Multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) share similar symptoms but are two biologically distinct conditions, with different immune signatures, a study found. These findings help explain why treatments approved for MS generally show limited effectiveness for MOGAD, researchers said. “These findings support MOGAD as its…
symptoms
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to have high levels of antibodies targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but levels of these antibodies are not associated with disease activity or clinical worsening among MS patients. That’s according to the study, “Evaluating the role of anti-EBV antibodies…
People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have consistently lower quality of life than the general population — regardless of age or gender, a new study shows. The scientists also identified several factors that are significantly associated with worse quality of life in MS. These included disease symptoms such as…
I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point, I stopped putting on a costume and going trick-or-treating for Halloween. Years passed, and with the arrival of my children, I found myself happily joining them in their various celebrations of the holiday. They may eventually outgrow it like…
Eating more carbohydrates is significantly associated with a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among women and people younger than 60, according to a study based on data from the U.K. “Higher intakes of total carbohydrates, total sugars, fiber, fructose, and glucose were significantly associated with increased…
Metis Biotech‘s experimental oral therapy MTS-004 was safe and eased symptoms of pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a neurological condition marked by bouts of sudden, involuntary, and inappropriate laughter or crying, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders. That’s according to data from a Phase 3 clinical…
As I sit down at my desk to write this, tears are streaming down my face. My mind, soul, body, and heart are beyond wounded from living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). This burden that I bear has taken a toll on me like nothing else. I ask myself,…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have altered levels of bacteria in their mouths, with reduced levels of normal healthy bacteria and higher levels of bacteria that can cause disease, a new study reports. “Your mouth may reveal more about your overall health than you think,” Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, senior…
As a physician, I hang my hat on certainty, where a certain medical issue can be solved with a certain medication. But when it comes to real life, especially as a parent and a person living with multiple sclerosis (MS), I know there’s little certainty in everyday living. My…
Having a higher body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, at diagnosis is tied to faster disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study in Sweden. This effect was particularly pronounced when excess weight…
Signs of myelin damage are detectable about one year before damage to nerve fibers is apparent and about seven years before the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, a new study reveals. These findings shed new light on the timing of MS onset, and could open new avenues to…
During my hospital stay earlier this year, all I could think about was the relief that would come when I finally went home. I pictured sinking into my own bed, exhaling for the first time in weeks, catching up with all that had happened inside my body. I needed…
A gene on the X chromosome that is more active in women than men appears to drive inflammation in the brain, helping to explain why women are more likely to develop neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study out of the…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more than twice as likely to experience headaches, including migraines, than their healthy counterparts, a study from Greece found. Headaches were also longer and more intense for MS patients, and more likely to lead to the use of acute medication. “These findings suggest that headaches…
Going through menopause with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging, as the changes that come with this stage of life may interact or occur in tandem with existing MS symptoms. A team of researchers recently studied how menopause affects women living with MS, with their findings presented…
Seizures in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be driven by changes in levels of certain brain signaling molecules, implying that targeting these molecules may be a viable strategy to treat MS-related seizures, according to new research done in a mouse model. “If the same transporters and receptors are…
A new grant from the Valhalla Foundation will help Octave Bioscience advance the development of a biomarker blood test for detecting disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The company is developing its MS Disease Progression test, or MSDP, to objectively measure MS progression based on…
I’m not sure what age people begin to care about the lives of birds, but I think I’ve reached that point. I’m not quite at the stage where I name them or talk to them as if they understand me, but I’m getting close. I have several bird feeders in…
I’ve written in the past that I thought I could stand to lose a few pounds. Well, I finally put a little effort into it and have managed to do exactly that by making some changes to my diet. I’d hoped that losing weight would reveal the washboard stomach…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) seem to experience significant changes in cognition more than a year before significant physical decline is evident, a study found. While measures of processing speed, verbal memory, and visual memory worsened after about 2.7 years, significant changes in walking function and dexterity were only…
Psychological testing indicates that I’m not crazy, but when I share some of the things I’ve done in the Army, people sometimes wonder. I never say that I’m not, because that’s what a crazy person would say. Instead, I provide a three-point answer: One, would I even know? Two,…
Life with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unpredictable, involving many unknowns. Symptoms can come and go, flare up without warning, and affect every aspect of our health, from movement to memory. Managing MS is already a full-time job, and the added weight of life’s uncertainties often makes it even more…
People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who started fasting or adopted a ketogenic diet — one low in carbs and rich in fat — for 18 months showed reductions in risk factors for heart and metabolic disease that were similar to those who followed a standard healthy diet, according…
Children and adolescents who go on to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) begin visiting the emergency department more often than their peers as early as a dozen years before their first MS symptoms appear, a new study from Canada suggests. In fact, over an 18-year period, children later diagnosed…
Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs), which represent areas of damage in the brain and spinal cord with chronic active inflammation, are highly indicative of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people being evaluated for the disease, a new study reports. The findings support using this imaging biomarker as a useful tool for…
We all have stomach or bathroom issues from time to time. Eat the wrong thing, catch a bug, drink too much coffee, and your body will let you know. That’s just life. But when you have multiple sclerosis (MS), digestive and urinary problems aren’t occasional; they become their own…
Most children with multiple sclerosis (MS) have chronic active lesions that slowly get bigger over time, and their frequency seems to correlate with the total number of lesions and reduced brain growth, according to a research letter. Changes in disability or cognitive scores over time, however, weren’t significantly associated…
One of my more unusual symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is itching that is unrelated to skin irritation. It occurs randomly, maybe once or twice a month, and lasts about 30-60 minutes. I have only experienced this symptom in my upper extremities, such as on a finger, thumb, or…
A ketogenic diet — which involves eating a very low amount of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat — may help ease fatigue, improve neurological function, and boost life quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new analysis. Researchers stressed that available data on the effects…
While certain autoimmune diseases are linked to an increased risk of digestive system cancers, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be less likely to develop some of these malignancies, according to an analysis of published studies. Researchers found that MS patients are at lower risk of developing pancreatic, esophageal,…