Older Women with MS Age Better Than Their Male Counterparts, Canadian Survey Finds I have to say that, as a 69 year old man with MS, this report is a bit depressing. In fact, one of its findings is that older men are depressed while older women…

Older men with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more harmful lifestyles than older women with the disease, concludes the Canadian Survey of Health, Lifestyle and Aging with Multiple Sclerosis. Treatment for depression could go a long way to promoting more healthy lifestyles for all older MS patients, authors suggest. The study, “…

Resistance Training Can Slow MS Patients’ Brain Shrinkage, Clinical Trial Indicates Over the years, studies have shown the benefits of various types of exercise in improving MS symptoms. But here, Alice Melão reports about a small…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the first year of diagnosis frequently suffer from depression, pre-morbid personality, self-perception issues and other psychological problems, an Italian study finds. Yet it is hard to predict the degree of symptoms since MS takes a different course in each individual. The study, “The first year after…

Fatigue, limited mobility, and poor self-esteem or resiliency were found to be associated with periods of serious depression among multiple sclerosis patients, according to a recent study. Previous research has suggested that MS patients are at risk of major depression, with potentially profound impact on their quality of life. But only a few studies have addressed the incidence of depression among MS patients or the risk factors that may underlie its occurrence. Researchers in Canada enrolled 188 MS patients being treated an Alberta clinic, who were interviewed to assess potential risk factors for depression: namely, socioeconomic status, disease-related factors, childhood risk factors, psychosocial factors, and health behaviors. Participants were also asked to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire every two weeks for six months to identify depressive symptoms in real-time. Over a six-month follow-up, 36 cases of depression were reported among the group of MS patients analyzed. The incidence of depression was 0.019 for women, but higher — 0.044 — for men. Importantly, several factors seemed to be associated with depression in these patients — fatigue, limited mobility, and low resiliency, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, as well as poor coping skills. Results also showed that gender and income were associated with depression. Overall, the researchers concluded that "depression in MS exhibits a risk factor profile similar to that of depression in the general population, with the additional impact of MS illness-related factors. Potentially modifiable risk factors, such as coping with stress and resiliency, present opportunities for focus of further research in depression in MS treatment and prevention efforts." Concerning treatment, the team also emphasized that "while there is evidence in the clinical context that supports the efficacy for pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for depression in the general population, there is currently insufficient evidence to support/or refute the efficacy of depression treatment for individuals with MS ... Clearly this is an area that requires additional research."

The stress of caring for a family member with multiple sclerosis (MS) or another neurodegenerative disease may directly affect the quality of care, according to a study showing that poor caregiver mental health causes higher mortality rates among the patients they care for. The study, published in the journal Proceedings…

The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society has selected research highlights from a recent MS conference in an effort to help make living with the disease less burdensome. Presentations from the May 24-27 annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) in New Orleans — which ranged from advice on smartphone apps to diet…

To honor World MS Day, May 31, EMD Serono launched a multiple sclerosis care partner survey in collaboration with the International Alliance of Carer Organizations (IACO). The new survey comes after the initial results from a Merck study showed that the highest number of MS care partners are aged 18-34, and that…

Young multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who engage in physical activity can relieve symptoms of depression, concludes a Canadian study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Researchers presented their study, “Longitudinal Relationships Between Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity, Fatigue, and Depression in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis,” at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who feel stigmatized because of their condition are more likely to have depression,  research presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting showed. The Pennsylvania State University research team said the impact of the stigma can be eased by lots of social support, a sense…

A large-scale study revealed potential adverse reactions to beta-interferon (IFN-β) therapy, one of the most common treatments used for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). According to the study published in the journal Neurology, patients have an increased risk of stroke, migraine, depression, and of developing abnormalities in the blood. In…

Half of the more than 7,500 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients responding to a recent survey revealed they’d consider physician-assisted suicide if they could no longer enjoy anything that made life worth living. In addition, 65 percent of respondents said they’d definitely or probably let a physician terminate their lives if they were…

Grief can weaken our immune system, elevate our blood pressure, and affect our overall health. During a loss, especially one of the magnitude of a loved one, self-preservation is not always a top priority. For those of us with multiple sclerosis, the mental anguish that is grief can exacerbate our already…

Healthcare providers frequently assess multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for the development of other health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, pain and sleep disturbance, according to results of a survey-study. The study also includes information about how health professionals treat and counsel MS patients diagnosed with these conditions. The study, “…

In a cross-sectional study, researchers found that sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked to fatigue and depression. Treating these factors and identifying their causes is a potential strategy to treat the problem. The study, “Sexual function in multiple sclerosis and associations with demographic, disease…

We are officially entering into the holiday season. Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas will follow. The stores are filled with decorations. Holiday sales are advertised and children are excitedly preparing their Christmas lists. In addition, we will receive, and may even send the proverbial “Happy Holidays” greeting cards.

The black hole — that is the name I have given to my MS depression (yep, I name my depression. Doesn’t everyone?). It’s so easy to become depressed when you have MS. The disease is always on our minds. We are always thinking about how to maneuver our daily life…

Increasing a person’s confidence that they can complete tasks and reach goals in specific situations may benefit patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In a new study, researchers used an intensive three-day social cognitive treatment, called Can Do, to increase patients’ self-efficacy, which resulted in long lasting improvements in their health-related…

Quite a mixed bag in the pick of the week’s news: A drug in development, microbiota in the gut, statins and MS, DMTs and cognitive skills, and images of depression. Endece Granted New U.S. Patent for NDC-1308, Therapy to Induce Remyelination in MS This is a bit of an…

Inflammation in a brain region called the hippocampus might explain why patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from depression far more often than patients with other chronic brain diseases. The findings, described in the report “Hippocampal Neuroinflammation, Functional Connectivity, and Depressive Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis,” published in the…

Caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often burdened by fatigue and depression, even anger, all of which can unwittingly reduce the quality of care given — although they remain quite empathetic, according to a study. The research team at the University of Manitoba in Canada suggested that tending to the needs of people caring for…

Fatigue, the most commonly reported symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), is associated with disease comorbidities such as depression, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and anxiety, according to the study “Fatigue and Comorbidities in Multiple Sclerosis,” recently published in the International Journal of MS Care.

Am I alone with MS? I do wonder that, sometimes; at those times of fatigue and frustration when the darkness envelopes you. When you pound the floor having fallen again; when you curse this monster inside you; and when you cry out “Why me?” But, of course, I am not…

Being lonely can be very difficult to define as it is not only the popularly assumed situation of being alone. You can be lonely in a room full of people if you don’t know anyone well enough to speak to them; conversely, you can be happy when alone, in your…

Assessing and treating psychiatric disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may improve their quality of life and disease prognosis, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School, who presented their work titled “Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis: Assessment and Management” at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)…

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…

Researchers who looked at manifestations of loneliness found that the burden of loneliness is much higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients when compared to healthy people. The study, “Loneliness in Multiple Sclerosis: Putative Antecedents and Manifestations,” was recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) June…

Sexual dysfunction correlates with depression and bladder dysfunction in Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the results of a recent study presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The study, “Sexual Dysfunction and Its Correlation to Depression and Bladder Dysfunction in…

A new study suggests a strong association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between high levels of fatigue and mental health, quality of life (QoL), and the ability to move about and participate in daily activities, although disability is not related to fatigue levels.  These findings are of importance and highlight the…

Exercises like yoga and aquatic programs can help ease some symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), especially fatigue, depression and paresthesia, researchers report in a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, and titled “Exercising Impacts on Fatigue, Depression, and Paresthesia in Female Patients with Multiple…