February 1, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MS Cognitive Problems Can Ease With Rehab, Mindfulness Training Two alternative treatments for the cognitive challenges people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can face in daily life ā cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) ā were found to helpful in a clinical trial. Patients randomized to either treatment approach in the REMIND-MS study had fewer…
June 15, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Pain management for people with multiple sclerosis In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Dawn Ehde, PhD, to answer some of your questions about pain management for people with multiple sclerosis. Ehde is a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, where…
April 4, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: GA Depot, Blood-brain Barrier, Mindfulness Use of GA Depot in Treating Progressive MS Given US Patent In the area of MS treatments, one major need is for medications that treat more than just the relapsing form of our disease. GA Depot might help fill that void. The U.S. patent the medication received says it’s…
March 24, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Online Mindfulness Program Helps Patients With Depression, Trial Finds Eight weeks of an online mindfulness program significantly lowered levels of depression and improved quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers in Australia report. āThis study adds to growing evidence on how wellness strategies can help people with MS to reduce symptoms and enable fuller participation…
March 7, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Using Trait Mindfulness Techniques May Help Reduce Depression in MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reported fewer difficulties regulating their emotions, and reduced depressive symptoms when they applied trait mindfulness techniques, a study showed. Trait mindfulness refers to an innate ability to pay and maintain attention to moments in the present with an open, non-judgmental attitude. Notably, the use of…
November 8, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Acthar Gel, Alcohol and MS Risk, Mindfulness Analysis Finds Acthar Gel Cost-effective for MS Relapses I’ve seen social media posts from people with MS who use Acthar Gel and report that it helps with their spasticity. The gel, which is a shot, not an ointment, prompts the body to creates cortisol, a steroid hormone that helps…
April 26, 2021 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD Mindfulness Helps to Reduce Depression, Fatigue in MS Patients Among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), mindfulness ā paying attention to the present moment in a purposeful and nonjudgmental manner ā is associated with reduced depression, which also leads to a decrease in fatigue, a small study reports. The study involved 69 relapsing-remitting MS…
November 20, 2020 Columns by Jamie Hughes On Being Truly Thankful Well, friends, we are coming to the end of 2020. Thanksgiving is next week, and believe it or not, Christmas is just around the corner. And while I canāt say Iām grateful for all the challenges this very weird and wacky year has presented me with, I remain so for…
May 18, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Data, Epstein-Barr, PoNS Device, Mindfulness COVID-19 May Not Be Severe in MS Patients, Early Data from Italy Suggest Keep in mind that COVID-19 information is dynamic. New data about this illness appear every day. But all information I’ve seen so far agrees with this report, which indicates there’s no reason to think that living…
May 15, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Mindfulness Training Seen to Aid Cognitive, Emotional Well-being in Pilot Study Four weeks of mindfulness meditation helped to improve thinking skills and a sense of emotional balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to a greater extent than cognitive training given to a separate patient group, aĀ pilot clinical trial reports.Ā These results were detailed in two studies,ā…
March 31, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace How to Cope and Thrive During a Challenging Time Living through this unique time is nothing like Iāve ever experienced before.Ā Thereās so much doom and gloom around lately. I donāt know about you, but the constant government alerts and updates donāt feel like theyāre helping me. Itās enough to drive me insane if I…
April 23, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Study Will Explore Benefits of Tai Chi, Meditation on MS Patients’ Physical Balance A pilot study has been launched toĀ assess the immediate and enduring benefits of tai chi and mindfulness meditation on the physical balance and mental wellness of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This community-based study ā currently enrolling participants ā is being conducted by the Motor Control Lab directed by Richard van Emmerik, PhD, professor of kinesiology atĀ theĀ University of Massachusetts Amherst.Ā The project was awarded a $54,972 one-year grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. While many MS symptoms vary from patient to patient, depending on the extent and location of the damage in the brain and spinal cord, difficulty in maintaining physical balanceĀ is a generalized complaint. Several MS symptoms can have an effect on balance, includingĀ difļ¬cultiesĀ with coordination, tremor and muscle weakness, stiffness, orĀ dizziness and vertigo. "Mind-body interventions are beneficial as they train dynamic balance, such as transitioning between postures, turning, reaching, etc., in a manner similar to movements in daily life," Julianna Averill, a doctoral student at van Emmerikās lab, said in a press release. Postural control and balance confidence is crucial to prevent patients' falls and reduce their fear of falling. Finding strategies that help patients cope and overcome this limitation is crucial, Averill noted. Contrary to other studies, which focus on mental health benefits, this project will look mostly at the effects of mindfulness practice on physical balance. Tai chi also will be evaluated for its potential to improve patientsā balance, both while they are standing and as they move. Participants will be randomly assigned to either eight weeks of free tai chi at YMAA Western Mass Tai Chi or mindfulness meditation classes at Downtown Mindfulness, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that involvesĀ bodyĀ stretching and slow, focused, flowing postures that keep the body in motion. Mindfulness meditation is based on mindfulness practices, including training on body scan meditation, and loving kindness meditation. Participants will attend classes for 2.5 hours per week, where they will receive training to complete an additional 2.5 hours at home each week. At home, participants are asked to listen to meditation podcasts, or watch tai chi videos via a website that also tracks their activity. āThe participants will be trained, and they will be able to practice on their own,āĀ Averill said. Patients' postural sway will be recorded by wearable sensors while performing distinct movements at the study start, at the end of all classes, and two weeks later. On the same visits, participants will be surveyed to assess the frequency of falls, balance confidence, level of fatigue, and ability to cope and adapt. āWeāre taking a more holistic look, considering the whole person and overall quality of life,āĀ Averill said. The team plans to enroll 30 participants withĀ mild-to-moderate MS symptoms, aged 21 to 70, and who areĀ able to stand and move without assistance for 15 minutes. For more information about the study and how to participate, contact Averill at [email protected].
