August 29, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Memory problems in MS tied to lesions in brain’s ‘memory circuit’ The presence of lesions, or regions of damage, in a brain circuit tied to memory in stroke patients also associate with memory problems in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Findings may help to determine which lesions are likely to cause memory issues in people with the neurodegenerative condition,…
July 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gray Matter in Hippocampus Can Help Distinguish Between Two MS Types Subtle changes in structure in the hippocampus ā a region of the brain involved in processing memories ā can differentiate between relapsing-remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. The study, “Unraveling the MRI-Based Microstructural Signatures Behind Primary Progressive and RelapsingāRemitting Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes,”…
June 30, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD Sleep Deprivation May Worsen Memory in Early MS Sleep deprivation may worsen memory in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new observational study suggests. A link also was observed between a lack of sleep and worse cognitive efficiency in early MS, but that association was caused by the worse moods…
February 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS-linked Molecule IL-17 Impaired Immune Cells in Mice’s Brains Sustained, excessive levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) ā a pro-inflammatory molecule linked to multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and other autoimmune diseases ā reduce the number and activity of the brainās immune cells in the dentate gyrus, according to a study in mice. The dentate gyrus is part of the hippocampus, a…
December 15, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Seeks to Better Understand How MS Affects Memory A new research project will seek to better understand the biological processes that drive memory problems in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), as a better understanding of these processes may open new avenues for intervention. The four-year study is titled “Neuroimaging of Hippocampally Mediated Memory Dysfunction in…
August 3, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Regular Exercise Helps Preserve Key Brain Areas, Study Finds People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who exercise regularly are able to maintain volume in the hippocampus, a brain regionĀ responsible for learning and memory, a study reports. This work “adds to the growing body of evidence that exercise has many benefits for people with MS,” the National MS…
August 10, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brain Inflammation Countered by Neuronal Growth in Mouse Model of MS As inflammation and neuronal death progressed in the brains of mice with multiple sclerosis (MS), a molecular signaling pathway with a key player called Wnt was seen toĀ come intoĀ action in brain areas crucial for memory production, triggering the formationĀ of new neurons. The findings, presented in the study…
July 12, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD High Depression Rates in MS Patients Tied to Brain Inflammation in Recent Study Inflammation in a brain region called the hippocampus might explain why patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from depression far more often than patients with other chronic brain diseases. The findings, described in the report āHippocampal Neuroinflammation, Functional Connectivity, and Depressive Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis,āĀ published in the…
April 28, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cognitive Difficulties Known to MS Traced to Problems in Nerve Cell Activity in Hippocampus In a study published in the International Neurology Journal, researchers showed that cognitive deficits, such as memory problems, in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS) are mirrored by changes in synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory processing. The findings…
March 16, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Immune Cells in Brain Seen to Promote Cognitive Impairment In MS Mouse Model Microglial cells in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory processing, mayĀ contribute to brain damage associated with cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding, published in the journal Scientific Reports, implies that targeting microglia could beĀ a promising strategy to improve cognition in MS. While cognitive…
February 1, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Cognitive Impairment Traced to Synapse Damage in Hippocampus Researchers identified a new mechanism in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) that might explain the cognitive impairment and decline observed in theseĀ patients ā a decline not directly associated with disease’s hallmarks of motor control loss, and oneĀ not currently addressed by the immunosuppressive drugs usedĀ to treat MS. The study, published…