symptoms

The immune signaling molecule interleukin-17A (IL-17A) promotes the recruiting of inflammatory cells to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in a multiple sclerosis (MS) mouse model, a study found. The findings support the potential of therapies that target IL-17 in MS. IL-17A is part of the IL-17…

Having other health conditions, or comorbidities, along with multiple sclerosis (MS) does not increase a person’s risk of being hospitalized due to MS-specific symptoms, although it does raise the rate of all-cause hospital admissions, a study found.  The finding was described…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a more diverse set of immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that bathes the central nervous system, but no such diversity is seen in their blood, a study reports. Instead, MS causes changes in the activation of immune cells in…

Epstein-Barr Virus and Certain Genes Interact in Ways That Can Promote MS, Study Finds Much has been written over the years about a possible connection between the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis. Here’s further evidence of a link that has to do with how particular genes interact with the…

Scientists discovered new interaction between immune cells from the central nervous system (CNS) — consisting of the brain and spinal cord — and immune cells from the blood that may lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases.

EyeStat, a portable device to measure blink reflex, has been cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On the heels of promising results for assessing brain injury, the manufacturer, Blinktbi, plans to test if the device can be used for the early detection…

Interaction between various Epstein-Barr virus traits and the composition of certain genes affects the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The study, “The interaction of Multiple Sclerosis risk loci with Epstein-Barr virus phenotypes implicates the virus in pathogenesis,” was published in the journal…

Age, gender, disease subtype, degree of disability, and more factors affect lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, the epidemiology of LUTS must be better understood and promptly detected and treated to improve patients’ quality of life. Those findings are detailed in a new study, “…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to allow Myeliviz, an imaging agent of myelin — the protective layer that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) — to be evaluated in a clinical trial with healthy volunteers. Myeliviz, created by Case Western Reserve University researchers, has the potential…

Nerve impulses travel in a “dual cable” with myelin, playing additional roles to what was previously thought, new research has found. This discovery advances human knowledge of how brain connections work, and may help scientists understand more accurately what happens when myelin is lost — which is what occurs…

People living close to major roads or highways are at a greater risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a database study of people in metropolitan Vancouver reports. Parks and other green spaces in urban areas that might lower exposure to air pollutants did not affect a person’s overall risk of developing MS,…

When I wrote about April Hester two years ago, she and her husband, Bernie, had just finished hiking the 500 miles of South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail. That’s no small accomplishment for anyone, but it was a particularly special achievement…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the post “Researcher Receives $130K Grant to Study Sleep and MS” from Aug. 27,…

I am living with an unenviable reality. An antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infection that I developed two decades ago has reappeared. Before my multiple sclerosis diagnosis, I had a spinal cord stimulator implanted for pain control. Although the stimulator was removed shortly afterward, the infection remained. This infection presents itself when…

“Hi! My name is Stephanie and I have multiple sclerosis and narcolepsy.” While I don’t introduce myself this way, knowing the right time to share this information can be challenging. When I meet someone, I wonder if I should mention it or wait until an appropriate situation arises. It can…

A new study has found a link between the amount of fat in the blood and changes to the arteries surrounding the necks and skulls of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding was described in the study “Lipoprotein(a) Levels Are Associated with the…

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to be able to do so much in a day, despite having some type of ailment, while others seem to be unable to do much of anything?  This is something I have thought about for a long time.

An ability to speak more than one language may help to protect people with multiple sclerosis (MS) against the cognitive decline caused by the disease, new research suggests. The study, “Multiple sclerosis and bilingualism: Some initial findings,” showed that MS patients who speak two languages (bilingual speakers)…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the post “Is It a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis or Something Else?” from July 20, 2018.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating that surrounds nerve fibers and helps them function. Damage to this protective coating, called myelin, means the nerve fibers are fragile and easily damaged. MS in children, or pediatric MS, is…

The high cost of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), and the challenging process of insurance approval, lead to treatment gaps or alterations, increased symptoms, and sacrifices in lifestyle, a survey from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) shows. “People with MS are paying the price, not…

“I will have to use a wheelchair.” That was my first thought when I received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. After I got my ticket to the weirdest whirlwind weekend that I’d never expected to attend — three days in the hospital — the myths that…

Blocking a protein called PAR1 may enhance the regeneration of myelin, the protective fatty layer that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a mouse study shows. Therapeutic targeting of PAR1 may promote remyelination and delay MS progression, according to the study, “Blocking the Thrombin Receptor…

My nose started running about a week before the sledgehammer hit. Then came a chesty cough, not yet as serious as the one that had my wife wheezing, but I was worried that I’d soon catch up with her. I didn’t…

“My arm feels dead.” Not the worst thing in the world, you would think. But what it meant changed my life forever.  I’m Jessie Ace, an English writer from Swadlincote, a town in Derbyshire. I titled my column…

Probiotics show potential to prevent and delay the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) by changing immune and inflammatory responses, according to a review study. Data further support the link between the gut’s microbial community (microbiota) and the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and neurodegenerative diseases. However, large-scale clinical…

Prospective memory — the ability to remember to carry out a future task — is significantly impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and may contribute to worse cognitive performance for everyday tasks, according to recent research. The study “Time-Based Prospective Memory Is Associated with Functional Performance in Persons…

What did I write about last New Year’s? As usual, it was related to a bodily function: urinary tract infections (UTIs). Then, readers almost unanimously recommended methenamine hippurate. I had tried several times to get the medication prescribed. Then, a few months ago, my local multiple sclerosis…

Gabapentinoids — a class of therapies sometimes used off-label to help control pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — can increase the risk of serious breathing problems, particularly for those who have risk factors like poorer lung function or use opioid pain medicines, according to a warning…

After I wrote my last column about essential oils to combat the common cold, I knew I was doomed to catch something. And that’s what happened … kinda. A few days ago, I felt what my family calls “a throat thing” coming on, but thankfully, my friend Sandy hooked…