symptoms

Alterations in microorganisms in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could contribute to underlying disease mechanisms, including demyelination, according to researchers. The study, “Brain microbiota disruption within inflammatory demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. It is widely recognized that the…

The less oxygen that a mouse with multiple sclerosis (MS) has in the gray matter of its brain, the more mental and physical deterioration it is likely to have, a new study suggests. The study confirms previous research indicating a connection between low oxygen levels in a mouse’s gray matter and the development…

In a new and possibly important insight into the workings of the immune system, researchers discovered what it takes for T-cells to start targeting myelin sheets in multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings may also explain why some drugs fail to prevent autoimmunity in MS. The study, “Trans-presentation…

A hormonal system that controls blood pressure was also seen to counter inflammatory processes in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by influencing immune cells to take on a more anti-inflammatory profile. Researchers believe that it might be possible to manipulate the system with drugs, so as to boost anti-inflammatory…

A molecule secreted by a parasite was seen to prevent autoimmune reactions in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). As this molecule, a protein factor or peptide, also worked to prevent diabetes, researchers suggest it might be developed into a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases. The study, “A parasite-derived 68-mer peptide ameliorates…

I love it when the sun is shining. I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, despite the impact of the heat on my multiple sclerosis. I love the warmth and the brightness. So, I lather up with sunscreen and I figure that, at least for me,…

Researchers have found a way to harness inflammation with the help of ultraviolet (UV) light, making it possible to design an anti-inflammatory treatment that is more specific and causes fewer side effects. If this approach can be developed for clinical treatment, it likely will have a large impact on the lives of people with…

Multiple sclerosis is so weird. Sometimes I just put up with a strange sensation or painful problem because I do not know how to describe it to the doctor without sounding crazy. I hope the problems will just go away, and sometimes they do. Maybe I am a little…

Palliative care helps to ease the symptoms of serious illnesses, providing people with cancer and those with other life-altering diseases, like multiple sclerosis (MS) or cystic fibrosis, a better quality of life, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the study, “Association Between Palliative Care And Patient…

A recent study published in Nature Communications showed, for the first time, that a protein complex called LUBAC is responsible for controlling the late-stage development of immune T-cells before they are released into the bloodstream. Several types of cells compose the immune system, working together to fight infections or cancer.

Royal Philips will introduce a new suite of magnetic resonance (MR)-based software applications at the upcoming Radiological Society of North America’s 102nd Scientific Meeting and Annual Assembly (RSNA 2016; #RSNA16) Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in Chicago. Philips’ Ingenia family of digital MRI systems provides radiologists with a unique set…

  I am thankful for a lot of things in my life and my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is one of them. Before learning it was MS, I was on a very long roller-coaster ride of unexplained symptoms. Test after test came back normal. Yet, I still had weak…

Here is my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Effectiveness and Safety of DMDs Top Patient Concerns with These Therapies, Survey Says Having progressive multiple sclerosis, the issue of drugs that are disease modifying therapies (DMTs) has never arisen in my…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPa0bMG3zac In this film from MS Get Involved, Kerrie Newton talks about her exercise regimen and how important it is to her. She explains that exercising each day allows her to be able to stand for short periods and how it makes her feel better emotionally and helps with…

Quanterix and UmanDiagnostics are working to advance an assay capable of detecting neuron damage in a blood sample — a tool that could aid in the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative conditions. The collaboration brings Quanterix’ Simoa technology together with Uman’s antibodies against neurofilament light (Nf-L) — a…

In a cross-sectional study, researchers found that sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked to fatigue and depression. Treating these factors and identifying their causes is a potential strategy to treat the problem. The study, “Sexual function in multiple sclerosis and associations with demographic, disease…

Researchers have discovered that glial cells can also participate in pain sensation and enhance it in several disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Gliogenic LTP spreads widely in nociceptive pathways,” was published in the journal Science. Our sensation of pain is processed in the brain…

Advances in brain imaging are making it possible to visualize early and ongoing events in multiple sclerosis (MS) — beginning with the first signs of inflammation caused by immune cells entering the brain. Should the new technique become available to physicians, it likely will not only allow for more precise diagnoses, but…

Multiple sclerosis, as with other neurological disorders, brings a lot of changes to our bodies. Many changes and symptoms are much more common than others. It is the lesser-known conditions that MS evokes that sparked my interest for this column. Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA): is a rare condition reported to…

People with late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to more rapidly rise in disability scores than younger patients with early onset MS, according to study in MS patients in Kuwait that compared their scores during follow-up consultations. Typically, the first symptoms of  multiple sclerosis occur between the ages of 18 and 40, with…

“I can come over and stab you, if Gramma can’t do it,” read the Facebook post from my oldest son.  “Aw … thanks, kiddo,” I replied. Some things seem more interesting when taken out of context!  Of course, most of you will realize that my son was offering to…

Several people have asked me why I choose to publicly share my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and experiences with chronic illnesses. Some ask in admiration, stating how they wish they were comfortable enough to also do so, while others ask in judgment and condemnation. I have been told that people…

I thought I’d finish writing this last night, but I was too tired. Same thing the night before, and I’m sure this sounds familiar to a lot of you. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates about 80% of the people who have MS have fatigue as one of…

Researchers at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Canada developed a new tool to diagnose cachexia — also called wasting syndrome. It’s characterized by weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and a significant loss of appetite in someone who is not trying to lose weight, mainly in cancer patients. The tool may also…

Years before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the administrator at my job assumed one day that I had been drinking or that I was on something. My balance was a little off and I bumped into a wall right in front of her. I didn’t think anything of it…

A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes an immune system protein, may work to protect people from autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), without overly depressing the body’s ability to fight opportunistic infections, researchers at the University of Oxford report. Their study, “Resolving TYK2 Locus Genotype-To-Phenotype Differences In Autoimmunity,” was published…

A large international research effort concluded that the geographical area where a person lives affects how early they will start showing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and that people living in the more northern regions having the earliest disease onset. The age at which a person fell ill also was…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody, is able to remodel the immune responses of innate immune cells in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a recent study. This previously unreported phenotype may contribute to the benefits of the drug for RRMS patients. The study, “Alemtuzumab…

Immunization with molecules present specifically in myelin may be a new approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study that found that the mouse version of such molecules could stop ongoing disease processes in an MS mouse model. The study, “Targeting Non-classical Myelin Epitopes to Treat…

This photo was taken more than a year ago and I remember it as if it were yesterday. There was so much going on behind the smile captured in this picture. Smoky Robinson serenaded about “the tears of a clown.” I definitely played the role of the clown that…