diagnosis

Let me introduce myself: I’m Mike, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to share my story. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in August 2022. Since then, a lot has changed, including the loss of a 20-year career, worsening mobility problems, and the start of…

Pixyl.Neuro, a next-generation software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) in analyzing MRI scans to help detect and monitor multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. 510(k) clearance is required for medical devices used in the…

Measuring the amount of specific antibody clumps in the blood helped distinguish people with multiple sclerosis (MS) from healthy individuals and people with other conditions with an accuracy of at least 90%, a new study has found. The findings show that clumps of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies — which…

A test called Elecsys NfL  — developed by Roche to measure blood levels of the nerve damage biomarker neurofilament light chain (NfL) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — has received breakthrough device designation in the U.S. That status, granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),…

Levels of proteins in the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), can help predict disease activity and disability worsening for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. “We identified several promising protein biomarkers which could be used to predict short-term activity…

Elevated blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), an established biomarker of nerve damage, are associated with a higher risk of near-term disability worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a large study. Findings imply that there’s usually a window of time — about a year or…

I try not to let my life revolve around multiple sclerosis (MS), but there’s no escaping the fact that the disease affects every part of it. That’s a bit of a conundrum and often frustrates me to no end. If there’s a bright side to be found, it’s that…

Multiple Sclerosis News Today is chronicling MS advocate and podcaster Mike Parker’s journey leading up to a skydiving jump he’ll be making Oct. 29 to benefit the MS Society U.K. Learn more about Mike at mikesmsjourney.com. You can also donate to his fundraiser.  Second in…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients had significantly more sickness-related work absences in the years leading up to their disease onset than people in the general population, a recent Swedish analysis showed. Scientists believe the findings support the growing notion that there is an MS prodrome, during which early signs of…

Multiple Sclerosis News Today is chronicling MS advocate and podcaster Mike Parker’s journey leading up to a skydiving jump he’ll be making on Oct. 29 to benefit the MS Society U.K. Learn more about Mike at his website mikesmsjourney.com and click here to donate to his fundraiser.

Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues are nearly twice as common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the five years preceding disease onset than they are in the general public, a study reports. These findings add to growing evidence that people with MS often go through a…

Note: This column was updated Sept. 12, 2023, to correct that Octave’s MSDA blood test is currently available and in use throughout the U.S. Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look…

A test that assesses the levels of 18 proteins in the blood and uses artificial intelligence algorithms can help to measure the level of new disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The test, developed by …

Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: PPMS is difficult to diagnose, report says Most people who have multiple sclerosis start out with a diagnosis of…

“Being diagnosed later in life is like watching a TV show with a huge plot twist revealed at the end of the season and then rewatching it with this new knowledge, picking up on all the foreshadowing and getting upset that you didn’t see all of it before.” —…

Diagnosing primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) can be challenging, with obstacles ranging from ruling out other disorders to differentiating between PPMS and other types of multiple sclerosis (MS). These difficulties were highlighted in the study, “Real-world challenges in the diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis,” published…

People who experience a first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease are less likely to experience long-term disability progression if they start  treatment within the first few months, a new study reports. “When it comes to MS treatment, the earlier the better,” Alvaro Cobo-Calvo, MD, PhD, co-author of the…

In 2007, at age 47, I had my first-ever consultation with a neurologist. It was during my longest-ever hospital stay, as of then — a whopping eight days. It amazed me that some of my fellow patients in the ward managed to gather themselves and struggle outside for a ciggy,…

An antibody biomarker may help to distinguish people with a disease that resembles multiple sclerosis (MS), but may actually be its own clinical disorder, according to a new study. The biomarker was present in about 1% of MS patients and in 6% of those with a related demyelinating condition…

A new imaging technique was able to detect inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) before disease symptoms appeared, and to monitor the animals’ responses to treatment, a study reports. “With this new non-invasive imaging approach, we can detect toxic inflammation that could help us better understand…

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein levels can be used to assess neurodegeneration in children and adolescents with neurological disease, including multiple sclerosis (MS), even when they are not experiencing any symptoms, a study has found. The protein already had been established as a biomarker of disease activity and poor…

Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Could MS be predicted by an artificial intelligence tool? Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to predict…

A new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm could help identify people at risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). “Our model’s performance suggests that AI-based prediction models could identify the risk for multiple sclerosis years before neurological symptoms appear,” Raj Gopalan, MD, a scientist at Siemens Healthineers, Tarrytown, New York, said…

Adding optic nerve damage — reflected by a thinning of the nerve layer in the eye’s retina — to the existing diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) was found to enhance diagnostic accuracy among people who had a single, MS-like event, according to a new study. The study “demonstrated…

I didn’t seek support immediately after my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). To be fair, MS was just an annoyance to me at the beginning. It was simply a set of symptoms, and I was initially happy just to have an explanation for them. To be…

Analyses of protein levels in the blood can be used to identify groups of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with distinct clinical features, new research shows. Given the variability of symptoms among people with MS, such groupings could help to improve individualized care for patients, according to Octave, a…

The rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnoses have remained relatively constant for almost 20 years in the U.K., according to a population-based study involving more than 22 million people. Most MS diagnoses occurred during middle age, with women being more likely than men to receive a…

Is artificial intelligence (AI) intelligent enough to help make a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS)? Apparently so, and more. In the United Kingdom, a project named AssistMS is studying whether AI can be used to detect and highlight changes on brain MRIs. An algorithm software called…

I recall a conversation I had with an acquaintance soon after my diagnosis. I hadn’t progressed to a wheelchair yet, but my limp was noticeable, and he’d heard talk from mutual friends. “What is it that you have?” he asked. “Multiple sclerosis.” A moment of wide-eyed silence…

Fujirebio has launched two fully automated laboratory tests to measure levels of the neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein, a proposed biomarker of nerve cell damage in multiple sclerosis (MS), in the blood and spinal fluid. NfL is a structural protein found in nerve cells that gets released into…