS care view the newcomer? Dr. Robert Lisak (Photo…
December 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Calls for Abstracts for 2017 Annual Meeting The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) is inviting researchers and healthcare professionals to submit abstractsĀ to be presented at its 31st Annual Meeting, focusing onĀ developments inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) research, patient care and treatment outcomes. The 2017 CMSC meeting, organized by the groupās Continuing Professional Education Committee, will take…
July 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Rehabilitation Specialist, Susan Bennett, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from CMSC The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)Ā has awarded Susan E. BennettĀ one of its highest honors, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Bennett, a clinical professor of rehabilitation science at the University at BuffaloĀ and pioneer in the field of MS rehabilitation, was honored for her achievements in advancing care…
June 8, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Tai Chi Shown to Improve Balance and Strength in MS Patients Researchers atĀ Texas Womanās University identified tai chi as a beneficial therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with impaired balance, as it can improve their endurance and strength and decrease fatigue. The results of the study, “The Benefit of Tai Chi for Balance and Gait in People with…
June 7, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #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 forĀ improving Ā patient quality of life. TheĀ study, “A Qualitative Study of a Home-Based DVD Exercise Intervention in Older Adults with Multiple Sclerosis,” was…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #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), especiallyĀ in terms of reduction inĀ confirmed disability progression. The study, āEfficacy of Delayed-Release Dimethyl Fumarate in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Using a Composite Measure of Disability,ā was recently presented at the…
June 6, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc #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…
June 6, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #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 provenĀ 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…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Home Evaluation Prototype to Improve At-home Rehabilitation After Hospitalization Researchers at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta areĀ 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 wasĀ presented in “Functional Home Evaluation: Missing Pieces in Treatment and Transition Processes” during the Consortium…