disease progression

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…

In people with early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), the presence of high levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) protein in the bloodstream combined with thinning of the retina is a strong indicator of future disease activity, a recent study demonstrates. “Our findings encourage the application of both sNfL and retinal…

A smartphone-based app called Floodlight can reliably assess cognition, arm and hand function, and walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new analyses. “Detection of progression onset or worsening is critical to optimally adapt the therapeutic strategy” patients are using to treat the neurodegenerative disease,…

A nurse and PhD candidate with multiple sclerosis (MS) is looking for disease biomarkers that can help healthcare providers better estimate how individual cases of MS will progress. The goal of Stephanie Buxhoeveden’s research, now supported by a grant from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), is…

After some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating whether Mavenclad (cladribine) can slow hand and arm function worsening in adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and very limited walking abilities, has recruited its first patient. The study, ChariotMS (NCT04695080), aims to…

High-dose biotin aided walking speed in people with progressive multiple sclerosis after 12 to 15 months as an add-on treatment, an analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials shows. However, the therapy failed to improve other measures of disability, and was associated with inaccurate lab test results caused by high levels…

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have switched to treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) at an earlier stage in their disease in recent years, compared to individuals who switched to the treatment around the time it became available, a new study indicates. The findings suggest “an increased experience in…

The strength of the muscles used to exhale a breath may predict physical ability and disease severity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Patients in this study with weaker expiratory muscles were also those with greater physical disability and more severe disease. The study, “Pulmonary…

Nerve tissue scars associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) show marked differences from those of similar neurodegenerative disorders, according to a recent study. MS-associated inflammation causes brain and spinal cord lesions (nerve tissue scarring) that often are bigger and last longer than those of two other demyelinating diseases: myelin oligodendrocyte…

I feared becoming disabled more than I feared multiple sclerosis. At the time of my diagnosis, I was moving about well enough. My mobility changed as my disease progressed. My severe foot drop, unsteady gait, and change in speech were impossible to ignore. My prejudice toward the disabled was…

Blacks with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more severe disease and greater disability at their first visit than white patients, even when differences in socioeconomic status are taken into account, a large U.S. study found. The data showed that Black patients with MS had lower scores on some measures of…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Immunic Therapeutics to initiate two clinical trials of its investigational medication IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), as well as a separate trial for people with progressive types of MS. The RRMS clinical trial program, expected…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada has granted its International Progressive MS Alliance (Alliance) Research Challenge Awards to 19 researchers for their work on progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Among them is Jennifer Gommerman, PhD, a professor at the University of Toronto, in Canada, who will use…

The enzyme TET1, which is progressively lost with age, is essential to activate genes needed to repair myelin — the sheath around nerve cells that is damaged in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — a study in mice has found. The…

Markedly low levels of a simple amino sugar called N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) were found in the bloodstream of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlated with greater disease severity and disability, a study reported.  These findings support GlcNAc as…

Due to differences in sex chromosomes, certain immune cells cause more severe disease in males than females, according to a new study in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could help to explain why biological males with MS tend to have more severe disease. The study,…

After last week’s column about my neurologist declaring that I now have secondary progressive MS, a certain ennui has seeped into me. While this isn’t surprising, it’s also surprising, because I’m on the mood-altering drug fluoxetine. OK, fluoxetine is a regular antidepressant, but “mood-altering” sounds so much cooler.

Isn’t it just like me to start my column with a physics analogy that is already confusing? Please stick with me, as all will be revealed. My point is that if a black hole is big enough, you might slip through its event horizon without even noticing. There would…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada has awarded CA$1 million to a project helping doctors who treat multiple sclerosis (MS) patients make more personalized treatment decisions through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The society awarded the five-year grant (worth about $814,800) to Douglas Arnold, MD, a neurologist with…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that is unique to each patient, meaning that no two people experience the exact same disease manifestations. While there are common symptoms that many MS patients share, such as pain and chronic fatigue, some may experience more unusual symptoms. Seven of…

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. Ublituximab, an investigational therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), significantly outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) at reducing patients’…

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…

Helper T-cells Drive Transition from RRMS to SPMS, Study Suggests The T-cells referred to in this study, known as CD4+ cells, are believed to play a significant part in central nervous system inflammation. The disease-modifying treatment Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) is designed to destroy these misbehaving T-cells, along with B-cells, so…

A group of helper T-cell (Th cells), a type of immune cell, could be responsible for the transition from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), with important implications for diagnosing and treating SPMS, a new study found. The study, “Involvement of cytotoxic Eomes-expressing…

Retinal Layer Thickness May Predict MS Progression, Relapses We all know how unpredictable MS is. For some, it progresses very quickly, while for others, it follows a slow progression over many years. Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew the course our disease is likely to follow, right from…

Measurements of the thickness of the eye’s retina — the layer of nerve cells lining the back of the eye — could be used to predict disability progression and relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a real-world study from Austria suggests. “Our study shows that both crossectional and…

A machine learning-based method that examines walking abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) could help identify patients who are at high risk of worsening symptoms, a study suggests. The study, “Predicting Multiple Sclerosis from Gait Dynamics Using an Instrumented Treadmill – A Machine Learning Approach,”…

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…

All of the stories this week are from the ACTRIMS 2021 Forum, an MS research conference held virtually Feb. 25–27. #ACTRIMS2021 – COVID-19 Vaccines Safe for MS Patients, Minimally Affected by DMTs My wife and I received the second shot of the Moderna vaccine last week. (You can read…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. While researchers make progress in pinpointing markers of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), identifying those that signal…