People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) begin using healthcare services more frequently up to 15 years before their first MS symptoms appear, a study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests. The findings add to evidence that early signs of MS may go unnoticed for many years.

By studying pairs of identical twins, researchers have identified a population of immune cells whose early activation and migration into the brain might contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) onset. MS patients showed an altered profile of a population of immune cells called CD8 T-cells in the blood relative to…

A bilingual graphic educational message, dubbed VISIBL-MS, has been developed by researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) to raise awareness about the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The graphic — bearing the word “VISIBLY” in English and “VISIBLE” in Spanish — uses the letters in each phrase…

An association between the proteins IgG1 and CXCL10 in the fluid around the brain may help predict the risk of future disease activity for people in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to “CXCL10/IgG1 Axis in Multiple Sclerosis as a Potential Predictive Biomarker…

In people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), relapses that occur in the first few years after the disease develops have a strong impact on rates of disability worsening — but after about 2.5 years, more relapses don’t consistently result in a greater worsening of disability, according to…

Nearly 80% of people with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show no evidence of disease activity after two years of treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), according to updated data from the ENSEMBLE Phase 3b trial. More than 88% of the patients were negative for MRI activity, meaning they…

Even in early stages of disease, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly experience more difficulties performing cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously than do people without MS, a new study indicates. The study, “Cognitive-motor interference in people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis, in comparison with healthy…

Combining blood and imaging biomarkers might help clinicians better predict cognitive impairment in people with early multiple sclerosis (MS) than using either one alone, a new study suggests. Researchers found that using the two together worked better to predict information processing speed than did either blood or MRI biomarkers…

Exercise prior to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) was associated with less depression and anxiety among patients, likely due to a reduction in the levels of an inflammatory molecule called interleukin-2 (IL-2), a study revealed. “This finding supports the notion that exercise in the early stages may act…

Levels of certain inflammatory proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid around the brain and spinal cord, may help predict the risk of relapse activity for individuals with early multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study found. High levels of three such proteins were predictive of a greater risk of…