NL study says ‘no measurable change’ in MS symptoms from vein treatment

TORONTO A new study says patients who underwent the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis experienced no measurable benefit from the procedure.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador, which funded the study, announced the findings Thursday in St. Johns.

The government said based on the findings, the province will not cover the cost of liberation treatment.

The study was small, including 30 participants who got the procedure and 10 who did not. The researchers did not know which were which as they assessed the patients.

Participants were subjected to a series of physical and cognitive tests at the start of the study and then at one, three, six and 12 months after receiving the treatment.

The researchers saw no measurable benefits, though patients themselves reported feeling better.

The controversial liberation treatment is based on a theory that MS is a disease caused by blocked veins, not a neurodegenerative disease as is currently thought.

The theory, advanced by Italian Dr. Paolo Zamboni, is that in MS patients, veins in the neck and upper chest develop blockages which restrict blood flow from the brain.

According to the theory, the blockages lead to a pooling of iron-rich blood in the brain that triggers the damage seen in MS.

When my colleagues and I first undertook this observational study, we were excited at the prospects of learning more about this theory and contributing to the international data and research on this subject, said Dr. William Pryse-Phillips, the studys principle investigator.

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NL study says ‘no measurable change’ in MS symptoms from vein treatment