March 9, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah Lyrics and Loving Myself: Rediscovering My Lost Voice āMost of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you’ll get everything you wish for. Maybe you’ll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you? The road is long, and in the end, the…
March 4, 2022 Columns by Jamie Hughes More Than 50 Shades of Gray Spring is rapidly approaching. Itās warming up outside. The trees are starting to bloom. And inside our home, I am once again plotting to refresh the place. Out with old decorations, and in with the new! Declutter that closet! Donate the table and chairs that still look great because you…
February 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Paramagnetic Rim Lesions ‘Highly Specific’ Markers of MS Paramagnetic rim lesions, a specific form of inflammatory damage to the brain, are rarely found in people with disorders other than multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in adults with suspected MS. Its findings suggest that looking at PRLs could be useful for diagnosing the disease. Brain Renner,…
January 21, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Imaging Brain Metabolites May Help Diagnose, Monitor MS A new imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, or MRSI, could be useful for diagnosing and monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study. “If confirmed in longitudinal clinical studies, this new neuroimaging technique could become a standard imaging tool for initial diagnosis, for disease progression and…
January 6, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New Machine Learning Algorithm Could Help in Diagnosing MS Sooner A new machine learning algorithm ā designed to analyze healthcare records ā could help in diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) sooner by identifying patients’ symptoms earlier. The algorithm, devised by scientists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), was described in a study titled “Embedding electronic health records…
November 24, 2021 Columns by Beth Ullah MS and Fertility: Conflicts of the Heart and Mind āRock bottom is the end of what wasnāt true enough. Begin again and build something Truer.” ā Glennon Doyle The first of our four pregnancy losses were our twin daughters in 2013, which happened nearly halfway through my pregnancy. Three years later, the first symptoms appeared that would eventually would…
October 20, 2021 Columns by Beth Ullah Butterflies and Bridges: The Importance of Perspective and Perseverance With MS The butterfly effect is an idea coined by mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz that is based on chaos theory. Lorenz pondered whether the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of the world could cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. I believe this…
October 20, 2021 News by Mary Chapman Submissions Now Open for 2022 MSAA Art Showcase The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is calling for submissions for its 2022 MSAA Art Showcase, an initiative that celebrates the work of artists who haveĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The showcase, which began in 2009, gives MS patients in the U.S. the opportunity to share their…
October 12, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Innodem, Novartis Team Up on Trial Testing Eye-tracking Technology Innodem Neurosciences is teaming up with Novartis Canada on a breakthrough clinical trial to evaluate if Innodemās digital biomarker eye-tracking technology can monitor disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial will test Innodem’s “easy-to-use, affordable technology,” which works using visible light, with no special infrared…
September 9, 2021 Columns by Beth Ullah Making It ‘Through the Looking Glass’ After MS Diagnosis Winston Churchill once wrote, āI pass with relief from the tossing sea of Cause and Theory to the firm ground of Result and Fact.ā 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…
August 26, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD Pain, Fatigue, Anxiety Common in First Year After CIS/MS Diagnosis 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,…
August 12, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS Poses Challenge to Dating, Meeting People Meeting people and dating is challenging for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but the experience of dating is highly personal and influenced by past experiences and beliefs, a small study reveals. The study, āDating with a Diagnosis: The Lived Experience of People with Multiple Sclerosis,ā was published in…
June 24, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS Symptoms Often Apparent Years Before Diagnosis Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) start experiencingĀ 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…
May 7, 2021 News by Mary Chapman Canadaās MS Walk Returns for Awareness Month The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada‘s (MSSC) MS Walk fundraiser is still on for this month ā May is MS Awareness Month in Canada ā although in an altered form due to the pandemic. The annual nationwide community-driven event raises funds and MSĀ awareness to help battle the neurodegenerative…
December 17, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Restoring Neuregulin-1 beta 1 Protein Levels May Help Halt MS Progression The levels of a protein called Neuregulin-1 beta 1 (Nrg-1beta1) decline with the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The findings support the potential of Nrg-1beta1 as a predictor of MS risk and progression and suggest that restoring its levels may help halt disease…
October 6, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace What No One Tells You After a Diagnosis A multiple sclerosis diagnosis is hard to process. Our body that we once knew so well suddenly feels untrustworthy. The truth is that the malfunctioning of our body is a traumatic event. We never expected it to do these things.Ā We are…
