August 27, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – MRI Changes Can Reflect Function in Progressive MS, Study Says Certain MRI measures of the brain and spinal cord directly associate with functional improvements in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. According to BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, these data will help in determining the benefits ofĀ NurOwn, the companyās stem cell-based…
August 24, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Showing Promise as Diagnostic Marker of MS Inflammatory lesions within the brain, called paramagnetic rim lesions, visible on imaging scans may improve the accuracy of aĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, especially when used in combination with other imaging-based biomarkers, a Ā study reported. If corroborated in larger future studies, these white matter lesions may serve as an early…
August 12, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Inflammation Drives Nerve Damage in Early MS, Imaging Study Shows Inflammation drives the loss of brain volume and thinning of the eye’s retina in the first five years of aĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, an imaging study demonstrates.Ā The findings support a therapeutic strategy of halting inflammatory activity during this initial period.Ā …
August 4, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD UT Doctoral Student Wins NIH Fellowship to Study MS Cognitive Changes A $41,000 fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aims to advance research into how changes in brain connectivity are related to the cognitive deficits seen in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship was granted to…
August 4, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Oral RRMS Therapy Safely Lowers Active Lesions in Phase 2 Trial, Data Show Immunic Therapeutics‘sĀ IMU-838, a selective immune system modulator, can safely lower the number of brain lesions in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), top-line Phase 2 clinical trial data suggest. Findings show the trial met its primary goal with statistical significance ā a reduction inĀ active lesions (gadolinium…
July 10, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS Imaging Startup Among 8 Minority-owned Firms Earning Investment JuneBrain, a startup company that is developing a wearable head imaging device that enablesĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to remotely monitor their disease activity and treatment response, has received a $50,000 investment through TEDCOās Builder Fund, the investor announced. MS is caused by inflammation in the…
June 16, 2020 News by Mary Chapman $7.2M NIH Grant Supports Study of MS Diagnostic Biomarker The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $7.2 million grant to a team led byĀ Cleveland ClinicĀ researchers that will study whether a new biomarker might more accurately diagnoseĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Grant money will support a study in 400 adults suspected of having MS to determine if the…
June 5, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Icompanion App Enables Patients to Track Symptoms, Understand MRI Scans IcometrixĀ launched a new digital platform, icompanion, to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) track their disease and understandĀ MRI scans. The platform, currently available in English, French, German, and Dutch, Ā consists of a phone app for patients and a web-based dashboard to help clinicians track patients and…
March 20, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD Gilenya Outperforms Avonex in Lessening Brain Lesion Activity, Atrophy in Children with MS, Trial Shows Oral treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) is more effective than Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for controlling brain lesion activity and brain volume loss in children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosisĀ (POMS), two-year results of the PARADIGMS study show. That means Gilenya provides an effective treatment option for…
March 2, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – CorTechs Says AI Models May Improve Early MS Diagnosis CorTechs Labs presented new data indicating that machine learning models based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain may aid in the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Company representatives, joined by other experts, also released updated recommendations for a standardized…
February 27, 2020 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc NeurologyLive, CMSC Offer Panel Series on Changes in MRI Guidelines for MS NeurologyLive, a multimedia platform for specialists in that field, partnered with the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)Ā for its recent video series on changes inĀ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol and guidelines for treating and managingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). This āPeer Exchangeā panel discussion includes four specialists in neurology…
February 14, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace A Detailed Description of What to Expect During an MRI Scan An magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be an odd experience for those who have never had one before. Knowing what to expect beforehand can calm the nerves, so this week, I’m sharing what my first MRI was like. For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), frequent MRI scans are…
February 5, 2020 News by Alberto Molano, PhD QyScore, Imaging Software that Analyzes MRI Markers of Brain Disease, Earns FDA Clearance The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has grantedĀ 510(k) clearance forĀ QyScore, a cloud-based imaging software for the automated quantification of key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of central nervous system (CNS) disease. MRI is an important tool for diagnosing multiple sclerosis and other CNS disorders. By…
November 18, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Novel MRI Marker Better at Predicting MS Progression, Study Reports A large retrospective study suggests that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker ā called ābrain atrophied T2 lesion volumeāĀ ā could help predict the timing of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. According to the study, this marker was the only MRI parameter capable of predicting disease progression, compared with other…
November 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD 7T MRI Reveals New Insights into Some RRMS Features With the help of 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), investigators discovered that leptomeningeal enhancement ā a radiographic finding indicative of brain inflammation ā is more common than previously thought in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), and is tied to lesions in specific regions of the brain.
