diagnosis

I’ve often wondered if there may be a connection between fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis (MS), and other neurological conditions. Back in the early 1990s, my doctor suspected fibromyalgia as the culprit for my fatigue, aches, and pains. At the time, doctors diagnosed fibromyalgia by the use of tender points.

Awareness of certain symptoms, particularly gait disorders and depression, could be critical for reducing the time it takes to diagnose multiple sclerosis after a patient first contacts a healthcare provider, research shows. In the past 30 years, there has been a major decrease in the time from the…

Endothelial cells, those lining the inside of small blood vessels, promote clearance of myelin debris — a common detrimental outcome of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injury. However, in its path to clear the brain from myelin debris, endothelial cells trigger more damaging mechanisms, promoting…

My readers have recently brought something to my attention: They informed me that not all MS exacerbations (flare-ups, relapses, and attacks) are created equal. I have learned that along with the hardcore types, which usually require steroid treatment, there are also pseudo-exacerbations. I can always trace the causes of…

A product called acrolein, which is naturally excreted by the body and possible to measure in urine and blood, may be a potential biomarker to help diagnose and evaluate disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to preliminary research in animal models and humans. Researchers are investigating whether acrolein…

Last updated May 5, 2023 As the year comes to a close, I find myself in a reflective state. This mild nostalgia visits each December and accompanies me into the New Year. I usually honor this slight melancholy by thinking of all that has transpired in a mere 365 days.

The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) will create a new research center to investigate and advance the development of tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The center, which will be established at WUSTL’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), is going to focus on the…

With a renowned researcher and her team chosen to lead it, work can now begin on the first project of its kind in Canada designed to shed more light on multiple sclerosis progression, and better ways of diagnosing and treating it. Leading the pioneering $7 million project — the Canadian…

The U.S. Congress is supporting with $5 million the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (NNCSS), an initiative to be launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help researchers better understand who develops neurological disorders and why. The NNCSS was authorized by Congress as a part…

Women with multiple sclerosis are being diagnosed at younger ages and in greater numbers than men, except for those with primary progressive disease (PPMS), where men 50 or older tend to predominate, a European review study that looked at trends over several decades reports. The study “Age‐dependent variation of female…

By now you may have heard that actress Selma Blair has revealed that she has multiple sclerosis (MS). That took a lot of guts. Those of us who share her diagnosis might learn a few things from what she’s shared and how she’s shared it. Blair may be…

Measuring the blood level of neurofilament light chain (NfL) may predict brain shrinkage in primary progressive (PPMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to a new study. The findings also show that NfL levels are associated with brain lesion load in these patients. The research, “…

Lesions in the infratentorial region of the brain at the onset of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and lesions in white matter one year after CIS onset are associated with worse disability 30 years later, a study reports. The study, “Early MRI predictors of long-term multiple sclerosis outcomes:…

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to experience health problems before they receive their formal diagnosis, as well as to experience serious non-MS-related complications after diagnosis, a study reveals. The findings were reported in the study “Increased risk of…

A new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS) — called myelocortical MS (MCMS) — is characterized by cortical neuronal loss, but not by loss of myelin in the brain’s white matter, according to a study. Research on this new type of MS was presented today at the 34th congress of…

Often-overlooked MRI Signal May Aid in Early Diagnosis of MS, Other Brain Conditions, Study Suggests A part of an MRI scan that radiologists call a “background signal” is what’s being looked at. It’s usually ignored because the signal doesn’t seem to change even when a patient is…

Scientists have found that a usually-overlooked signal from MRI scans indicates brain regions of nerve cell death and may help in the understanding of brain development and the early diagnosis of brain disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS),…

A couple weeks ago, I went to my neurologist’s office early for my annual MRI. It’s never a pleasant experience. Even after 14 years, it’s still as unsettling as it was the first time. It’s not the tightness of the space that gets me or the sensations and sounds.

A study of Iranian patients with early-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) found women to be in the majority, optic neuritis to be the most common first disease symptom, and relapsing-remitting MS the most frequent disease course. The epidemiology of early-onset MS (typically, MS diagnosed before age 16; age 18 was the benchmark…

A meta-analysis of 13 case-control studies shows that the levels of the protein neurofilament light chain (NFL) are significantly higher in both the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, compared to healthy controls. This finding adds to previous evidence supporting the usefulness of NFL as a…

Cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may carry lower levels of cell-free mitochondrial DNA, according to a team of researchers who say this may be a sign of neurodegeneration among these patients. The study “Cell-free mitochondrial DNA in progressive multiple sclerosis” was published in the journal Mitochondrion.

Abreos Biosciences announced the U.S. launch of moNATor, a laboratory-developed test that can help physicians monitor the levels of Tysabri (natalizumab) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Tysabri (approved for relapsing forms of MS, by Biogen) administered at a dose of 300 mg every four weeks is known to be…

Researchers have identified a new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS), one marked by nerve cell degeneration that occurs independently of immune system attacks against myelin, a process known as demyelination and considered a hallmark of MS. The new subtype — called myelocortical MS — is indistinguishable from others in the…

The ice water test, a tool used to evaluate the function of the bladder in patients with neurological disorders, was successfully used to identify undiagnosed cases of bladder dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to researchers from Germany. The findings of the study, “Ice water test…

Researchers have created a detailed map of the mouse nervous system, including the location of the many diverse cell types in the brain, in the largest study yet of the makeup of the mammalian nervous system.  The new map could provide new clues about the origin of neurological…

The number, location, and size of lesions can help predict the risk of progression from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to multiple sclerosis (MS) within one year, a new study shows. The study, “MRI in predicting conversion to multiple sclerosis within 1 year,” was published in the journal…

Quanterix’s ultra-sensitive Simoa assay has the potential to open new uses for the brain biomarker known as neurofilament light chain, including the possibility to detect early evidence of neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, and ably evaluate efforts to treat and prevent them, the company…

Higher-than-usual levels of specific antibodies in the blood of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) may predict a faster progression to multiple sclerosis (MS), an Australian study reports. The specific antibody is known as IgG3, an immunoglobulin known to promote inflammation. The study, “Higher Serum Immunoglobulin G3 Levels May Predict…

IQuity, a data analytics company, announced the launch of an analytics platform that uses machine learning to predict, identify, and monitor chronic disease within large populations of patients, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The platform was validated using a pilot study that assessed the healthcare claims of 20 million people…

It’s not unusual to hear someone say, “I was diagnosed with MS in [fill in the year], but I probably should have been diagnosed five or 10 years earlier.” Now a study reports that during the five years before someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s quite…