September 23, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Siemens Healthineers, Novartis Partner to Develop NfL Diagnostic Test The development of a diagnostic test using neurofilament light chain (NfL) ā a biomarker for nerve cell damage ā for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will be part of a collaboration program between Siemens HealthineersĀ and Novartis. The goal of this new collaboration is to design, develop,…
September 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD NIH Awards $2.3M to Bioengineer to Advance Diagnosis, Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases TheĀ National Institutes of HealthĀ (NIH) awarded a $2.3 million grant to a bioengineer at Indiana Universityās Luddy SchoolĀ of Informatics, Computing and Engineering to improve diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). The project aims to find ways to detectĀ disease-associated cells based on their ability…
August 24, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Showing Promise as Diagnostic Marker of MS Inflammatory lesions within the brain, called paramagnetic rim lesions, visible on imaging scans may improve the accuracy of aĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, especially when used in combination with other imaging-based biomarkers, a Ā study reported. If corroborated in larger future studies, these white matter lesions may serve as an early…
July 16, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Accepting a New Diagnosis I have long preached the merits of acceptance. In embracing my MS, I have mitigated much of the accompanying fear. This modus operandi has enabled me to live alongside my disease as opposed to clashing with it. While ideal, it is becoming increasingly difficult to follow my advice. Two…
July 14, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace Do You Wish You Could Return to the ‘Old’ You? I saw this question asked in a group somewhere not long ago and it got me thinking.Ā Would I go back to the way I was before my multiple sclerosis diagnosis? No, I wouldnāt.Ā That may sound strange, I…
June 16, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace Advice for helping a loved one through an MS diagnosis Last updated April 25, 2023 In June, the U.K. marks Carers Week, which got me thinking about how a chronic illness diagnosis often affects a patient’s entire family.Ā Most often, patients are the focus of a diagnosis, and the people around them are almost forgotten. The…
May 28, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS Diagnostic Criteria Should Be Changed to First Rule Out NMOSD, Study Says Diagnostic guidelines for multiple sclerosis (MS) should be amended to first rule out the presence of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a neurological inflammatory disease that also affects the brain and spinal cord, a study recommends. The study, āCan a Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis Be…
May 12, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace Do You Speak Candidly with Your Partner About Your Diagnosis? I hate needles. Being told Iād need to do injections was the worst news ever, second only to my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Ā Sitting in the neurologistās office with my husband, Paul, was terrifying. I was 22 and newly diagnosed with…
April 30, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Nanosensor May Help to Diagnose MS at Early Stages A new tiny sensor is able to detect antibodies against myelin,Ā the protective coating of nerve cell axons whose destruction is a hallmark ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), potentially allowing for a diagnosis in early disease stages, researchers report. It also offers the possibility of distinguishing multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica, a…
April 23, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: The Stages of Grief Following an MS Diagnosis Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā 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 post “An Open Letter to a Newly Diagnosed Patient” and this column byĀ John…
April 2, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman That Time When MS Left Me at a Loss for Words Editor’s note: This week’s column is inspired by the forum topic “7 Strange and Unusual Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis” from Nov. 8, 2019. Post your concerns, questions, or experiences in the comments below or at the original forum entry. People with MS often share the symptoms that prompted…
March 27, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Mix of Broad and Specific Language May Help in Talking About MS Using a mix ofĀ broad diagnostic terms and more disease-specific ones may help physicians and patients to better communicate symptoms of autoimmune disordersĀ like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are not always obvious or easy to explain, a study reported. The study, “Using autoimmune strategically: Diagnostic lumping, splitting,…
March 17, 2020 News by David Melamed, PhD Virtual Reality Test Can Detect Subtle Balance Issues in MS Patients A new test involving a virtual reality simulation was able to detect balance issues in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially allowing doctors to identify whether a patient is at risk of falling despite having no apparent problems with walking, according to new research. The results of the study,…
February 17, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Number of People with MS in UK More Than Previously Estimated 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 ā about one in every 500 people living in the country. This is an increase of…