February 21, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Treatment of progressive MS hits milestones in recent years: Review Treatment options for progressive types of multiple sclerosis (MS) have expanded dramatically over the past decade, and several promising experimental therapies are in late stages of clinical development, a new review paper highlights. The study, “Clinical trials for progressive multiple sclerosis: progress, new lessons learned, and…
November 15, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Noninvasive brain stimulation may help with walking ability: Analysis A noninvasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can significantly improve walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a pooled analysis of published studies. The technique was effective when applied to the main brain region called the primary motor cortex, which is involved…
January 20, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Smoking Linked to Depression and Anxiety in MS: Review Study Smoking tobacco products is associated with a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a recent systematic review. Across the evaluated studies, current smoking was linked to a 1.3ā2.3 times higher prevalence of depression, and about a 1.2 times higher rate of anxiety.
August 15, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Exergaming May Be Better Than Other Exercises, But Study Needed Virtual reality exergames ā immersive video games whose play involves physical exercise ā 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 ā in matters…
July 13, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD For MS Patients in Japan, Kesimpta May Be Best at Preventing Relapses Kesimpta (ofatumumab) may be more effective at reducing relapse rates than other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in Japanese adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of clinical trial data. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the study provided comparative evidence that may help…
February 10, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Weak Bones That Are Prone to Fractures May Affect Many With MS Almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients show reduced bone density (osteopenia) and about 17% have osteoporosis, a progressive disease characterized by weak bones that are prone to fractures, a review study of data covering almost 14,000 patients reported. These findings suggest that people with MS should be monitored…
January 28, 2022 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD Study: Trigeminal Neuralgia Affects More Than 3% of Patients Trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition characterized by shocks or burning sensations in the face, seems to be much more common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population, according to a review of published studies. This condition also is more prevalent in women with…
November 8, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Robotic Devices Help Improve Walking for Those with Severe Deficits Using robotic devices during gait training can improve walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among those with severe disability, a review of 17 studies has found. However, the benefits lasted only a few months, suggesting that patients need regular training to maintain the improvements. The study,…
November 3, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Mindfulness Helped MS Patients Cope With Symptoms Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) helped people with multiple sclerosis (MS) cope with symptoms, and many said they would recommend these practices to others living with MS, according to a review of published studies related to patients’ experiences. The participants reported the benefits of a shared experience, but stressed the importance…
October 5, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Deep Brain Stimulation May Help with MS-associated Tremors Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively reduces tremors in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but may lead to worsening symptoms and speech problems, according to a review study. While these findings support the use of DBS for treating this common, disabling MS symptom, larger studies using standardized measures of…
September 10, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD T. Gondii Parasite May Protect Against Developing MS Toxoplasmosis, an infection by the parasiteĀ Toxoplasma gondii,Ā has a protective effect against the development of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), according to a review study. Specifically, people who had been infected with the parasite were 32% less likely to develop MS than those who never had toxoplasmosis. While these findings support T. gondii…
June 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS-related Fatigue Strongly Affects Youngsters’ Functioning Multiple sclerosis and its associated fatigue negatively affect school performance, mental health, and physical and social functioning in children and adolescents with the disease, according to a review study. Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) also was associated with negative effects on social functioning, mental health, and quality of life in…
March 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD More Trials Needed to Clarify Benefits of Alzheimerās Therapy Memantine in MS Treatment of up to a year with memantine ā an approved therapy forĀ Alzheimerās diseaseĀ ā failed to prevent cognitive decline and disability, and to significantly reduce fatigue and spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), a review of published studies shows. The therapy, soldĀ under the brand nameĀ Namenda, works…
December 1, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Virtual Reality-based Rehabilitation May Improve Upper Limb Function in MS Patients, Review Finds Motor rehabilitation using virtual reality (VR) may improve hand and arm function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. Evidence of its beneficial effect is, however, still preliminary, as most analyzed studies included small patient groups and some failed to show statistically significant improvements in upper…
September 27, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Smoking May Speed Up MS Progression, Lower Treatment Effectiveness, Study Reports Smoking may increase multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, quicken disability progression, and speed the transition from relapsing to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) by as much as eight years, according to anĀ MS Society review study. The review data shows that, although the U.K.ās National Institute for Health…