Rehabilitation regimens that can help people with MS achieve maximal physical, psychological, social and vocational potential have gained increasing acceptance in recent years. But to convince doctors and insurers that rehabilitation really does help, there needs to be scientific evidence that can only come from carefully designed and conducted studies.
A few examples of rehabilitation studies funded by the National MS Society:
- Women participating in a small study of progressive resistance (weight) training improved significantly in walking, and reported improvements in quality of life as well. Read more here.
- People with multiple sclerosis often report worse symptoms when the weather is hot. A recent study concludes that hot weather may also worsen the ability to perform mental tasks in some people with MS. The research, which needs further exploration, may help people plan activities and may improve the design of future clinical trials. Read more here.
- A recent controlled study suggests that a 6-week balance and eye movement-focused exercise program improved balance, reduced fatigue, and reduced disability due to dizziness or disequilibrium in a group of people with MS, lasting for at least 4 weeks following supervised training. Larger and longer studies are needed to determine how long the benefits last, and which people with MS would be most likely to respond to the training program. Read more here.
- In a small, controlled study, learning and memory improved in people with MS with a technique that uses stories and imagery to cement learning. For the first time, this improvement was shown to be accompanied by biological changes in the brain indicating increased activation of areas related to memory and learning. Read more here.
Studies Report Progress Understanding What Drives Repair of the Brain’s Insulating Myelin, Which is Damaged by MS
May 08, 2013
Researchers at the universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge, and at Stanford, have reported separate studies making inroads to understanding factors that stimulate the repair of myelin, the nerve insulation that is a target of multiple sclerosis. These important laboratory discoveries, supported in part by the National MS Society, are still in early stages and need to be confirmed and expanded, but they could eventually lead to promising new therapeutic approaches to stimulating myelin repair to restore function in people with MS.
Study Finds that the Incidence of MS Appears to be Higher in African American Women Than in Caucasians, Contradicting Previous Findings
May 06, 2013
A new study of 496 people newly diagnosed with MS found that the risk of developing MS was 47% higher in African American women, compared with Caucasian American men or women. It also found that the risk was 50% lower in Hispanic/Latino Americans, and 80% lower in Asian Americans.
Positive Results Announced for Aubagio in Phase III Study of People at High Risk for MS
Apr 26, 2013
Among 618 people at high risk of developing MS, significantly fewer people taking oral Aubagio® (teriflunomide, Genzyme, a Sanofi company) for two years had developed clinically definite MS than those taking placebo, Genzyme announced in a press release dated April 25, 2013.