NeuroFrontiers

Cognitive rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis started about 20 to 25 years ago when it transitioned from predominantly patients with traumatic brain injury to other patient populations including multiple sclerosis. And over that period of time, the number of studies that have examined the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in MS has grown substantially. However, gaps remain and further research is needed. Dive into to learn more about cognitive rehabilitation trials for MS with Dr. Nancy Chiaravalloti, Director of the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, who also presented a session on this topic at the ACTRIMS 2024 Forum.

Adaptive optics is a promising tool for studying MS-related changes in the retina at a cellular level, providing valuable insights into the disease's progression and potential treatments. Dive further into this line of research with Dr. Daniel Harrison, an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at the University of Maryland who presented this research at the 2024 ACTRIMS Forum.

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis seems to be increasing in patients, and the majority of those patients are diagnosed with MS around the peak family planning age. So family planning should be an integral part of comprehensive patient-centered MS care. Learn more with Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Ashey Baker as she speaks with Dr. Anna Shah, Assistant Professor of Neurology and the Director of Neurology Outpatient Patient Safety & Experience at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

Rehabilitation training for multiple sclerosis patients aims to improve mobility, cognitive function, and quality of life. But one of the largest barriers to having more high-quality randomized control trials of rehabilitation in MS is that most researchers could not be following a stage of different research approaches. So addressing the unmet needs in rehabilitation research is needed to make MS interventions more powerful. You’ll learn more in this episode with Dr. Robert Motl, Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition with a secondary appointment in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Chronological age is the biggest early driver of disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s why a team of researchers wanted to explore whether biomarkers like p16 and the epigenetic clock can be used to assess biological aging in patients with MS. They found that while patients with MS are aging faster than people without MS based on the epigenetic clock biomarker, no chronological age correlation in p16 expression has been identified in patients with MS. Dive further into these findings with Dr. Yinan Zhang, an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Ohio State University who presented this research at the 2024 ACTRIMS Forum.

The amount of patients being diagnosed with neurological conditions and multiple sclerosis (MS) is a growing number, which causes a need for more neurologists, MS specialists, and better access to care. A potential advantage of using technology in MS care would be to break down the geographic barrier. To learn more about telehealth in MS care, tune in with Dr. Marisa McGinley, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, who also presented this topic at the ACTRIMS Forum 2024.

Death induced by survival gene elimination (DISE) is a cell death mechanism mediated by short RNAs. And according to a recent study, there may be a correlation between toxic DISE, DNA damage, and neuronal cell death in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more about the study’s findings and potential implications with Dr. Andrew Wilner and Dr. Marcus Peter, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology as well as a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

A diagnosis of schizophrenia can be distressing, making clinical interventions crucial for both the patient and their family. With the assistance of an appropriate treatment plan and peer support, the patient can gain empowerment to take control of their life and pursue long-term goals. Joining Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Ashley Baker to discuss next steps following a schizophrenia diagnosis is Dr. Morris Goldman, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and Dara Sanandaji, Peer Support Supervisor at the Recovery from Early Psychosis Program.

Toxic tau protein refers to an aberrant form of the tau protein in the brain, commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease, where it forms tangles and disrupts normal cellular function, which contributes to cognitive decline and neuronal damage. To learn more about the role of toxic tau proteins in Alzheimer’s disease, tune in to hear Dr. Andrew Wilner speak with Dr. George Bloom, Professor of Biology, Cell Biology, and Neuroscience at the University of Virginia.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has long been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), but a recent study from UTHealth Houston has shed light on its role in the development of MS. To learn more on what we know about EBV-specific T-cells, join Dr. J. William Lindsey, Senior Author of the study, titled UTHealth Houston Study: EBV-specific T-cells play key role in development of multiple sclerosis, and Professor in the Department of Neurology and Director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.