Category: News from About MS .com
Posted by: stuart
These Tips, Might Help with Dysphagia
By Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D., About.com
It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have difficulties swallowing. Also known as dysphagia, problems with swallowing can pose choking dangers or lead to aspiration pneumonia (where food or liquid goes into the lungs and causes infection). On the other hand, these problems can be so subtle that many people don’t even notice them, except when they occasionally gag on a bite of food or have a coughing fit when trying to swallow a pill. Regardless of how severe your dysphagia might be, it is important that those of us with MS who may have swallowing problems review our habits around eating and see if we can create new (and safer) habits.
=============================================By Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D., About.com
It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have difficulties swallowing. Also known as dysphagia, problems with swallowing can pose choking dangers or lead to aspiration pneumonia (where food or liquid goes into the lungs and causes infection). On the other hand, these problems can be so subtle that many people don’t even notice them, except when they occasionally gag on a bite of food or have a coughing fit when trying to swallow a pill. Regardless of how severe your dysphagia might be, it is important that those of us with MS who may have swallowing problems review our habits around eating and see if we can create new (and safer) habits.
July 01, '08: New Map IDs The Core Of The Human Brain
Category: Misc. Medical News - Not MS Related
Posted by: stuart
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) — An international team of researchers has created the first complete high-resolution map of how millions of neural fibers in the human cerebral cortex -- the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher level thinking -- connect and communicate. Their groundbreaking work identified a single network core, or hub, that may be key to the workings of both hemispheres of the brain.
The work by the researchers from Indiana University, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, and Harvard Medical School marks a major step in understanding the most complicated and mysterious organ in the human body. It not only provides a comprehensive map of brain connections (the brain "connectome"), but also describes a novel application of a non-invasive technique that can be used by other scientists to continue mapping the trillions of neural connections in the brain at even greater resolution, which is becoming a new field of science termed "connectomics."
{{ CLICK HERE to view and image of this mapping }}
"This is one of the first steps necessary for building large-scale computational models of the human brain to help us understand processes that are difficult to observe, such as disease states and recovery processes to injuries," said Olaf Sporns, co-author of the study and neuroscientist at Indiana University.
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The work by the researchers from Indiana University, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, and Harvard Medical School marks a major step in understanding the most complicated and mysterious organ in the human body. It not only provides a comprehensive map of brain connections (the brain "connectome"), but also describes a novel application of a non-invasive technique that can be used by other scientists to continue mapping the trillions of neural connections in the brain at even greater resolution, which is becoming a new field of science termed "connectomics."
{{ CLICK HERE to view and image of this mapping }}
"This is one of the first steps necessary for building large-scale computational models of the human brain to help us understand processes that are difficult to observe, such as disease states and recovery processes to injuries," said Olaf Sporns, co-author of the study and neuroscientist at Indiana University.
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) — Animal studies by University of Michigan scientists suggest that people who experience the same clinical signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may have different forms of the disease that require different kinds of treatment.
The results, if borne out in further studies, point to a time when doctors will be able to target specific inflammatory processes in the body and more effectively help MS patients, using available drugs and new ones in the pipeline.
Since the 1990s, the treatment picture has brightened for people with multiple sclerosis in its most common form, relapsing-remitting MS. Beta interferon drugs and glatiramer acetate (marketed as Copaxone) have proved effective at decreasing the attack rate and suppressing inflammatory plaque development in many patients with MS. Yet why the drugs help some patients, but not others, has remained a mystery.
=============================================The results, if borne out in further studies, point to a time when doctors will be able to target specific inflammatory processes in the body and more effectively help MS patients, using available drugs and new ones in the pipeline.
Since the 1990s, the treatment picture has brightened for people with multiple sclerosis in its most common form, relapsing-remitting MS. Beta interferon drugs and glatiramer acetate (marketed as Copaxone) have proved effective at decreasing the attack rate and suppressing inflammatory plaque development in many patients with MS. Yet why the drugs help some patients, but not others, has remained a mystery.
July 01, '08: Caffeine each day, might keep the MS away...
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
Coffee could help beat MS: study
Yahoo News - July 1, 2008
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A strong cup of coffee may do more than just wake you up in the mornings. It could also help you stave off multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.
Scientists in Oklahoma found that mice which had been immunized to develop an MS-like condition appeared to be protected from the disease by drinking the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day.
>> Read complete article <<
=============================================Yahoo News - July 1, 2008
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A strong cup of coffee may do more than just wake you up in the mornings. It could also help you stave off multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.
Scientists in Oklahoma found that mice which had been immunized to develop an MS-like condition appeared to be protected from the disease by drinking the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day.
>> Read complete article <<
June 30, '08: In Their Natural Environment, Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed - Could eventually benefit those with Multiple Sclerosis-
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
ScienceDaily (June 30, 2008) — In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead.
>>> READ Complete Article <<<
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>>> READ Complete Article <<<
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
Teva to conduct more research on mid-stage MS drug
Associated Press - Forbes.com - 06.30.08, 8:50 AM ET
NEW YORK - Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., the world's largest generic drug maker, said late Sunday its multiple sclerosis drug met goals of a mid-stage trial, and the company will conduct further research before advancing to Phase III trials.
