Feb
20
Exercise helps protect brain of multiple sclerosis patients, study suggests
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Highly fit multiple sclerosis patients perform significantly better on tests of cognitive function than similar less-fit patients, a new study shows.
In addition, MRI scans of the patients showed that the fitter MS patients showed less damage in parts of the brain that show deterioration as a result of MS, as well as a greater volume of vital gray matter.
“We found that aerobic fitness has a protective effect on parts of the brain that are most affected by multiple sclerosis,” said Ruchika Shaurya Prakash, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
“As a result, these fitter patients actually show better performance on tasks that measure processing speed.”
The study, done with colleagues Robert Motl and Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois and Erin Snook of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, appears online in the journal Brain Research and will be published in a future print edition.
read the rest via Exercise helps protect brain of multiple sclerosis patients, study suggests.
Feb
17
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm pot is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a report issued Wednesday.
Igor Grant, a psychiatrist who directs the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego, said the five studies funded by the state involved volunteers who were randomly given real marijuana or placebos to determine if the herb provided relief not seen from traditional medicines.
“There is good evidence now that cannabinoids may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment,” Grant said at a news conference where he presented the findings.
The California Legislature established the research center in 2000 to examine whether the therapeutic claims of medical marijuana advocates could withstand scientific scrutiny. In 1996, state voters became the first in the nation to pass a law approving pot use for medical purposes.
Thirteen other states have followed suit, but California is the only one so far to sponsor medical marijuana research. After 10 years and nearly $9 million, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is preparing to wrap up its work next year.
read the rest via The Associated Press: Calif. research shows pot can ease muscle spasms.
Feb
17
New Criteria Proposed for Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis
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Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the fatty substance surrounding the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. The resulting damage interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. In the February 2010 issue of Neurology, investigators are suggesting new diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis.
The proposed multiple sclerosis criteria are less strict and are designed to promote early diagnosis of the disease. The investigative group, led by researchers from Spain, suggests that current recommendations for diagnosing multiple sclerosis are complex and may not be obvious, even for neurologists. Recommendations for new multiple sclerosis diagnostic criteria include confirmation of the diagnosis based on a single brain MRI showing at least 1 or more brain lesion indicating multiple sclerosis disease activity. The proposed recommendations also offer guidance on when follow-up brain imaging should be performed.
read the rest via New Criteria Proposed for Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis | HealthandAge – Medical Articles and News for Health in Aging > Live Well, Live Longer.
Feb
14
First blinded study of venous insufficiency prevalence in multiple sclerosis shows promising results
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ScienceDaily Feb. 14, 2010 — More than 55 percent of multiple sclerosis patients participating in the initial phase of the first randomized clinical study to determine if persons with MS exhibit narrowing of the extracranial veins, causing restriction of normal outflow of blood from the brain, were found to have the abnormality.
The results were reported February 10 by neurology researchers at the University at Buffalo.
When the 10.2 percent of subjects in which results were border line were excluded, the percentage of affected MS patients rose to 62.5 percent, preliminary results show, compared to 25.9 percent of healthy controls.
These preliminary results are based on the first 500 participants in the Combined Transcranial and Extracranial Venous Doppler Evaluation CTEVD study, which began at UB in April 2009. Investigators are planning to examine 500 additional subjects, who will be assessed in the second phase of the study with more advanced diagnostic tools. Complete data on the first 500 will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in April.
Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, UB associate professor of neurology and principal investigator on the study, says he is “cautiously optimistic and excited” about the preliminary data. Zivadinov directs the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center BNAC, located in Kaleida Health’s Buffalo General Hospital, where the study is being conducted.
read the rest via First blinded study of venous insufficiency prevalence in multiple sclerosis shows promising results.