Multiple Sclerosis

After administration of a COVID-19 vaccine, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) taking ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) or fingolimod (Gilenya) may find themselves less protected against COVID-19 than the general population.

Obesity was found to have a significant association with retinal structure abnormalities related to multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the impact may be greater for African Americans than Caucasian Americans.

Coping strategies can play a role in influencing the health-related quality of life and physical disability of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers concluded.

Researchers recommend vaccination against COVID-19 for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) after confirming that several types of vaccines are safe and produced no significant adverse events.

Although obesity, diabetes, and certain comorbidities were all detected as risk factors for severe COVID-19 among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), other long-suspected risk factors, such as smoking and use of most disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), were not.

Changes to diet, wellness, and physical activity could have a profound effect on patients’ ability to manage their multiple sclerosis (MS) and significantly improve their quality of life at the same time, researchers concluded.

A study examining the relation between rituximab infusion and hospitalization as a result of COVID-19 for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) found that the 2 were not related, contradicting past research.

Body mass index (BMI) was not identified as a factor influencing cognitive function or brain mass in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), investigators of a recent analysis concluded.

In a study assessing the impacts of 5 growth factors on MS, fibroblast growth factor 23 was identified to increase the risk of patients experiencing the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The European Commission gave its stamp of approval for Vumerity (diroximel fumarate), developed by Biogen, as an oral treatment for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Anti-CD20 disease-modifying therapies, including rituximab and ocrelizumab, were found to increase the risk of hospitalization and intensive care unit admission in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who develop COVID-19, investigators concluded in this new study.

Drug use, serum albumin, and total number of lesions may serve as independent factors influencing the degree of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), investigators of a retrospective analysis concluded.

Choice of therapy to manage multiple sclerosis (MS) and prevent relapse was found to influence radiological and laboratory results, including lesion presentation, giving insight into the paraclinical characteristics of patients receiving different MS therapies.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) had similar factors associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes vs other populations, but these risks were found to decrease with subsequent COVID-19 waves, investigators found.

Video game therapy was found to have a minor impact on postural balance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, more research is needed to determine whether it should be recommended in clinical practice, investigators concluded.

A recent study found patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic prior to vaccine rollout, especially among those who tested positive for COVID-19.

A study confirmed that many online resources showed inconsistencies or omissions compared with established guidelines related to physical activity and exercise training, which are known to provide clinical benefits for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Survey results shows that health care professionals found a digital tool to be useful and useable in facilitating discussions with patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) about whether they are showing signs of disease progression.

Some immunosuppressive medications, particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, were found to reduce antibodies designed to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have recovered from COVID-19, investigators concluded.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had a higher education level experienced less cognitive impairment related to their disease than patients with a lower education level, investigators concluded.

Misconceptions about the safety and necessity of vaccines were cited as the main reasons for lower-than-recommended vaccination rates among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research.

Non-white patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly African American and Hispanic American patients, were found to experience a higher level of overall disability and more severe symptoms, highlighting current disparities in this disease.

In a survey, researchers indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed extra barriers, including a lack of accessibility to patients and competing responsibilities, that have resulted in halts or delays to research on multiple sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation and quality of life.

Patients who have both multiple sclerosis (MS) and depression may have a higher risk of death and vascular disease compared with people who only have 1 or neither of those conditions.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have recovered from COVID-19 and received the B-cell depleting therapy ocrelizumab for at least 1 year were observed to still have T-cell responses.

Investigators found that biomarkers for neurodegeneration and inflammation could also aid providers in detecting declines in cognition and information processing speed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) over a 5-year period.

The single-leg heel test was able to differentiate between weaker and stronger limbs in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in healthy controls, suggesting that the test could prove useful for identifying impaired muscle performance.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) effectively may help to revolutionize the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as optimizing understanding of the immune-mediated disease.

Results of an observational study suggest retinal nerve fiber layer atrophy and the presence of oligoclonal bands may serve as biomarkers for cognitive decline in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Here are some of the latest developments in multiple sclerosis (MS) from our sister publication, NeurologyLive®.