The NeurologyLive® MS Disease Spotlight page offers specific updates and coverage on the latest expert conversations and data readouts related to the treatment and management of patients with multiple sclerosis and demyelinating disorders.
April 28th 2025
Bruce Bebo, PhD, and Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FANA, discussed the impact of the John Dystel Prize on multiple sclerosis research and its role in shaping future clinical advancements.
Improving MS Management Through Early Intervention and Precision Medicine: Emilio Portaccio, MD
January 22nd 2025The professor of neurology at University of Florence talked about how early intervention, broader assessment tools, and personalized approaches are essential for effectively managing multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]
Bridging Clinical Signs and Biological Evidence to Transform MS Diagnosis: Marcello Moccia, MD, PhD
January 20th 2025At ECTRIMS 2024, the assistant professor at the University of Naples the latest multiple sclerosis diagnostic criteria, which emphasized a shift toward biologically based diagnoses. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]
Navigating the Decision to Treat Multiple Sclerosis Early Versus Later: Mikael Cohen, MD
January 20th 2025At the 2024 ECTRIMS Congress, the neurologist at the University Hospital Center of Nice talked about how the decision to treat patients at risk of MS is highly individualized. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]
Improving MS Diagnosis Through Biology and Early Detection: Wallace Brownlee, MBChB, PhD, FRACP
January 19th 2025At ECTRIMS 2024, the consultant neurologist at Queen's Square MS Center in London talked about the evolving McDonald criteria to define multiple sclerosis biologically. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]
The Philosophy and Future of the DAAE Score in Multiple Sclerosis Care: Tom Fuchs, MD, PhD
January 17th 2025At ECTRIMS 2024, the postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam University Medical Center talked about an evolving tool developed to predict disease progression in multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 7 minutes]
Optimizing MS Treatment With Timely Interventions and Individualized Care: Valentin Krüger, MD
January 16th 2025The neurology resident at the University Hospital Frankfurt in Germany talked about the importance of initiating treatment early for patients with multiple sclerosis to improve long-term outcomes. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]
Advancing Understanding of the Preclinical Phase of Multiple Sclerosis: Christina J. Azevedo, MD
January 13th 2025At the 2024 ECTRIMS Congress, the associate professor of clinical neurology at Keck School of Medicine of USC talked about recent research that highlights the preclinical phase of multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 9 minutes]
Overlapping Diagnoses and the Advancement of MS Detection in NMDARE: Joseph Kuchling, MD
January 7th 2025The postdoctoral research assistant at Charité University Berlin discussed advances in diagnostic criteria and 7-Tesla MRI imaging, highlighting a previously overlooked overlap between anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis and multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]
Managing Disease Progression in MS: Changing Treatments and Clinician Advice
January 7th 2025Panelists discuss how in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, clinicians must strategically evaluate disease progression, considering within-class or mechanism-of-action switches. Comprehensive monitoring, personalized approaches, and proactive management are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and minimizing long-term neurological disability.
Evolving MS Diagnostics From Categorical Classifications to Biological Phenotyping: Fred Lublin, MD
January 3rd 2025The director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for MS at Mount Sinai talked about the shift in multiple sclerosis diagnostics from rigid classification systems to a dynamic, spectrum-based approach focused on biological phenotyping. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]
Advancing the Diagnostic Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis: A New Era of Early Detection and Precision
December 24th 2024With new revisions of the MS diagnostic criteria being made, clinicians highlighted key updates and the broader implications it has for diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare practices worldwide.
Evaluating Cognitive Health: Tools, Markers, and the Concept of Cognitive PIRA
December 23rd 2024Panelists discuss how clinicians can evaluate cognitive health using neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/blood biomarkers, and comprehensive assessments. Understanding concepts like cognitive progressive irreversible reductions in activity (PIRA) and focusing on multifaceted interventions—including lifestyle modifications, early detection, and personalized strategies—can help maintain cognitive wellness and mitigate decline.
