February 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Swallowing problems are common for MS patients, review study finds Nearly half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience swallowing difficulties, which is notably higher than rates seen in the general population, according to a recent review study and meta-analysis. Because swallowing problems, or dysphagia, can lead to serious, sometimes life-threatening, complications, it is important for patients to be routinely…
December 9, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD FDA Approves Lyvispah, Granular Form of Baclofen, to Treat Spasticity The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lyvispah, a dissolvable granular formulation of baclofen, to treat spasticityĀ in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The strawberry-flavored formulation, developed byĀ Saol Therapeutics, is particularly suitable to ease flexor spasticity, the involuntary bending of the knees and hips toward the…
February 20, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Finding My Way Through Sickness and Sadness with SPMS I am hyperaware of the fragility of life. More specifically, the fragility of mine. Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. My immune system eats away at the myelin sheath surrounding my nerves. My disease-modifying therapy is an immunosuppressant. This further weakens my immunity. I have known…
February 13, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Patients Needing Feeding Tubes May Live Longer if Given Before Age 50, Study Finds Placing a feeding tube before age 50 in multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients with dysphagia, or difficulties swallowing, may extent their lifeĀ by more than two years, a study suggests. These findings may help doctors and patients with decisions about feeding tube use, but more work is needed to better understand…
August 7, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD FDA Approves Bracco’s Varibar Thin Liquid for Use in Imaging Tests for Dysphagia The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bracco Diagnostics’ oral suspension of barium sulfate, calledĀ Varibar Thin Liquid, for use as imaging agent to detect swallowing disorders known asĀ dysphagia, a problem common among multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients. In the U.S.,Ā 1 in 25 adultsĀ are estimated to…
June 21, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Bracco Diagnostics Notes Doctors’ Support in Developing Varibar for Assessing Dysphagia As part ofĀ National Dysphagia Awareness MonthĀ this June, Bracco DiagnosticsĀ is acknowledging speech language pathologistsĀ for their support in developing VaribarĀ (barium sulfate) products ā imaging agents used to assess swallowing disorders, a problem common among multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients. One in 25 adultsĀ is estimated to experience dysphagia, or…
February 6, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Traditional Dysphagia Therapy Improves Swallowing Function in MS Patients, Pilot Study Shows Rehabilitation using traditional dysphagia therapy improved swallowing function in multiple sclerosis patients with dysphagia, a pilot study shows. The research article with that finding, āThe effect of traditional dysphagia therapy on the swallowing function in patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A pilot double-blinded randomized controlled trialā was…
August 22, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Swallowing Problems Lower Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Quality of Life Dysphagia, or problems with swallowing, is common in patients with multiple sclerosis and significantly reduces their quality of life, according to a new Australian study. Symptoms such as coughing and choking, and mental health issues related to eating or drinking, are common in this patient population, the data show.
March 15, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Adapting to MS: Modifying and Thriving I was throwing the ball for my golden retriever when it bounced onto an unreachable ledge. I watched her become antsy for a ball she could see but not reachĀ and wondered what she would do. Her frustration gave way to a solution as she jumped from…
June 19, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson My MS Speech Issues, and Why I Want to Head Off Any Swallowing Problems Many of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis feel random, and can be down right terrifying. I’ve recently been suffering from a scary MS symptom: slurred speech, also known as dysarthria. I open my mouth expecting the words I have chosen to appear. Instead, I slur and stutter…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – New Screening Tool for Swallowing Difficulties in MS Evaluated Identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who suffer from dysphagia — swallowing difficulties — early on allows the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, a leading cause of death in MS. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas developed a screening tool to detect dysphagia and presented encouraging preliminary data on…