November 11, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD Low Neurite Density in Spinal Cord Linked to Greater Physical Disability in RRMS Patients People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have poorer neurite density ā a measure that relates to the amount of nerve cell projections, including axons and dendrites involved in nerve-to-nerve communication ā in the brain and spinal cord than do those without this disease, a study shows. This measure, especially…
September 26, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MRI Marker May Be Better at Predicting MS Disease Progression, Study Finds The volume of atrophied (shrunken) regions in the brain, as visible through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, can predict disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research reveals. The finding was published in the journalĀ Radiology in an article titled, “Atrophied Brain T2 Lesion Volume…
August 30, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Higher Vitamin D Levels May Promote ‘Myelin Integrity’ in Progressive MS, Study Suggests Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood may help to protect the myelin sheath, slowing damage to nerve cells in people withĀ progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a brain imaging study reports. The study, āVitamin D and MRI measures in progressive multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the…
August 27, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Central Vein Sign Maintains Potential as MS Diagnostic Marker, European Study Shows Detecting changes to the brain’s central vein using common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans is a useful and accurate strategy to enhanceĀ diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. Analysis of more than 4,000 brain lesions, obtained from contrast-enhanced MRI scans collected from eight neuroimaging European…
August 26, 2019 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Persistent MS-related Fatigue Linked to Damage in Specific Brain Regions, Study Finds Persistent fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with damage in specific areas of the brain, regardless of depression symptoms, a study shows. The study, āMicrostructural fronto-striatal and temporo-insular alterations are associated with fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis independent of white…
August 19, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Imaging That Captures Damage to Brain in CIS Helps in Determining Likelihood of MS, Study Says Imaging techniques that measure damage to the brain, in addition to those that detect lesions, may be useful in predicting likely disease progression in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a study found. The study, “Early imaging predictors of longer term multiple sclerosis risk and severity…
August 16, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Dark Rimmed Brain Lesions May Be Signal of Aggressive Disease, NIH Study Says Brain lesions appearing as dark rimmed, “smoldering” spots on imaging scans, representing active inflammation, may be a hallmark of more aggressive and disabling forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers at theĀ National Institutes of Health (NIH) report. Using a powerful MRI brain scanner and a 3D printer, the…
August 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD SyntheticMR’s Software Package Capable of Quickly Measuring Myelin in Brain Available in US SyntheticMR‘s SyMRI NEURO, a software package that can segment and measure myelin volume in the brain, is now available for use by radiologists in the U.S. through an agreement withĀ Siemens HealthineersĀ and itsĀ syngo.via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization platform, aĀ press releaseĀ states. SyMRI NEURO’s integrated software package…
August 5, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: 3D and Early MRIs, Memory Training, Ponesimod Trial 3D Imaging of Brain Lesions May Spot Those Most Likely to Heal, Guiding Treatment These scientists are working to create a new diagnostic tool that would allow doctors to use an MRI to look at brain lesions in 3D. This would allow them to see the shape and surface…
July 31, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD 3D Imaging of Brain Lesions May Spot Those Most Likely to Heal, Guiding Treatment A new diagnostic method for multiple sclerosis (MS) that uses 3D analysis of a patient’s brain may beĀ able to tell physicians which lesions there are more likely to heal with time and which are not, and as such could be a game-changer in treating the disease, according to the…
July 30, 2019 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Early MRI Screening Can Predict Long-term MS Disability, Help Guide Treatment, Study Says Routine screening throughĀ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can predict long-term disease progression ā leading to more certainty and informing better treatment choices, a 15-year study reported. The study, titled āEarly imaging predictors of long-term…
July 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Study Examines Gadolinium Deposits in MS Patients’ Brains, But Still Can’t Determine Relationship with Disease Severity The use of gadodiamide, a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) often used to help clinicians visualize brain structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, leads to the accumulation of gadolinium in certain regions ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients’ brains early in the course of the disease, a study has found.
July 3, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Rebif Cost-effective and Can Reduce Brain Lesions in RRMS Patients, Data Show Merck KGaA presented new evidence supporting the safety and clinical efficacy of RebifĀ (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at the 5thĀ Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), June 29āJuly 2 in Oslo, Norway. The company, known asĀ EMD SeronoĀ in the U.S. and Canada, presented 16…
March 14, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Non-contrast MRI Effective in Monitoring Progression of MS, Study Shows The evaluation of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be performed without the use of a contrast agent, new research has shown. These findings suggest that routine use of contrast-enhanced MRI is unnecessary for most follow-ups with MS patients, reducing both imaging…
March 11, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Immunic Therapeutics Enrolls First Patient in Phase 2 Trial of IMU-838 for RRMS Immunic TherapeuticsĀ has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial testing IMU-838, a potential oral therapy forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) is a next-generation selective modulator of the immune system. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which plays a role…