Multiple Sclerosis Treatment – Mayo Clinic
Dean M. Wingerchuk, M.D, professor of Neurology, at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, provides an overview of multiple sclerosis treatment and new therapies
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Does Wii-hab work? | Physio Matters
Nintendo Wii (pronounced ‘we’) is potentially revolutionising the way we exercise and making it a more interesting option for keeping fit and active between treatment sessions, which can involve friends and family. “As a neuro-physio with 17 years’ experience, I know the difficulties which arise when clients do not regularly practice recommended exercises,” says Colin. “But here at Physio Matters, we’ve been successfully using Nintendo Wii for over 18 months to enhance clients’ enjoyment of exercise and the benefits they can gain as a result.”
Explaining Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Barbara Giesser, clinical professor of neurology and clinical director of the UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, was interviewed today for NBC’s “Today Show” about the causes and symptoms of multiple sclerosis and current treatment developments.
REFLEX Study Results Show Treatment With Rebif(R) Delays Conversion to MS in Patients With First Clinical Signs of the Disease
Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that the two-year Phase III REFLEX 1 study met its primary endpoint by demonstrating that Rebif(R) (interferon beta-1a) significantly delayed conversion to multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed according to the McDonald criteria 2 in patients with a first clinical event suggestive of the disease.
The international REFLEX study with 517 patients was conducted with the serum-free formulation of Rebif(R) 3, which was first introduced in 2007 and is now available in all European Union countries, Australia, Canada and Switzerland, as well as a number of countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. The serum-free formulation of Rebif(R) is currently not available in the United States.
The risk of conversion to MS (McDonald criteria) over two years was reduced by 51% (p<0.00001) in patients who received Rebif(R) 44 mcg three times a week compared to placebo. A risk reduction of 31% (p=0.008) compared to placebo was observed in patients who received once-weekly administration of Rebif(R) 44 mcg. The probability of conversion to MS (McDonald criteria) over two years was 86% in the placebo group, 62% in patients who received Rebif(R) 44 mcg three times a week and 76% in patients who received once-weekly administration of Rebif(R) 44 mcg.
ECTRIMS round up
ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research In Multiple Sclerosis) hosts the world’s largest conference devoted to basic and clinical research in MS.
This year’s meeting took place in Gothenberg from 13-16 October and featured a wide range of presentations, posters and reports of new and ongoing research.
Below are brief reviews of some of the research reported.
ECTRIMS round up | News | MS Trust – Information, education, research and support
Talking about Medical News: ECTRIMS: Glatiramer Acetate Beats Interferon for MS Fatigue – in Meeting Coverage, ECTRIMS from MedPage Today
Glatiramer acetate (GA) reduces fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients more than interferon beta-1b (IFN-1b) after 1 year of treatment, according to a new study.
IFN-1b had no impact on two clinical measures of fatigue, while GA (Copaxone) reduced the score on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) by 20%, and the score on the Fatigue Descriptive Scale (FDS) by 34%, according to a study presented here at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting.
Based on the results, the authors, Tatiana Shmidt and a colleague at the Kozhevnikov Clinic for Neurological Diseases in Moscow, Russia, concluded in their poster, “Copaxone is recommended as a first-line imunomodulating drug for patients with severe fatigue.” The authors were unavailable for comment at press time.
Zamboni now warning MS patients to wait
‘Liberation therapy’ doctor now warning MS patients to wait – The Globe and Mail
According to NeuroSens, a subscription-based news service on neurological matters, Dr. Zamboni told an MS conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, that patients shouldn’t go ahead with such surgery, except in the case of clinical trials.
“Surgery is not recommended at this stage,” he said, during a presentation this week to the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS.
He also said he does not support “medical tourism” – the practice of some patients who travel overseas to clinics that will perform the surgery. Thousands of people are believed to have done this.
ECTRIMS: New MRI Criteria Have High Efficiency in MS
New criteria for diagnosing multiple sclerosis with a single MRI have a sensitivity of up to 86% and a specificity of up to 75%, researchers said here.
Their study is one of the first by an independent group to test the criteria developed by MAGNIMS (Magnetic Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis), a consortium of European academic researchers.
“The goal of the new criteria is to save time, to allow treatment to be started earlier,” Mayra Gomez-Moreno, MD, of the Infanta Leonor Hospital in Madrid, Spain, told attendees at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting
Merck Serono to Introduce RebiDose(TM), the Rebif(R) Single Use Pre-filled Pen for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
“We are pleased to extend our range of devices with RebiDose(TM to meet the needs of patients looking for simple and minimum injection preparation,” said Roberto Gradnik, Head of Global Business Unit Neurodegenerative Diseases at Merck Serono. “The introduction of RebiDose, alongside RebiSmart, which was launched last year, underscores our commitment to improve the treatment convenience of multiple sclerosis patients, by offering them different options to suit their individual injection needs.”
RebiDose was specifically designed to provide MS patients with a quick and simple device. This pre-filled injection device may also be ideal for patients who are traveling. RebiDose used with Rebif will be available in a monthly pack in two different doses -22 micrograms and 44 micrograms – and in a titration pack including two different doses -8.8 micrograms and 22 micrograms. RebiDose has been approved in the European Union and in Australia. It will be launched on a country-by-country basis, with first launches planned by the end of the year.
Six Thousand Metres a Day for 12 Years | British Rowing
Six Thousand Metres a Day for 12 Years | British Rowing
72 year old Keith Atkinson, President of Nottingham Rowing Club, has just completed rowing 30 million metres on the rowing machine. It has taken him 12 years – the equivalent of rowing over 6 thousand metres every day! Here is his inspiring story:
When I began in December 1997″, explained Keith “I had two main objectives. One was to learn as much as possible about the machine as my wife and I were part of the newly-formed Concept 2 Education Team. The other was to maintain my aerobic fitness level. I had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which was making walking increasingly difficult, so sitting down and exercising was a good option. More by accident than design, I settled into 2 million metres a year pattern. In 1999 and 2000 I was fortunate to race at the World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston #Massachusetts# where I won the bronze medals in the over-65 Lightweight category.