Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting (CMSC)

The associate professor of neurology at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences discussed the findings of a social media listening study that suggested women with multiple sclerosis used social media platforms to discuss treatment during and around pregnancy. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

The form, which is freely available through the Epic and Cerner EHR platforms, was developed to streamline and standardize patient data collection to allow clinicians more time with patients and more consistent information.

The health research assistant at the Shepherd Center discussed the need to improve access to interventions that improve the overall happiness of individuals with multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

A large number of patients with MS were clustered in an area that may have had high exposure levels of aluminum, which the study investigators noted warrants future research.

The professor of neurology at the University of Saskatchewan discussed the need to improve therapeutics aimed at improving neurodegeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

At the end of the open-label extension period, 77.5% of patients reported treatment-emergent adverse events and 27.7% had a treatment-related TEAE.

Investigators utilized a social media listening tool to evaluate and scale mentions of disease-modifying therapy use by women with multiple sclerosis, with the majority of concerns focused on safety and treatment reinitiation in the postpartum period.

Although there were no differences between herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, patients with MS did show increased levels of EBV capsid antigen and EBNA compared with controls.

Both ozanimod doses were associated with greater median reductions in plasma neurofilament light and mean improvements in SDMT score change than interferon beta-1a at month 12 of treatment.

The professor of neurology at the University of Saskatchewan discussed his presentation at the 2022 CMSC Annual Meeting on using ribonucleoprotein A1 antibodies to drive neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

June Halper, MSN, APC-C, MSCN, FAAN, the chief executive officer of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, shared her perspective on what to expect from this year’s annual meeting, which takes place June 1-4, 2022, in National Harbor, Maryland.

The NeurologyLive® team has compiled a roundup of our discussions with leaders in the multiple sclerosis field following the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC).

Discussing cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with MS, the associate professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and research nonclinical psychologist at the University of Michigan Medicine mentioned different therapeutic options that can benefit this patient population. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Anna Kratz, PhD, associate professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Medicine, spoke to the benefits of a multifaceted approach to managing fatigue for patients with multiple sclerosis.

The associate professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and research nonclinical psychologist at the University of Michigan Medicine discussed challenges when addressing fatigue, as well as the need to integrate digital tools for patients with MS. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

The associate professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and nonclinical research psychologist at University of Michigan Medicine discussed the complexities of fatigue as a symptom following her presentation at CMCS 2021.

The founder and CEO of Joi Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center described motivations behind the evaluation of ocrelizumab (Ocrevus; Genentech) in minority populations with multiple sclerosis.

Outlining the development of the CHIMES trial in multiple sclerosis, the founder and CEO of Joi Life Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center spoke on tactics to get underrepresented populations involved. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

The founder and CEO of Joi Life Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center outlined the motivations behind the trial, as well as potential reasons for underrepresentation. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

The chief of the Multiple Sclerosis Division, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania emphasized current recommendations, which suggest patients with MS get vaccinated for COVID-19. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

The director of the Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center in Sacramento discussed 3-year data from an assessment of the program, outlining key findings and future research efforts. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

The chief of the Multiple Sclerosis Division at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, discussed recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in this patient population, specifically for those on disease-modifying therapies. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Mona Bostick, RDN, LDN, MSCS, gave her perspective on nutrition in MS, popular elimination diets, and the role registered dietitians can play in the multidisciplinary care model.

The director of the Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center outlined the design of the wellness programs, which are held in 2 different formats. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FANA, commented on his presentations at CMSC 2021, one of which focused on COVID-19 vaccination, which experts do not believe poses risks for those on disease-modifying therapies.

Brian Hutchinson, PT, MSCS, commented on the Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center program, which includes patient data spanning a 3-year period.

The associate professor of pediatrics and neurology at Rutgers–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School commented on the need to recognize when adolescent patients are ready to learn more about their condition. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Vikram Bhise, MD, outlined useful questions to include in conversation when discussing the transition to adulthood for patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis.

Vikram Bhise, MD, discussed findings recently presented at CMSC 2021, where teenagers with multiple sclerosis were interviewed to identify perceptions of QOL during the transition to adulthood.

The founder of Food Matters 365, in Greensboro, North Carolina, commented on the benefits of adding a dietitian to the healthcare team for patients with multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]