June 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS DMTs Underutilized in Younger Patients, Study Indicates Nearly a third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are younger than 40 are not being treated with disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), even though younger individuals are expected to get the most benefit from DMTs, according to a new study. “DMTs for MS are more frequently used at…
October 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Majority of MS Patients in US Report Mistreatment by Caregivers in Survey In a nationwide survey of caregiver abuse and neglect among Americans withĀ advanced multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), more than half of respondents reported some form of mistreatment, with psychological and financial abuse being the most common. Having a caregiver with a mental illness was the greatest risk factor for mistreatment, the survey…
March 19, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Risk Tolerance for Therapies Linked to Age, Sex and Disability Sex, age, disability level, and current disease-modifying therapy use are linked to how multiple sclerosis (MS) patients weigh the potential benefits and safety risks of treatments, new research from two teams funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ shows. These studies shed light on how…
February 12, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Stigma Can Be a Cause of MS Patients’ Depression, Study Shows The stigma of multiple sclerosis can increase patients’ risk of depression, but a socially supportive environment, a sense of belonging and a sense of independence can help ease the problem, a study Penn State UniversityĀ study reports. Researchers have…
December 11, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Diet Rich in Fruits, Veggies and Whole Grains May Slow MS Progression, Study Shows A diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains may decrease symptoms and lessen disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The report, āDiet quality is associated with disability and symptom severity in multiple sclerosis,ā appeared in the journal Neurology. āPeople with MS…
December 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society Endorses US-Canada Registry Aiming to Advance Research and Patient Care The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has endorsed the North American Registry for Care and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, a collaborative effort involving other multiple sclerosis registries, clinicians, researchers and patients in the U.S. and parts of Canada. NARCRMS is a public-private partnership, bringing together academia, industry, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations with an interest in MS. It operates under the auspices of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. It consists of a database of clinical records and patient-centered outcomes, providing clinicians and scientists with a greater and more integrated ability to track the incidence, prevalence and course of MS. Like many registries, NARCRMSĀ includes data collected by physicians, like neuroimaging scans, genetic markers, cognitive assessments and specimen collection, and testing for identification of biomarkers of disease progression.Ā It also adds patient-reported outcomes focused on disease challenges and impacts on daily life. Its goal is to improve the understanding of MS, facilitate multi-level care, and aid inĀ recruiting patients into clinical trials. NARCRMS is the first open-source database to connect MS centers across North America to regional databases by state, region and zip code.Ā To date, NARCRMS has recruited 10 centers, with another three in the process of coming aboard, and has enrolled 113 patients. The registry builds onĀ North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS), the oldest patient-driven registry in the U.S. using patient experiences to advance MS clinical care and life quality. NARCOMS was created in 1993 by the CMSC. More than 37,500 people had joined the registry as of 2015. Researchers used NARCOMS data on 2014 to report on outcomes in switching treatments, therapy effectiveness, disease progression, co-existing conditions, and other topics that help understand the MS experience.
October 27, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Patients and Neurologists Team Up to Gather MS Therapy Data Since the approval of the first disease-modifying drug (DMD) for MS back in the mid-1990s, another dozen or so have been added as treatment options. But, just as MS affects each patient differently, so do the drugs. Missing has been a tool to follow MS patients and their…
March 21, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Physician Assisted Suicide’s Appeal to MS Patients in Unbearable Pain Highlights Urgency in Treating Depression Half of the more than 7,500 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients responding to a recent survey revealed they’dĀ consider physician-assisted suicide if they could no longerĀ enjoy anything that made life worth living. In addition, 65 percent of respondents said they’d definitely or probably let a physician terminate their lives if they were…
July 5, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Tremors Linked to MS Poorly Treated with Symptomatic Medication, Study Finds Disabling tremors can affect as many as half of all peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis (MS), but they are inadequately treated because of limited therapeutic options and are not sufficiently being studied, researchers at theĀ University of Alabama at BirminghamĀ reported. Their report, “Symptomatic Management of Multiple Sclerosis-Associated Tremor Among…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Study of PPMS Patient Characteristics Highlights Need for More Information PeopleĀ with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)Ā are usually older and more disabled than thoseĀ withĀ relapsing-remitting MS, researchers atĀ Washington UniversityĀ reported. The team is studying demographic and clinical characteristics of PPMS patients enrolled in theĀ NARCOMSĀ registry, to better understand their unmet needs and possibly improve research into potential treatments. The study, ā…
April 7, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients Asked to Take Part in Survey of Risk/Benefit Considerations in Choosing Treatments The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is funding a new survey to understand how people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) weigh risks against benefits when choosing MS therapies. The survey was developed by Dr. Robert Fox, a neurologist, working with colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic and the MS patient…
March 15, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc New MS Survey Looks into Patients’ Appraisal of Risks, Benefits When Choosing Therapies A large-scale online survey, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Ā and developed by researchers,Ā is investigating how multiple sclerosis (MS) patients perceive and evaluate the risks and benefits of available therapies. InvestigatorsĀ encourage MS patients to participate in the survey, titled āMultiple Sclerosis Risk Tolerance,ā which can be…
December 28, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Takes a Physical and Psychological Toll on Caregivers, Too People caring for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can have substantial physical and psychological health concerns, and their care can adversely impact their employment, according to researchĀ findings recently published in the International Journal of MS Care. The study is titled āCare Partners and Multiple Sclerosis,…
June 12, 2015 News by Charles Moore Most MS Survey Respondents Favor Legal Marijuana Access For Medical Use With 26 statesĀ plus the District of Columbia now allowing medical marijuana use, according to a recent North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) survey, many people with multiple sclerosis are considering the herb as a therapeutic option. NARCOMS is a research program that allows people with Multiple Sclerosis…