Category Archives: MS Treatment

Discovering new medicines is often the first thing that comes to mind when people think about clinical trials. But some of the most important research occurs in optimizing previously approved drugs. These follow-up studies are used to test the tolerability of drugs already approved, optimize patient safety and address patient acceptance. An example of this type of research is underway now at The Corvallis Clinic involving patients who have multiple sclerosis. MS is a disease affecting the central nervous system, brain and spinal cord, causing problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling and thinking. The Clinics Research Center participated in a previous study to evaluate fingolimod, marketed as Gilenya, the first-ever pill for treating the most common form of the disease, relapsing remitting MS. With relapsing remitting MS, patients experience attacks or relapses of symptoms, which are followed by periods of partial or complete recovery. Prior to Gilenya, medication was only available by injection. Although most patients are able to give themselves shots at home, it was a pain and a literal discomfort. These shots were also leading to a compliance problem, with patients not wanting to take their medicine. In studies, patients taking Gilenya showed improved compliance. … Continue reading →

What is multiple sclerosis? A chronic, often-disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system i.e., the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. How many people does it affect? There are about 400,000 people in the United States with multiple sclerosis. More than 200 people are diagnosed every week, according the MS Society. Why does it happen? MS is considered an autoimmune disease in which the body's own defenses attacks myelin, a fatty substance surrounding and protecting nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. Damaged myelin will form scar tissue, called a sclerosis. Portions of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber that are damaged or destroyed cause nerve impulses that travel to and from the brain and spinal cord to be distorted or interrupted. It is those distortions or interruptions that create the large variety of symptoms that can plague MS patients. What are typical symptoms? Visit link: MS: Facts about this disease … Continue reading →

CHICAGO, July 13 (UPI) -- Patients with multiple sclerosis who participated in a weekly stress management program developed fewer new brain lesions, U.S. researchers said. David Mohr, principal investigator of the study and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said brain lesions in MS often precede flare-ups of symptoms such as loss of vision or use of limbs or pain. "This is the first time counseling or psychotherapy has been shown to affect the development of new brain lesions," Mohr said in a statement. "In MS the prevention of new brain lesions is an important marker used to judge how effective medications are. The new finding is an important step and the strongest evidence we have to date that stress is involved in MS." In the national clinical trial, 121 patients were randomized to receive stress management therapy for MS or be in a control group. Those in the therapy group received 16 sessions over a 24-week period during which they were taught coping skills to enhance their ability to prevent stressful events from occurring and to improve their capacity to manage their responses to stressful events that did arise. They received a … Continue reading →

Jill Wesselhoff loved chatting with the contestants as their makeup was applied and hair was styled. Wearing an emerald green dress, Wesselhoff donned formal wear and had to think on the fly to answer questions before judges. Its cool that it is a pageant pretty much minus the swimsuit, which is great, she said. But this was not a typical pageant. Contestants did not walk across the stage. They rolled in their wheelchairs. The 31-year-old Island Lake resident proudly earned the title as first runner-up at the second annual Ms. Wheelchair Illinois America competition, where Wesselhoff said contestants are breaking the misconception of what a beauty pageant stands for. It doesnt have to be about your looks or what you are wearing. It is about the person. Just because we have wheels doesnt mean we are any less a part of the community, she said. Wesselhoff was diagnosed at age 1 with a genetic neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy. Her mom, Terri, knew something was wrong when she never began to walk. She has used a motorized wheelchair since she was 3, adding, Ive been driving for a very long time. Even though doctors said she would not live … Continue reading →

For those suffering from the autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis, life alternates between almost symptomless periods of time and episodes of intense neurological problems that can result in anything from painful muscle spasms, loss of vision or problems moving arms and legs. These flare-ups are often preceded by brain lesions, scars that form in the nervous system and destroy myelin sheath material that surrounds neurons responsible for carrying electrical signals. By managing the development of these scars, patients with MS can keep better control their episodes. And now, new research has shown that a weekly stress management program was very effective in preventing the development of new lesions, pointing toward possibly supplemental therapy that could be used with existing MS treatments. The study, published in an issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, is part of ongoing research from principal investigator David Mohr, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg. A previous study of Mohrs involved following MS patients receiving MRIs and the stressful events in their lives; stress was found to be a good predictor of the development of brain lesions. MRIs track development of lesions Weve been able to show [with previous research] … Continue reading →

