Continuity of Care
Credit: vm/Getty Images

Financial burdens may impact treatment adherence and QOL for patients with MS
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a history of relapse are at high risk for financial toxicity. Financial toxicity – defined as anxiety about money issues, medical debt, and use of maladaptive coping mechanisms – can lead to nonadherence to treatment and lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL), according to Gelareh Sadigh, MD, and colleagues. Their article was published online Aug. 18 in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.

Survey shows psychosocial impact of multiple sclerosis
“Hidden symptoms” are often overlooked.

With studies lacking, expert opinion leads guidance for DMT therapy in MS during the COVID-19 pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic remains steadfast, medical communities continue seeking updated guidance on how the outbreak affects their respective patient populations, and multiple sclerosis (MS) is no exception.

COViMS registry collects data on patients with MS and COVID-19
More than 4 months after it was established, the COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases) database includes information about nearly 900 patients. The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) initiated the database in April to gather information about COVID-19 infections and outcomes in North American patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other CNS demyelinating disorders.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy may help address pain and depression in patients with MS
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in addition to standard of care had better, but not significantly different, pain and depressive symptom outcomes over a period of time, compared with people who received an educational intervention, according to recent research in the International Journal of MS Care.

MS groups weigh how DMT may influence COVID-19 risks
Disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis may affect the risk of COVID-19 infection, but much information about this subject remains uncertain. Several groups have provided guidance based on scientific principles.

Continued monitoring and care needed when older patients with MS stop DMT
Whether to stop disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in older patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a fraught topic. Guidelines acknowledge that there are limited data to guide the decision and suggest that clinicians and patients can make this call together.

MS patients report similar satisfaction with physician, nurse care
When it comes to treating patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows that physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) score similarly in regard to patient satisfaction.

Cost of MS medication may go unspoken in the clinic
The cost of treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been the subject of GoFundMe campaigns, an investigation by members of Congress, and recent studies in Neurology and JAMA Neurology.

Infusible MS medications work best in younger patients
Infusible disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) are disproportionately more effective at quelling disease activity than oral drugs in younger patients, an advantage that fades by about age 45 years, Enrique Alvarez, MD, PhD, reported at the annual congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

Hypogammaglobulinemia and infection risk clarified in MS patients on anti-CD20 agents
Monitoring immunoglobulin levels regularly has become an imperative in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on anti-CD20 agents in light of consistent findings from long-term, open-label studies of rituximab and ocrelizumab presented at the annual congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

New technology senses patient activity
Sheila DeMelle was diagnosed at age 17 with multiple sclerosis. For most of her life, her MS didn’t slow her down too much. “My disability was invisible. I knew I had it; I knew the symptoms,” but her symptoms weren’t readily apparent.

Neurofilament light chain leads candidates for blood-based biomarker of MS disease activity
It’s taken almost 20 years, but the search for a widely usable, blood-based biomarker of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity is finally yielding results.

When MS affects sex and intimacy
At first, Seattle-area resident Kellen Prouse blamed himself when sex became an ordeal after he was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. “I’m 27, and I’m saying, ‘What is wrong?’ It was hard to admit it was part of MS at first.”

Sharing decisions, engaging patients
Patient engagement in one’s disease management has long been hailed across specialties and chronic disease states as a key to better outcomes and care experiences. But what does it mean for multiple sclerosis specifically?