Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. In this column, I’ll be highlighting some MS News Today stories from last week’s Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis…
fatigue
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of talk therapy, and medication given separately or in combination can ease fatigue significantly for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a clinical trial. The effect on fatigue was comparable for talk therapy, medication, or the combination in validated…
A Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating whether a low dose of ketamine can ease fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is enrolling patients at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The study, called INKLING-MS (NCT05378100), is recruiting up to 110 patients, ages 18-65, who have been complaining of fatigue as…
A behavioral intervention that teaches people with multiple sclerosis (MS) strategies for becoming physically active significantly improved patient-reported measures of fatigue over a year, but had no effect on other self-reported disease measures, according to new data from a Phase 3 trial. Earlier results had shown that the approach,…
Welcome to “MS News Notes,” where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Possible nonmedicinal treatment for fatigue, spasticity, pain Wouldn’t it be nice to find a treatment that helps people with MS handle three…
Daily exposure to 30 minutes of bright light for two weeks led to clinically significant reductions in fatigue scores among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial. “The findings from our study represent a promising non-drug therapeutic approach,” Stefan Seidel, PhD, co-author of the study…
Daily treatment with an oral antidepressant called bupropion — marketed as Wellbutrin and Zyban, among others — significantly improved some aspects of sexual function in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the results of a randomized trial in Iran. “The results of our study showed bupropion can…
Dietary interventions may help ease fatigue and improve quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), although it doesn’t seem to impact disability progression, according to a new analysis. Researchers emphasized that it’s difficult to draw solid conclusions about the impact of diet in MS because there haven’t…
The severity of sexual dysfunction doesn’t seem to be associated with MRI measures of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), but it was significantly linked with depression, anxiety, and fatigue, a small study found. The findings highlight the complex nature of sexual dysfunction in MS and “underscore the importance…
Note: This column has been updated Oct. 18, 2022, to correct the name of the cholesterol medicine the columnist uses to Pravachol. Here are a few multiple sclerosis (MS) stories that caught my eye last week: Low cholesterol and aggressive MS progression The story “Low Cholesterol May Reflect More…
Just like a surgeon’s prize hand or a ballerina’s plié, my mind has been my most valued asset. That’s been true all my life, through realizing my passion for science, achieving my undergraduate degree in biomedical science, and even keeping myself sane during the dark days of paralysis following…
In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Alexa Kane to answer some of your questions about how sleep affects multiple sclerosis (MS) and vice versa. Kane is a clinical health psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis for Treatment and…
Data passively collected by smartphone apps and fitness trackers can be used to accurately predict the risk of depression, severe fatigue, poor sleep quality, and symptom worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) when in-person health visits are suddenly limited. These are the findings of a small study that…
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) — commonly called stem cell therapy — lessens fatigue and improves quality of life in people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study in Lithuania. These gains in the physical and social domains of quality of life…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who report higher levels of fatigue are more likely to have lower performance scores in tests that evaluate cognitive skills, a study from Ireland suggests. Specifically, poor verbal learning abilities, visual-spatial memory, and information processing speed (IPS) were associated with higher levels of self-reported…
Three months of once-weekly sessions of high-intensity resistance training — consisting of strength exercises followed by a short recovery between sets — effectively eased fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experiencing low energy and tiredness, a trial in Sweden shows. This intervention also lessened feelings of depression and anxiety,…
Aquatic exercise therapy can help to ease fatigue and improve balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), without notable side effects, according to a review of published studies. These findings have important implications for MS patients, as fatigue is among the main symptoms of the disease and…
Researchers have identified early factors that can affect the trajectory of a patient’s long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. These factors include older age, worse physical impairment, and more severe fatigue at diagnosis, which were predictive of worse long-term physical HRQoL. In addition,…
A six-week program combining yoga and group discussions about resilience led to significant reductions in fatigue and anxiety, and improvements in well-being, for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a pilot study. Researchers noted that the program, known as LoveYourBrain Yoga, “may improve a range of…
Lower levels of income and education, as well as other socioeconomic factors, are associated with the presence and severity of fatigue among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study in Norway found. Women, smokers, and those with other co-existing conditions or a higher disability level also were more…
In poker, a tell refers to a change in an opponent’s behavior or demeanor that may offer clues about the cards they’re holding. This could be a facial movement, an unusual breathing rhythm, an unconscious shift in body position, or a strange monetary bet. Recognizing a player’s tells may help…
Fatigue is a common symptom among people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), and has a significant negative impact on physical and psychological function, as well as quality of life, a U.K. study reported. Citing the study as the “largest study on fatigue in MS from U.K.,” researchers emphasized that…
“A holiday is an opportunity to journey within.” — Prabhas Last week was only my second weeklong holiday since my relapsing-remitting MS diagnosis in 2017. My husband and I have had weekend getaways here and there, mainly to visit family. Of course, COVID-19 has placed a huge restriction…
Over the many years I’ve lived with multiple sclerosis (MS), I’ve used several medications to treat my MS symptoms. Some have helped, some haven’t, and some worked at first but then lost their efficacy. I recently returned to three of them that I’d stopped using for various reasons.
A new tool called signal detection theory (SDT) found a relationship between subjective cognitive fatigue, often experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the activation of certain brain regions, a study reported. Although the relationship was found in both patients and healthy controls after cognitive fatigue was…
The last few years have been rough for a whole host of reasons, and I think it’s safe to say that most of us in the United States feel utterly lost and burnt out. There’s no shortage of things to be stressed about and afraid of. I feel like…
Last weekend was a busy one. On Friday, I had to drop my eldest son at school at 5:30 a.m. for a field trip and then pick him up at 11 p.m. A nap wasn’t in the cards, I’m sad to say, and at some point in the evening, I…
Many people newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience substantial “hidden disabilities,” such as depression or fatigue, a study highlights. Findings indicate that treatment with disease-modifying therapies generally does not affect the severity of these problems, at least in the short term. “Considering the substantial impact that hidden…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients undertaking stress-reducing activities — particularly physical and relaxation activities or meditation — at least once a week are less likely to have depression, an international study shows. Additional links were found between physical activity and reduced risk of fatigue, and between meditation and a greater…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with fatigue have significantly lower levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) — a molecule involved in nerve cell function — in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) relative both to those without this common symptom and healthy people, a study shows. The CSF is the liquid…