March 20, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Treatment with Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Safe with Sustained Benefits for MS, Trial Shows Treatment with umbilical cord stem cells was found to be safe and leads toĀ sustained improvements in disability and brain lesions of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a clinical trial. The study, āClinical feasibility of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis,ā was…
February 22, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Study Links Degeneration of Deep Gray Matter in Brain to Faster MS Disability Degeneration of the brain’s deep gray matter is associated with more rapid disability in multiple sclerosis patients, a European study shows. The research, āDeep gray matter volume loss drives disability worsening in multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journal Annals of Neurology. Scientists know that loss…
January 30, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Swedish Company’s Technology for Getting More out of MRI Scans The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved technology that the Swedish companyĀ SyntheticMRĀ developed to give doctors more information from magnetic resonance imaging scans. This means the company can begin selling itsĀ SyMRI NEUROĀ packages to American medical facilities. Traditional MRIs offer only one level of contrast when depicting tissue.Ā SyMRI NEURO…
January 12, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Worrying About the Dye Used in My MRIs The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert about gadolinium, the dye that’s injected when our doctors order a brain MRI “with and without” contrast. The dye provides the contrast that “lights up” areas of MS inflammation in the brain. But the FDA advisory is…
January 8, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: MRI Dyes, Diagnosis Criteria, Handwriting and MS, Progressive MS Research FDA Warns of Risks Linked to Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents Used in MRI Scans I had a brain MRI a couple of weeks ago and I asked the technician about the FDA warning about the dye that she was going to inject. She wasn’t aware of it. I…
January 4, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Warns of Risks Linked to Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents Used in MRI Scans The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated aĀ safety bulletinĀ about gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), after studies raised new concerns about them. Doctors often use GBCAs to diagnoseĀ multiple sclerosis (MS),Ā monitor disease activity and verify the effectiveness of MS therapies.Ā Gadolinium is a metal ion, or electrically charged molecule, that…
January 2, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gilenya Halts Brain’s Gray Matter Atrophy in RRMS Patients, Study Suggests Treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) may limit cerebral gray matter atrophy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s HospitalĀ have found. Their report, āA two-year study using cerebral gray matter volume to assess the response to fingolimod therapy in multiple sclerosis,ā appeared in the…
December 12, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Using Balloons to Increase Blood Flow from Brain Fails to Help MS Patients, Trial Finds Using balloons to enlarge veins so that more blood flows out of the brain and spinal cord fails to help multiple sclerosis patients, according to a clinical trial in Italy. Researchers said the procedure did not improve their functioning or reduce their brain lesions ā areas where toxic protein build-ups…
December 7, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Advances in MRI Readings My neurologist orders an annual MRI to see if any major changes have occurred, and last year my imaging included NeuroQuant software. NeuroQuant is still relatively unknown in the multiple sclerosis patient community. It is a measuring software that gives us real numbers we can comprehend instead of subjective…
December 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Blood Test That Helps Predict MS Disease Activity Might Lower Need for MRI Scans, Study Suggests A blood test may someday replace some of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans taken by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) Ā ā offering an easy, cheap alternative for monitoring disease activity. A study by Norway’s University of BergenĀ found that blood levels of a factor called neurofilament light chain, released…
November 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD French Study Links Silent Brain Lesions to Cognitive Decline in Early-stage RRMS So-called silent brain lesions in patients with early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) may, in fact, not be silent at all, according to a French study that linked such lesions to cognitive decline in early MS. This link has likely been missed since the major tool for measuring disability in MS…
November 9, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: MRI, Myelin, mAbs, and Other ‘M’ Words Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this first of two columns about terms starting with the letter M. Symptoms of MS Memory problems Memory loss is a common complaint for people with MS. Even for those with no physical or…