March 6, 2019 Columns by Cathy Chester Mindfulness and Perspective: The Tools I Rely on While Living With MS Several summers ago I had the misfortune of experiencing the simultaneous agony of kidney stones and gallstones. The level of pain was greater than I’d had with childbirth. It brought me to my knees and took two hospitals, one misdiagnosis, and two surgeries to get…
January 31, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MS Patients Sought to Test Alternative Chronic Pain Treatment Methods A clinical trial funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is recruiting adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to test two non-pharmacological strategies to manage MS-related chronic pain. The trial (NCT03782246) will be conducted at the University of Washington, and plans to enroll about 250 participants across…
January 25, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: HSCT vs. DMTs, Mindfulness for MS, Ocrevus and T-cells, Pregnancy Guidelines Blood Stem Cell Transplant Better than DMTs at Reducing Risk of Disease Progression in RRMS Here’s more evidence that hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) works better than some disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) at reducing multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. In this study, only three of 52 patients in the…
January 18, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Mindfulness: Putting Mind Over MS Can you use your mind to attack your MS, just as you use things such as medications and physical therapy? Some people who believe in the benefits of mindfulness think you can, at least to some extent. Mindfulness is defined as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware…
January 16, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Mindfulness Protects Against Depression, Anxiety, Fatigue, and Sleep Issues in MS Patients, Study Finds Mindfulness protects against depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep problems in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), improving their quality of life and overall well-being, a study finds. The study, “Longitudinal associations between mindfulness and well-being in people with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the International Journal…
June 15, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes Mind Your Mind I donāt know about you, but oftentimes my thoughts are as unruly and irrepressible as Mickeyās broomsticks in “The Sorcererās Apprentice.” Whether I’m worried about the tingling in my left foot or the fact it took me five minutes to remember the word āexpeditor,ā thereās always some…
April 6, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Online Meditation Course Seen to Help MS Patients Manage Symptoms in Clinical Trial Online training inĀ Ā meditationĀ based on mindfulness can improve the quality of life for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients while easing depression, anxiety, and sleep problems, a study conducted in Italy reports. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that interventions able…
August 23, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Building Toward Optimism: The ‘Tetris’ Effect In the video game “Tetris,” players fit falling puzzle pieces together in order to create the most complete picture. As the game continues, the pieces fall faster. Creating order and cohesion out of chaos is necessary, as it is a common human desire. I never liked “Tetris,” but…
August 22, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Heart of It All and Healing from Within āThe very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose.ā This is a quote from Andy Andrews in “The Butterfly Effect.” I have referenced this quote on several occasions. It speaks volumes because it affirms that we are here on purpose, not by chance. I did an…
July 19, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Find Your Strength and Adjust Your Mindset The second module in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s positive psychology program,Ā “Everyday Matters,”Ā is called “Adjusting Our Mindset,” or āthe fulcrum and the lever.ā In science, the law of the lever states that power into the lever equals the power out, and the ratio of output to…
July 11, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson An Unlimited Mind Must Recognize Physical Limitations It has been a busy few weeks. Well, when I think about it, every week is busy. There is always something that must be done. Just when I think things will slow down, my schedule lengthens. Admittedly, I am not a technology expert, so I rely on the…
June 19, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society Highlights Diet, Lifestyle Research Focusing on Living Well With Multiple Sclerosis The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) SocietyĀ has selectedĀ research highlightsĀ from a recent MS conferenceĀ in an effort to help make living with the disease less burdensome. Presentations from the May 24-27Ā annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) in New Orleans ā which ranged fromĀ advice on smartphone apps to diet…
December 21, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Multitasking vs. Mindfulness The glory days of multitasking may be fading. More and more research points to the fact that our brains actually cannot multitask. Rather, the brain shifts rapidly (itās all relative) back and forth between tasks as we attempt to do multiple activities at once. Like many people with MS,…
October 4, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mindfulness Training Seen to Help People Adjust to Chronic Ills Like MS A researcher atĀ De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)ās School of Nursing and Midwifery found that the practice of mindfulness helps people with long-term medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, to manage their diagnosis. The study,Ā āStarting where I am: a grounded theory exploration of mindfulness as a facilitator…
August 31, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Barefoot Mindfulness: Mastering Stress and Change with MS I often watched āThe Brady Bunchā as a kid. Ā In one episode, Peterās voice changes right before the talent show and he isnāt able to sing his chosen song. His replacement song has been playing on repeat in my head for two months! āWhen itās time to change, youāve got…