diagnosis

Mynd Diagnostics is launching a clinical study to test the ability of a blood biomarker, which the company coined Mynd anti-inflammatory peptide (MAP), to help in the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis (MS). Starting in the first quarter of 2022, the company will collect blood samples from diagnosed patients…

Inconsistently switching between hands for most common manual activities — or naturally choosing the left rather than the right hand — may be associated with more severe multiple sclerosis (MS), either in the form of younger age at diagnosis or progressive type, particularly in women, a small study suggests. These…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC) has partnered with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to support a Canadian-led study investigating the earliest predictors of multiple sclerosis (MS) during the so-called prodromal period across diverse groups. A prodrome is a set of signs or symptoms that…

Among people with nervous system damage indicative of multiple sclerosis (MS), but who don’t yet have the disease — a condition known as radiologically isolated syndrome or RIS — the risk of progressing to full-fledged MS is higher for those who are younger, have spinal cord lesions, and have…

Numares has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Oxford University Innovation to develop and commercialize a panel of biomarkers that identify disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, the company aims to create a tool that detects early signs of conversion from relapsing remitting…

Black and Hispanic/Latinx people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. tend to have more severe disease, but less access to specialty care, greater diagnostic delays, and poorer outcomes, a review found. Moreover, Blacks are at higher risk than whites of both developing MS and dying from it. These…

A model that considers changes in brain volume and serum neurofilament (sNfL) levels during the early stages of multiple sclerosis may help clinicians to determine an individual’s likely progression with relapsing forms of MS, a study suggests. “We were able to build reliable, robust models capable of accurate predictions of…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the…

An imaging feature called a rim lesion is found in about 4 out of every 10 people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. These rims, thought to represent areas of chronic brain inflammation in which myelin is being progressively damaged, may serve as alternate biomarkers of…

Winston Churchill once wrote, “I pass with relief from the tossing sea of Cause and Theory to the firm ground of Result and Fact.” This very much sums me up as a person. It was also how I felt when I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS 10 months…

A blood test for serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels, along with radiological findings, can help to detect early cognitive issues in people recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study “Cortical Thickness and Serum NfL Explain Cognitive Dysfunction in Newly Diagnosed Patients…

People newly diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently experience pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety in the first year after diagnosis, a new study finds. Fatigue was reported by almost two-thirds of new patients, and half experienced pain. Many individuals experienced multiple symptoms simultaneously,…

Subtle changes in structure in the hippocampus — a region of the brain involved in processing memories — can differentiate between relapsing-remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. The study, “Unraveling the MRI-Based Microstructural Signatures Behind Primary Progressive and Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes,”…

Confusing people is my special skill. I’ll open my mouth, and no one will have a clue what I’m on about. It all started with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis eight years ago. Since then, I’ll often get, “MS? Oh my sister’s friend’s aunt’s nephew’s dog has that!” (Just kidding.)…

Raised serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels may indicate the presence of brain lesions with chronically active inflammation that are linked with more aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. People with high sNfL levels, the study revealed, had greater numbers of chronic inflammation lesions and…

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) start experiencing symptoms of the disease several years before being diagnosed, a new study suggests. While it has long been known that people with MS tend to seek medical attention more frequently in the years before diagnosis than those without the disease, there…

High levels of kappa-free light chains, or kappa-FLC, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — may help identify people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) who will progress sooner to multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. Overall, those with a high…

Low levels of serum neurofilament light chains (sNfL) prior to treatment predicts an optimal response to Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and reduced immune cell overactivity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a study reports. The investigators noted the…

A professor at the University of Freiburg, in Germany, was awarded the Novo Nordisk Prize for his research into the role of microglia in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease, and how they might be used as early warning signs of these disorders. Marco Prinz, MD,…

Lower blood levels of vitamin D binding protein, known as VDBP, were observed in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a new study — findings that suggest the protein could potentially act as a biomarker for the neurodegenerative disease. “The…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has launched a monthly webinar series, in partnership with NeurologyLive, to keep doctors and others treating people with multiple sclerosis (MS) informed of the latest in disease care and research. Called “The Ever Changing Face of MS,” the series opened on…

The Autoimmune Registry (ARI) has opened a fundraiser, called “Cure the Mother’s Disease,” to support the development of a tool that might detect multiple sclerosis (MS) in early stages during an eye exam. This fundraiser, …

In honor of MS Awareness Week, observed in the U.K. April 19–25, the MS Society released results of a survey about the barriers that keep multiple sclerosis patients from sharing their health status. Multiple Sclerosis News Today‘s Mary Chapman reported that a whacking one-third have stayed silent about their diagnosis.

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Note: This story was updated April 21, 2021, to clarify that Kesimpta will be available in the next three months…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) without active disease, high blood levels of the…

Using artificial intelligence (AI) on imaging data collected from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, researchers were able to classify these people into three new disease subtypes, each distinct from the current groupings determined by symptoms. These new subtypes may allow doctors to better determine those patients more likely to have…

Rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to rise with measures of prosperity, occurring more frequently in developed countries, according to a recent study. The reasons for such disparities may be linked to better access to diagnostic facilities in developed countries, as well as increased exposure to factors, such as…

Photo courtesy of Carter Stough Lowe Day 28 of 31 This is Carter Stough Lowe’s story: I first noticed extreme blurriness in my right eye when I was home for my grandfather’s funeral and informed my mother of my vision problems. She sent me to her eye…

Abnormalities detected on MRI scans at the onset and within the first two years of disease may predict disability worsening in children with multiple sclerosis (MS), a nine-year study reports. Specifically, damage in the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerve plays a major role in predicting outcomes in these…

Photo courtesy of Dawn Morgan Day 23 of 31 This is Dawn Morgan’s story: Hi! I’m Dawn Morgan. I have been living with relapsing-remitting MS since 2000, when I was 25. It was a complete shock. At the time, I was just beginning my professional career as…