October 30, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – Aerobic Exercise Seen to Quickly Strengthen Brain Connections in Patients Aerobic exercise strengthens brain connections in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, Jan-Patrick Stellmann, with University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, reported at theĀ 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris that ran from Oct. 25ā28. According to Stellmann, "aerobic exercises are considered to improve mobility, fatigue, depression and cognition in MS," and also to "promote neuroprotective or neuroregenerative mechanisms." For the study, the team used MRI to examine how exercise affected different types of brain connections. They recruited 57 RRMS patients and 30 healthy controls to the study. Women made up more than two-thirds of the patient group, which had a mean age of 39. Patients only had mild disability, with a mean score of 1.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Researchers randomly assigned about half the group to a supervised and individually adapted aerobic exercise program, consisting of 22 sessions of up to one hour each. Others were assigned to a waiting list ā with the intent of taking up exercise after three months ā and served as a control group. MRI scans at the study's beginning revealed that patients had more so-called functional connections, but fewer structural ones, than healthy controls. It is known from earlier studies that most RRMS patients show abnormalities in functional connections, but some researchers find increases while others decreases in these connections. Functional and structural connections appear on different types of MRI scans ā ones that make use either of blood flow changes or of the properties of water molecules in the white matter of the brain. The deviations were particularly pronounced in highly connected hub regions, the researchers said. After three months, functional connections increased across the entire brain among exercising patients, but decreased in those on the waiting list. Structural connections also increased among patients who exercised, while no change was detected among control patients. Researchers also noted that exercising patients grew more local connections, mostly in hub regions, compared to those who did not exercise. While it is generally accepted that aerobic exercise promotes neuroprotective and regenerative processes within the brain, the study demonstrated that exercise, in only three months, did indeed affect how the brain is wired. "Short-term aerobic exercise increases functional and structural connectivity,"Ā Stellmann concluded. "Already after three months, exercise lead to functional and structural reorganization of brain networks." The researcher highlighted the difficulties in obtaining financial support for trials on exercise. And he emphasized that patients should be encouraged by their doctors to exercise regularly.
October 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 ā Phase 3 Trial Data Show Ozanimod Safe, Effective in MS Patients Ozanimod (RPC1063) was seen to lower relapse rates and reduce brain and spinal cord lesions among patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) participating in a Phase 3 study of the treatment. Giancarlo Comi,Ā from theĀ Vita-SaluteĀ San RaffaeleĀ University, in Italy, announced the results in a presentation during the ongoing…
October 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – Siponimod Leads to Dramatic Drop in MS Lesions, Phase 3 Trial Shows Novartis’Ā SiponimodĀ led to a dramatic drop in the number of inflammation patches in the brains and spinal cords of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial. Robert Fox of the Cleveland Clinic’sĀ Mellen Center for Treatment and Research in Multiple SclerosisĀ presented the findings…
October 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Revises MRI Guidelines The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers has updated guidelines for using magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate people suspected of having multiple sclerosis. Doctors use the MRI guidelines not only to diagnose MS but also to track treatment results. A task force is reviewing the new guidelines before they're published. The working document is called Ā "Revised Guidelines of the CMSC MRI Protocol for the Diagnosis and Follow-up of MS." The task force, composed of neurologists, radiologists and imaging scientists experienced in MS, met in January 2017 to revise the guidelines. They also updated information about the situations for which standardized brain and spinal cord MRI scans should be used. One change is a recommendation that gadolinium, a contrast agent in scans, be used cautiously. The previous update, published in 2015, included no constraints on the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents.Ā But soon after publication, information emerged showing that gadolinium, although not toxic, accumulates in the brain. This prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recommend limiting the use of gadolinium to āappropriate clinical circumstances.ā To mirror the increased awareness of gadolinium deposits, the new guidelines say: āWhile there is no known central nervous system toxicity, these agents should be used judiciously, recognizing that gadolinium continues to play an invaluable role in specific circumstances related to the diagnosis and follow-up of individuals with MS.ā Since 2009, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers has addressed a number of other issues. One is encouraging the use of three-dimensional MRI for brain scans. Another is developing protocols for monitoring severe optic nerve inflammation and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, a brain disease caused by a virus. The guidelines have been revised to recommend the specific timing of scans for monitoring PML. The update also includes recommendations for theĀ timing of scans on patients receiving disease-modifying drugs. Since 2009, the guidelines have included recommendations on scans of radiologic isolated syndrome, a condition where MS-like MRI lesions are present without symptoms. And they have included provisions onĀ the value of using MRI changes to evaluate treatment effectiveness. The centers' goal "is to standardize the MRI protocol and make these recommendations a useful guideline for neurologists, neuroradiologists, and related healthcare professionals during initial evaluations and during follow-up of patients with MS, and ultimately provide optimum care for those individuals dealing with this unpredictable disease,ā June Halper, the centers' chief executive officer, said in a press release.