Public release date: 11-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Hilary Hurd Anyaso h-anyaso@northwestern.edu 847-491-4887 Northwestern University CHICAGO --- A weekly stress management program for patients with multiple sclerosis (M.S.) prevented the development of new brain lesions, a marker of the disease's activity in the brain, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. Brain lesions in M.S. often precede flare-ups of symptoms such as loss of vision or use of limbs or pain. "This is the first time counseling or psychotherapy has been shown to affect the development of new brain lesions," said David Mohr, principal investigator of the study and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "In M.S., the prevention of new brain lesions is an important marker used to judge how effective medications are." "The new finding is an important step and the strongest evidence we have to date that stress is involved in M.S.," Mohr added. The results indicate that stress management therapy may be a useful adjunct treatment with drug therapy for M.S., but a larger clinical trial is needed to confirm this, Mohr said. The study is published in the July 11, 2012 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of … Continue reading →

Public release date: 11-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Rachel Seroka rseroka@aan.com 612-928-6021 American Academy of Neurology MINNEAPOLIS A new study shows that taking part in a stress management program may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) prevent new disease activity. The study is published in the July 11, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 121 people with MS. Half received the stress management program, meeting with a therapist for 16 individual 50-minute sessions over five to six months. They learned about problem-solving skills, relaxation, increasing positive activities, and enhancing their social support. They could also choose optional sessions on topics such as fatigue management, anxiety reduction, pain management and insomnia treatment. After the treatment ended, the participants were followed for another five to six months. The remaining participants were put on a waiting list as a control group. After 10 months, they attended a five-hour workshop on stress management. A total of 77 percent of those receiving stress management training were free of new lesions, or brain damage that indicates disease activity, during the treatment period, compared to 55 percent of those in the control group. … Continue reading →

Multiple Sclerosis Patients Had Fewer New Brain Lesions During Treatment July 11, 2012 -- Teaching MS patients how to deal with stress can improve their quality of life -- and may also prevent or slow down formation of new brain lesions, according to a new study. Patients with multiple sclerosis who attended stress management therapy sessions for six months had fewer new brain lesions from disease flare-ups and slower disease progression during their treatment, Northwestern University researcher David C. Mohr, PhD, and colleagues found. The findings, published in the July 11 issue of the journal Neurology, add to evidence that stress management can slow MS disease activity. "People who got the stress management training had significant reductions in the incidence of new brain lesions while enrolled in the weekly sessions," Mohr tells WebMD. But the improvement disappeared when the weekly sessions ended, suggesting that more sustained therapy may be needed, he says. Mohr says stress management therapy may be a useful addition to MS drugs. He has spent more than a decade researching the impact of depression and stress on MS progression. The new study included 121 MS patients randomly assigned either to a stress management treatment group or to … Continue reading →

SPEARFISH Multiple sclerosis is debilitating disease and there are no known cures. So, in order to raise funds to assist with research, treatment and to bring awareness to the cause Bogan Fest was born. It just feels good to know you are doing something that makes a difference plus it's a great excuse for everyone to get together and hang out in the park, said Chris Bogan, 37, who came up with the original idea. It's great for families and we have been able to get a couple of really great bands lined up and we're roasting a pig so there will be plenty of food. In its third year, Bogan Fest will be held from 4-9 p.m. on Saturday, July 14 at Spearfish City Park and is being sponsored by Crow Peak Brewing Company. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to Bike MS, which is a part of the national Multiple Sclerosis Society. The highlight of the event's menu options include pulled pork that will have been smoked for at least 15 hours. Josh Fritz, part owner of Crow Peak Brewing Company, said this year's entertainment lineup is sure … Continue reading →

TITUSVILLE, N.J., July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Janssen Research & Development, LLC, ("Janssen") announced today that it has committed $5.4 million in a new research sponsorship to advance the formation of a first-of-its-kind networked initiative aimed at uncovering the genetic and biologic causes of multiple sclerosis (MS) and accelerating new treatments for the disease. The sponsorship expands Janssen's Healthy Minds initiative, a program launched in 2011 to accelerate progress in the fight against neurologic and brain disorders and to build on the company's longstanding commitment to neuroscience and mental health. Under the research sponsorship, the Marin Community Foundation's (MCF) Multiple Sclerosis Project Fund will create an alliance of public and private research collaborators and enable data sharing and integration of scientific research using advanced computer-based systems modeling tools and analytics. The alliance will work together to expand and refine knowledge of MS and advance the creation of new approaches to treating disease with the aim of accelerating the identification of new targets, biomarkers and approaches to treatment. "The commitment of new funds under our Healthy Minds program to this research effort in MS builds on the longstanding Janssen tradition of advancing neuroscience research and commitment to innovative collaboration," said Husseini K. … Continue reading →