The drug, ATL/TV1102, is being developed by Israel's Teva and Australia's Antisense Therapeutics. In a study of 77 patients in six European countries, the drug was shown to reduce the number of new brain lesions by 54.4 percent after eight weeks, compared with placebo.
=============================================Associated Press - Forbes.com - 06.30.08, 8:50 AM ET
NEW YORK - Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., the world's largest generic drug maker, said late Sunday its multiple sclerosis drug met goals of a mid-stage trial, and the company will conduct further research before advancing to Phase III trials.
The drug, ATL/TV1102, is being developed by Israel's Teva and Australia's Antisense Therapeutics. In a study of 77 patients in six European countries, the drug was shown to reduce the number of new brain lesions by 54.4 percent after eight weeks, compared with placebo.
June 29, '08: For an MS Patient - His testimonial of High-Dose Cytoxan
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
An MS Patients's detailed account of his High-Dose Cytoxan therapy
"Trust me it's gone", Chris says.. "MS has a feeling that you will not know it has until it's gone."
"I had MS...it could come back but it is gone now and the docs agree."
>> READ MORE <<
Click the above to view a patients' account (written by his wife) on his High-Dose Cytoxan Study
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Category: M.S. Drug Therapy (A,B,C,R,+ other meds)
Posted by: stuart
Tehran, June 28, IRNA
Iran-MS-Drug
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>>> YES, this is politically controversial - but being that I have the right to have my opinion, I will voice it now. Regardless of how much less expensive it might be, I don't know how comfortable I would be, to inject something into this American Body of mine, that came from Iran... <<< Would You ?
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Some 20 European, Asian and South American countries have voiced their willingness to purchase Iranian multiple sclerosis (MS) drug 'Cinnovex', a medical official said.
Concurrent with the production of the main drug for treating MS, the Americans have launched negative propaganda to undermine Islamic Republic's major achievement, Haleh Hamedi said.
=============================================Iran-MS-Drug
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>>> YES, this is politically controversial - but being that I have the right to have my opinion, I will voice it now. Regardless of how much less expensive it might be, I don't know how comfortable I would be, to inject something into this American Body of mine, that came from Iran... <<< Would You ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some 20 European, Asian and South American countries have voiced their willingness to purchase Iranian multiple sclerosis (MS) drug 'Cinnovex', a medical official said.
Concurrent with the production of the main drug for treating MS, the Americans have launched negative propaganda to undermine Islamic Republic's major achievement, Haleh Hamedi said.
June 28, '08: When it comes to "Restless Legs Syndrome" - MS Patients are at Higher Risk than General Population
Category: M.S. Research Study Reports
Posted by: stuart
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
Fri Jun 27, 7:02 PM ET
FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- People with multiple sclerosis are at a greater risk than the general population for developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a new Italian study suggests.
"This is important, because RLS is one of the symptoms that can seriously affect an MS patient's quality of life, even more than a lot of other problems MS patients face," said lead researcher Dr. Giovanni Cossu, a neurologist at Brudzu Hospital in Cagliari, Italy. "Therapies for RLS [such as] dopamine agonists are normally very effective and can restore this quality of life, " he added.
=============================================HealthDay Reporter
Fri Jun 27, 7:02 PM ET
FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- People with multiple sclerosis are at a greater risk than the general population for developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a new Italian study suggests.
"This is important, because RLS is one of the symptoms that can seriously affect an MS patient's quality of life, even more than a lot of other problems MS patients face," said lead researcher Dr. Giovanni Cossu, a neurologist at Brudzu Hospital in Cagliari, Italy. "Therapies for RLS [such as] dopamine agonists are normally very effective and can restore this quality of life, " he added.
June 28, '08: Multiple Sclerosis Care - The Fundamentals
Obtained from MS Central.com
The Fundamentals of Multiple Sclerosis Care
by Dr. Kantor
Monday, June 23, 2008
There is a lot of talk about research and medical advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, but I would like to return to the fundamentals of MS care and how these new treatment options fall into the framework of MS care.
There are three important arms of MS treatment:
1. Disease Modifying Agents - Medications that are used to change the course of MS, but which you may not feel any current effect from (though you may have side effects unfortunately), but are like an insurance policy for the future. There are 5 FDA approved medications for Relapsing forms of MS: Avonex®, Rebif®, Betaseron®, Copaxone® and Tysabri®. Novantrone® is a chemotherapy drug, also FDA approved for worsening relapsing MS or secondary progressive MS.
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The Fundamentals of Multiple Sclerosis Care
by Dr. Kantor
Monday, June 23, 2008
There is a lot of talk about research and medical advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, but I would like to return to the fundamentals of MS care and how these new treatment options fall into the framework of MS care.
There are three important arms of MS treatment:
1. Disease Modifying Agents - Medications that are used to change the course of MS, but which you may not feel any current effect from (though you may have side effects unfortunately), but are like an insurance policy for the future. There are 5 FDA approved medications for Relapsing forms of MS: Avonex®, Rebif®, Betaseron®, Copaxone® and Tysabri®. Novantrone® is a chemotherapy drug, also FDA approved for worsening relapsing MS or secondary progressive MS.
