research

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who responded to cognitive rehabilitation showed healthier connections between certain brain regions on functional MRI scans than did MS patients who did not respond to the rehab program, a new study reports. These results indicate that certain brain regions need to be working…

The first symptoms of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have been appearing increasingly later in life, according to a Spanish study covering nearly five decades. From the 1970s through the 2010s, the average age at disease onset rose by more than 10 years in both men and women, its researchers…

Virtual reality exergames — immersive video games whose play involves physical exercise — may be better than conventional exercise at easing certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), such as balance and upper limb function, a review of published studies suggested. However, differences among the evaluated studies — in matters…

Men with multiple sclerosis (MS) show differences in health-related behaviors based on how much they value certain masculine ideals, according to a new study that suggests possible negative effects of masculinity in terms of seeking medical care. Results from the study — which specifically focused on white males in…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are on therapies that deplete antibody-producing B-cells can mount an effective T-cell immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, a new study shows. The findings suggest that the vaccines strongly activate other parts of the immune system that are helpful in fighting the virus,…

Robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) may be the most effective form of physical exercise for improving mobility among people with severe multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent review study. Other exercise types, such as conventional walking, treadmill training, and yoga, may also be feasible and effective, however, the researchers…

Pasithea Therapeutics investigational multiple sclerosis vaccine, PAS002, effectively delayed disease onset and reduced disease severity in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition, according to data from a preclinical study. The vaccine, which is designed to promote immune tolerance to a specific myelin protein, also reduced the severity…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Tanuja Chitnis, MD, to answer some of your questions about pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS). Chitnis is a board-certified neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis-related neuroimmunological disorders. Chitnis’s interest in children with MS led her to create…

After a relapse involving optic neuritis, or inflammation in the nerves connecting the eyes and brain, measurements of retinal thinning may predict the likelihood of full recovery from future relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The measurement could identify subclinical nerve cell damage that remains…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are absent from their places of employment nearly twice as often as individuals without the neurodegenerative disease, according to a new study based on U.S. data. The results also showed missing work is significantly more common for MS patients who are unmarried, experience…

By engaging a variety of stakeholders from across the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, researchers in the U.S. Deep South were able to enroll more than 800 patients to a clinical trial in just over two years in what’s considered the largest study of an exercise intervention in MS patients…

A team of researchers has created a three-dimensional (3D) map of the lymphatic vessels that drain the brain, and demonstrated that these vessels are organized similarly in mice and in humans. The researchers propose measuring these vessels using MRI scans could “allow longitudinal imaging of disease progression that may be…

Switching from a standard monthly course of Tysabri (natalizumab) to an extended-interval dosing administered every six weeks does not seem to increase neuronal damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. While individual blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve damage, did…

Variations in more than a dozen genes on the sex-determining X chromosome are more common among those with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population, according to an analysis of nearly 500,000 people in the U.K. Many of these genes are known to play roles in biological processes…

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT), a procedure that aims to “reset” the immune system, generally reduces disability and relapse rates in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new meta-analysis. “Current data encourage a broader application of AHSCT for treating patients with MS while still considering…

A set of receptors involved in dopamine signaling may play a key role in the activation of astrocytes, nerve support cells that contribute to the inflammation that drives multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative disease. Mice lacking these receptors — called dopamine…

An international team of scientists is calling for more rigorous studies to test whether exercise can help protect the nervous system from damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The scientists argue clinical trials that have evaluated exercise in MS have marked flaws in their design, making…

Providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve, a large nerve that plays important roles in modulating nonconscious bodily processes like digestion and heart rate, can improve motor learning in mice, a new study shows. The approach specifically helped the animals learn motor tasks faster and achieve better performance levels in…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have significantly higher and potentially damaging blood levels of zinc and a greater activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme than is evident in people without MS or similar diseases, a study reported. SOD is an enzyme that requires zinc to function properly, including…

A number of genetic variations related to vitamin D metabolism were not significantly associated with the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. The study, “Role of Multiple Vitamin D-Related Polymorphisms in Multiple Sclerosis Severity: Preliminary Findings,” was published in Genes. In MS, the body’s immune…

Calyx and Qynapse have joined forces to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based neuroimaging tools in clinical trials of treatment candidates for conditions affecting the central nervous system (CNS), or the brain and spinal cord. This is expected to help advance therapy development for multiple sclerosis…

A new machine learning strategy was able to differentiate tremor specific to multiple sclerosis (MS) from tremor related to other diseases, with more than 90% accuracy, according to a new study. “The proposed method, with high classification accuracy and strong correlations of [tremor] features to clinical outcomes, has clearly…

Exercise prior to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) was associated with less depression and anxiety among patients, likely due to a reduction in the levels of an inflammatory molecule called interleukin-2 (IL-2), a study revealed. “This finding supports the notion that exercise in the early stages may act…

Most available studies suggest a connection between childhood trauma and multiple sclerosis (MS), from earlier symptom onset to potentially poorer outcomes, but more research is needed to understand this association, a review paper highlights. While several high-quality studies have been published, the scientists noted “considerable heterogeneity [variability] in methodology, including inconsistencies…

Digoxin, an approved medication for certain heart conditions, promoted the repair of myelin — the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost in multiple sclerosis — in mouse models of the disease, a study reports. Combining digoxin with an experimental immune-modulating therapy was more effective at promoting myelin…

Leading a healthy cognitive and physically active lifestyle, including having a normal body weight and well-controlled blood pressure, may increase brain reserve — the brain’s ability to adapt after damage — and delay disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The study, “Lifestyle factors…

A man-made molecule derived from a naturally occurring amino acid was able to promote the repair of the myelin sheath — a fatty coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis — in a mouse model of the disease, a new study reports. “These findings suggest that ……

Labcorp has launched a widely accessible test that measures the levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve damage, to screen for signs of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The test is performed on a standard blood sample taken at a hospital, at the…

Rune Labs has partnered with Coastal Research Institute (CRI) to identify new and noninvasive biomarkers of the loss of myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerve fibers that is progressively damaged by multiple sclerosis (MS). The collaboration involves a patient study that will take advantage of Rune Labs’…

An eight-week calorie-restricted diet plan — known as intermittent fasting — led to immune and metabolic changes among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small pilot clinical trial, data show. The findings could underlie some of the proposed benefits of calorie restriction on MS disease course, the researchers…