Multiple Sclerosis

These consensus guidelines are significant not only for their key updates to clinical practice but for their representation of a more unified, global approach to diagnosing and monitoring patients with multiple sclerosis.

Marisa McGinley, DO, from the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic, offered her insight into the manual dexterity test and the need to better prognosticate dexterity issues.

The head of global research and executive vice president of Atara Biotherapeutics discussed the trial design of part 2 of the study of ATA188.

The professor of neurology and director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center discussed the findings of the post-hoc analysis of the ORATORIO study.

The senior director of patient management, care, and rehabilitation research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society encouraged clinicians to spread word of the need for research.

Environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight/obese status, and sun exposure were associated with an increased risk of relapsing-onset and progressive-onset MS.

All patients treated with ocrelizumab (Ocrevus; Genentech) were B-cell depleted and had lower SARS-CoV-2 antibody response than any other patients in the study.

The associate professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University discussed the potential of a data-driven approach to classifying patients with MS.

Improvements in DMTs and management standards appear to have lowered the risk of progression to EDSS scores of 4.0 and 6.0 for those with pediatric-onset disease.

The staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic discussed how novel dexterity measurements can improve prognostication of disease progression.

The associate professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University discussed the findings of his presentation at AAN 2021.

The staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic spoke to a study using the digital Manual Dexterity Test.

Before first diagnosis, patients with multiple sclerosis had more frequent encounters with medical doctors of different specialties compared to matched controls.

Researchers also found that EDSS score pre-pregnancy was associated with the likelihood of post-partum relapse for patients with multiple sclerosis.

The senior investigator at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke spoke about new opportunities for research into brain lesions and microglia.

The senior director of patient management, care, and rehabilitation research at the National MS Society discussed symptoms of MS that need more research, as well as other factors impacting care, such as comorbidities.

Results from the ongoing clinical trial will help define clinical management guidelines for switching patients with relapsing MS on other disease-modifying therapies to siponimod.

Kimberly Allen-Philbey, a PhD candidate at the Barts MS Center in London, discussed the advantages of using a personalized dosing schedule of off-label, subcutaneous cladribine.

Findings suggest that the neuroprotective therapeutic response from rituximab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis may take up to 12 months.

The senior investigator at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke spoke about further research his lab is conducting into MS mechanisms.

The senior director of patient management, care, and rehabilitation research at the National MS Society discussed symptoms of progressive MS that need more attention and research.

The postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University discussed the use of the DISCO-MS survey and its potential for future research projects.

Ilena George, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, discussed a cohort of patients with early DMT prescription and low rates of clinical conversion.

Treatment with fingolimod followed by alemtuzumab led to an increase in spinal relapses as well as increased risk of secondary autoimmunity.

Yujie Wang, MD, a neurologist from the University of Washington Medical Center, discussed examining the 1-hour post monitoring period of natalizumab infusion amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Annualized relapse rate reduction, fatigue, magnetic resonance imaging activity, brain volume loss, and no evidence of disease activity status were all superior in the ponesimod-treated group.

The senior director of patient management, care, and rehabilitation research at the National MS Society discussed the lack of studies on progressive MS compared to RRMS.

Researchers found significant differences between clinically relevant areas in participants with progressive MS, relapsing MS, and healthy controls.

Stephanie Blandford, MSc, a PhD candidate at Memorial University of Newfoundland, discussed some advantages of using IL-1RA over NfL in predicting disability in multiple sclerosis.

Progressive forms of multiple sclerosis present a number of challenges for MS specialists, the biggest of which being whether or not disease-modifying therapy is required.