October 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MRI Scans Could Identify Children at High Risk for MS, Yale Study Finds Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of children could reveal changes associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) before any symptoms are developed, according to a study byĀ scientists at Yale University School of Medicine. The findingsĀ suggest that brain and spinal cord scans can identify children at high risk for developing MS.
October 6, 2017 News by Ashraf Malhas, PhD Evidence of Lymph Vessels in Human Brain May Offer New Insights into MS, Other Disorders Groundbreaking evidence of the existence of lymphatic vessels in the human brain could answer the question of how the brain gets rid of waste products, and holds clear implications for neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis. The lymphatic system is a network that helps the body to rid itself of toxins and waste products. Lymphatic vessels, which are similar to blood vessels, transport a clear fluid ā lymph ā which is filtered in lymph nodes. It has long been thought that the brain lacks lymphatic vessels. However, a team of researchers at theĀ National Institutes of Health (NIH), building on previous research in rodent brains, recently found evidence that the brain may actually drain waste through lymphatic vessels. The researchers injected healthy volunteers with a magnetic dye called gadobutrol, which is usually used as a contrast agent to image blood vessels. They then scanned the brains of these individuals using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under specific settings. This allowed them to view the dye within the outer layer of the brain, known as the dura. The MRI revealed that the dye was visible both as dots and straight lines, which might indicate lymph vessels. This suggested that the dye leaked out of blood vessels into the dura and were later 'picked up' by lymphatic vessels. These vessels were not seen when the volunteers were injected with another dye that does not leak out of blood vessels.Ā Evidence of lymphatic vessels in the brain was also found in autopsied human brain tissue. Although a pair of 2015 studies had shown evidence of lymphatic vessels in the brains of mice, this is the first study that demonstrates that a similar system exists in human brains.Ā āFor years we knew how fluid entered the brain. Now we may finally see that, like other organs in the body, brain fluid can drain out through the lymphatic system,ā Reich saidĀ . In addition to changing the way we think about the lymphatic system and the brain, this study lays the foundations for future research to investigate whether the function of the lymphatic system is altered in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis or other disorders affecting the nervous system.
August 3, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Resistance Training Can Slow MS Patients’ Brain Shrinkage, Clinical Trial Indicates Resistance training like weight lifting can protect or even regenerate the nerve cells of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, slowing the progression of the disease, according to a clinical trial. A hallmark of MS is the brain shrinking faster than normal, and findings from this trial indicates that resistance training can slow the shrinking or even make some brain areas grow. Research has shown that physical training benefits MS patients, helping them alleviate many symptoms, including excessive fatigue and balance control problems. Recent studies suggest that exercise can have a disease-modifying role in MS. This means physical activity can be an important adjuvant, or add-on therapy, for standard-of-care regimens. Researchers followed 35 patients with relapsing-remitting MS for 24 weeks. Eighteen patients did resistance training twice a week, consisting of four lower- and two upper-body exercises. The other 17 patients struck with their normal routines. Before and after the 24 weeks, doctors took magnetic resonance imaging scans, or MRIs, to evaluate patients' brain structures. After the 24 weeks, the scans showed less brain shrinkage in those who had resistance training. Some of their cortical brain regions were also thicker ā an indication they were growing. It is not clear why exercise benefits MS patients' brains, nor if exercise has the same effect on all patients. Additional studies are needed to clarify its therapeutic effect, the researchers said. That knowledge could help improve current MS therapies.