Long-Term Cognitive Effects of Cladribine: SDMT Score Changes in the CLARIFY-MS Extension Study
December 23rd 2024Panelists discuss how the CLARIFY-MS extension study revealed stable cognitive function 4 years post cladribine, highlighting the potential of early treatment to preserve cognitive capabilities in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Cognitive assessments remain crucial for monitoring disease progression and tailoring patient management.
Calorie Restriction is Safe in Multiple Sclerosis, With Positive Impacts on Cognition and Fatigue
December 16th 2024Those on intermittent calorie restriction showed a notable improvement in the mental subscale of the MSIS Score and a significant reduction in cognitive and psychosocial fatigue.
Exploring DMTs: Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration and Cognitive Health Benefits
December 16th 2024Panelists discuss how disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) like dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, and cladribine demonstrate potential blood-brain barrier penetration, offering neuroprotective mechanisms. While these therapies show promise in mitigating cognitive decline, their impacts vary, highlighting the complex interplay among neuroinflammation, immune modulation, and cognitive preservation in multiple sclerosis management.
Addressing PIRA in Clinical Practice and Patient Conversations
December 16th 2024Panelists discuss how in managing multiple sclerosis (MS), clinicians must adopt a comprehensive approach to progressive irreversible reductions in activity (PIRA) that prioritizes early detection, transparent communication, and patient empowerment. By integrating regular cognitive assessments, providing compassionate and clear explanations, and emphasizing proactive management strategies, physicians can help patients navigate the complex cognitive landscape of MS, ultimately preserving quality of life and fostering patient resilience in the face of neurological challenges.
Honoring the Impact of Recognition and Advocacy in MS Care: Aprile Royal, RN, BA, MEd
December 11th 2024The manager of the BARLO MS education program at St. Michael's Hospital highlighted the significance of recognition, the pivotal role of nurses in multiple sclerosis care, and the lasting impact of mentorship and advocacy. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]
A Subspecialty for Half the World’s Population: Women’s Neurology
December 10th 2024A new feature, in collaboration with NeurologyLive® and the International Journal of MS Care, brings perspectives from both the research and clinical community on women’s brain health as a subspecialty in neurology.
Disability Accumulation and Early Therapy: Insights from MAGNIFY-MS and High-Efficacy DMT Data
December 9th 2024Panelists discuss how the MAGNIFY-MS study underscores the significance of early, aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment with cladribine, demonstrating its potential to effectively mitigate disability progression through progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) suppression in both treatment-naive and previously treated patient populations, with outcomes competitive with other high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies.
Biomarkers and Therapeutic Impact on PIRA
Published: December 9th 2024 | Updated: December 6th 2024Panelists discuss how recent investigations into progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) in multiple sclerosis (MS) have revealed complex inflammatory signatures in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood, with biomarkers like neurofilament light chain and pro-inflammatory cytokines showing promise in tracking neurodegeneration. The Swedish MS Registry’s findings suggest that early implementation of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies may effectively delay or prevent PIRA progression, though these results require further robust, multicenter validation to definitively establish clinical significance and generalizability.
Understanding PIRA in MS: Key Insights and Advances From ECTRIMS 2024
December 3rd 2024Panelists discuss how progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) in multiple sclerosis (MS) represents continuous neurological decline unrelated to inflammatory events, distinct from relapse-associated worsening (RAW). Recent ECTRIMS 2024 presentations emphasized standardized evaluation methods to better understand disease progression and improve patient management strategies.
The Impact of Biomarkers and Modern Disease-Modifying Therapies in MS
December 3rd 2024Panelists discuss how modern multiple sclerosis (MS) management has evolved from symptomatic treatment to a proactive, personalized approach leveraging advanced biomarkers and sophisticated disease-modifying therapies. The focus has shifted toward early intervention, precise monitoring, and comprehensive disease control, significantly improving patient outcomes and quality of life.