diagnosis

CorTechs Labs presented new data indicating that machine learning models based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain may aid in the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Company representatives, joined by other experts, also released updated recommendations for a standardized…

NeurologyLive, a multimedia platform for specialists in that field, partnered with the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) for its recent video series on changes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol and guidelines for treating and managing multiple sclerosis (MS). This “Peer Exchange” panel discussion includes four specialists in neurology…

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. It comes with a new medical language to learn, a plethora of lengthy appointments, an impressive amount of blood tests, and a lot of frustration. But does it lead…

Myeliviz is the name of a new compound approved for a clinical trial in the U.S. that has the potential to make the process of diagnosing multiple sclerosis faster and tracking the disease progression easier. It does this by providing doctors with a better picture of damaged myelin —…

New data from Public Health England (PHE) and the U.K. MS Society show that the number of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United Kingdom is now more than 130,000 — about one in every 500 people living in the country. This is an increase of…

An magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be an odd experience for those who have never had one before. Knowing what to expect beforehand can calm the nerves, so this week, I’m sharing what my first MRI was like. For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), frequent MRI scans are…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Please visit our forum. I love it that Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day in 2020. Leap day itself is a rarity, a gift…

A way of detecting the density of proteins in the blood, called “magnetic levitation” or MagLev, may aid in more quickly diagnosing chronic diseases, including the particular type of multiple sclerosis suspected in a person, the scientists who developed this method report. Plasma, the liquid component of blood, is composed of…

Myelin is the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in those with multiple sclerosis. Quantifying the degenerative process of myelin would lend perspective to how much and where a patient is progressing. Currently, MRIs are used for diagnostic purposes, but the nuances of progression remain difficult…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for QyScore, a cloud-based imaging software for the automated quantification of key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of central nervous system (CNS) disease. MRI is an important tool for diagnosing multiple sclerosis and other CNS disorders. By…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a more diverse set of immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that bathes the central nervous system, but no such diversity is seen in their blood, a study reports. Instead, MS causes changes in the activation of immune cells in…

EyeStat, a portable device to measure blink reflex, has been cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On the heels of promising results for assessing brain injury, the manufacturer, Blinktbi, plans to test if the device can be used for the early detection…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to allow Myeliviz, an imaging agent of myelin — the protective layer that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) — to be evaluated in a clinical trial with healthy volunteers. Myeliviz, created by Case Western Reserve University researchers, has the potential…

A psychologist at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne has been awarded an incubator grant by MS Research Australia to identify ways to better detect and treat depression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The grant given to Lisa Grech, PhD, with the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne, is…

“Hi! My name is Stephanie and I have multiple sclerosis and narcolepsy.” While I don’t introduce myself this way, knowing the right time to share this information can be challenging. When I meet someone, I wonder if I should mention it or wait until an appropriate situation arises. It can…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the post “Is It a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis or Something Else?” from July 20, 2018.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating that surrounds nerve fibers and helps them function. Damage to this protective coating, called myelin, means the nerve fibers are fragile and easily damaged. MS in children, or pediatric MS, is…

“I will have to use a wheelchair.” That was my first thought when I received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. After I got my ticket to the weirdest whirlwind weekend that I’d never expected to attend — three days in the hospital — the myths that…

“My arm feels dead.” Not the worst thing in the world, you would think. But what it meant changed my life forever.  I’m Jessie Ace, an English writer from Swadlincote, a town in Derbyshire. I titled my column…

Life is never how you expect or predict it to be. Things happen today that we couldn’t have anticipated. We have no easy or predefined path to fulfillment, joy, or nirvana. Forget about your navigation as your direction can — and will — change at any moment. My compass spun…

Records from the Kid’s Inpatient Database (KID) — the largest database of pediatric patients admitted to hospitals in the U.S. — show that more than twice as many girls as boys were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2016. The data shows that 259 boys and 610 girls younger than age 18…

A DNA analysis to identify changes in the gut microbiome in people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — who have yet to begin using disease-modifying therapies — showed that all, regardless of ethnic background, have an abundance of the bacteria group Clostridia compared to people…

With the help of 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), investigators discovered that leptomeningeal enhancement — a radiographic finding indicative of brain inflammation — is more common than previously thought in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and is tied to lesions in specific regions of the brain.

EMA Safety Group Advises Lemtrada Be Limited to ‘Highly Active’ RRMS Patients at Hospitals with ICUs I’m highlighting this report because, like several Europe-based doctors I know, I think that this decision is an overreaction. While there have been serious complications associated with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), forcing a patient to…

A 30-year study of outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reports that radiological findings in the first year of disease onset, and the amount of disability evident at five years, helps to predict both the likelihood of a person advancing to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and long-term survival. The study,…

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have poorer neurite density — a measure that relates to the amount of nerve cell projections, including axons and dendrites involved in nerve-to-nerve communication — in the brain and spinal cord than do those without this disease, a study shows. This measure, especially…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum topic “Grey Matter Atrophy in MS Shown to Follow a Pattern” from July…

Siemens Healthineers has signed a license and supply agreement with Quanterix that helps it in developing blood tests for neurofilament light chain (NfL) to aid in early disease detection, evidence of progression, and measuring treatment response in people with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Siemens Healthineers…

A new study shows that 40% of patients in Italy and Germany who have  secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are not aware of their diagnosis, indicating a need for significant improvement in patient-physician communication.

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum topic “MS Lesions and Silent Inflammation” from Aug. 16, 2018. Have an experience you…