July 24, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study Draws Reverse Link Between Number of a Patientās MRI Scans a Doctor Checks and Worsened-MS Declarations A new study draws a reverse link between the number of MRI scans of multiple sclerosis patients who are on interferon-beta 1a and doctors declaring there is evidence of the patients’ disease worsening. When doctors looked at one scan, rather than multiple ones, they were more likely to say that…
July 5, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MSBase, Icometrix Collaborate on Global Imaging Project to Understand MS Progression MSBase and icometrix have joined efforts in a large-scale project to identify imaging markers of multiple sclerosis (MS) that could help diagnose the disease in its early stages. The combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information collected from MS patients with clinical information from the MSBase Registry can offer new insights in disease progression, potentially leading to new predictive tools for MS. It may also promote more standardized use of imaging measures in clinical practice. With more than 52,000 MS patients, the MSBase Registry is an international database committed to collecting patientsā information as well as sharing, tracking and evaluating overall outcome data in MS and other neurological conditions. Until now, the MSBase Registry included only descriptive information regarding patients' imaging analysis results, with no access to full imaging data. This joint, large-scale project will include MRI scan data routinely acquired in clinical setting taking advantage of icometrixās software platform, MSmetrix. āWe wish to unlock the power of MRI for personalized monitoring in MS," Helmut Butzkueven, director of MSBase, said in a press release. "The MSBase Scientific Leadership group has selected MRI integration as the top strategic priority for MSBase. We believe that already conducted MRI scans represent an enormous missed opportunity, because advanced measurements to assess change over time from these scans are not currently in practical use.ā Butzkueven said MSBase "will test the predictive power of this unlocking of MRI data in the first phase," with a total of 10,000 MRI data points in at least 3,000 MS patients from all over the world. The project is expected to identify disease progression markers that could help detect early signs of MS by MRI evaluation. This investigator-initiated collaboration between icometrix and the MSBase Foundation is being supported by three global pharmaceutical giants: Novartis, Biogen and Roche. āMRI measures play an essential part in the complex puzzle of MS,ā said Danny Bar Zohar, global head of neuroscience development at Novartis. āPartnering with MS Base and icometrix in this exciting project will bring the acquisition of high-quality real world data to the next level, ultimately improving the outcome of people living with MS.ā
June 27, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias If My MRI Is Stable, Why Is My Walking Getting Worse? During a routine exam with my neurologist recently, I asked her a question I’d never thought to ask before: “Why do you order regular MRIs of my brain, but not of my spine?” Interestingly, within a few days of my exam, a Harvard Med School study was…
June 26, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD RRMS Patients at Risk of PML Can Safely Switch from Tysabri to Lemtrada Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) may be an effective option for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients withdrawing from prior treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab), an Italian study shows. The study, āHigh-Risk PML Patients Switching from Natalizumab to Alemtuzumab: an Observational Study,ā appeared in the journal Neurology and Therapy. Tysabri, an antibody with…
June 21, 2017 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Harvard Study Finds No Link Between Clinical Exams and MRIs in Some MS Patients Physical disability may have no link toĀ brain lesion volume in some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS),Ā concludes a recent study led by Dr.Ā Rohit Bakshi, aĀ neurology and radiology professor atĀ Harvard Medical School. The study, āCharacterizing Clinical and MRI Dissociation in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis,ā appearedĀ in the Journal…
June 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brain Damage Linked to MS Affects Ability to Interpret Others’ Emotions and Intentions, Study Reports How multiple sclerosis affects the “social brain,” whichĀ governs the ability to understand how others think and feel ā a skill called social cognition ā is linked to specific types of brain damage that occur in MS: both lesions and microscopic changes taking place in the brain’s white matter, aĀ research team…
May 31, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC17 – Lemtrada’s 2 Year Therapy in RRMS Sustains Efficacy for Over 6 Years Without Additional Treatment Taking Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) for two years inhibitedĀ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for more than six years, theĀ CARE-MS I clinical trial extension study found. Researchers presented their study,Ā āDurable Efficacy of Alemtuzumab on MRI Disease Activity Over 6 Years in Treatment-Naive RRMS Patients With…
May 30, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Rituxan-treated MS Patients Three Times More Likely to Have Improved Brain Scans Multiple sclerosis patients who start Rituxan (rituximab) treatment are three times more likely to have unchanged or improved brain-scan readings than worse ones, according to a study. Holy Name Medical CenterĀ researchers presented theĀ findings at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers annual meeting in New Orleans, May 24-27. The presentation…
April 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Real-world Data of Gilenya Treatment Validates Slowed Brain Shrinkage as Disease Progression Measure A real-world study of Gilenya (fingolimod) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) confirms benefits of the treatment seen in clinical trials. The Novartis-sponsored study also demonstrated that measures of brain shrinkage can be used in a clinical setting to evaluate disease progression. The data, presented at theĀ American Academy of…
February 27, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – Ocrevus Significantly Decreases Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Shows Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an investigational monoclonal antibody, significantly decreases disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and is associated with a higher proportion of patients reaching no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), according to a new analysis. The study,Ā āNEDA analysis by epoch in patients with relapsing multiple…
February 22, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman How to survive an MRI if you are claustrophobic Last updated April 26, 2023 A key test for identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) during diagnosis, or to confirm a relapse, is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) For those who’ve never had to undergo an MRI, the thought of having this test might be terrifying. Being encased in a magnetic…