Latest Conference Coverage

Cardiovascular Risk, Total Sleep Time Independently Associated With Cognitive Decline

A combination of less sleep and high cardiovascular disease risk tended to be associated with greater decline in executive function.

Racial, Ethnic Disparities Identified in Sleep Quality, Duration of Sleep During Perinatal Stages

In comparison to White participants, non-Hispanic Black individuals reported shorter sleep duration and more sleep disturbances while the opposite was observed for Hispanic individuals.

Negative Quality of Life, Poor Diagnosis Rates, and Frustrations With Care Reported in Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Overall, 49% of respondents with idiopathic hypersomnia were reportedly dissatisfied with the management of their condition.

Risk Perception, Treatment Self-Efficacy of CPAP in OSA Similar Regardless of Sex

Although the sample size was relatively small, the findings provide insight into predictors of adherence to CPAP, which has been known to limit the effectiveness of the therapy.

CPAP Withdrawal in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Results in Changes to Neurodegenerative Plasma Biomarkers

Between those treated with CPAP and those who withdrew treatment, the difference in N3 sleep represented 15.7% of variance beyond a base model that included age and sex alone.

Real-World Data Highlights Reasons for Transitioning From Sodium Oxybate to Lower Sodium Oxybate

Avoidance of cardiovascular issues and effects, as well as improved effort to gain control of narcolepsy symptoms, were among the reasons for switching to lower sodium oxybate.

Expanding the Use of Spinal Cord Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: Blake E. Dewey, PhD

The postdoctoral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center shared his perspective on the use of spinal cord atrophy in clinical practice to measure disease progression in MS and how it might become more accessible. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

No Significant Difference in Patient-Reported Outcomes With Natalizumab When Administered Every 6 Weeks

After a previous analysis showed that natalizumab dosing every 6 weeks can decrease the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, new data showed no differences in patient-reported outcomes vs treatment every 4 weeks.

Episode 65: 2022 CMSC Annual Meeting Highlights

Mind Moments®, a podcast from NeurologyLive®, brings you exclusive interviews with Riley Bove, MD; Blake E. Dewey, PhD; Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS; John DeLuca, PhD; Shuvro Roy, MD; and Tanuja Chitnis, MD. [LISTEN TIME: 26 minutes]

Online Shared-Decision Making Tool, MS-SUPPORT, Shows Potential for Increasing DMT Initiation and Adherence

The online tool was evaluated in a cohort of 501 patients and healthcare providers, showing positive trends in 9 of 11 outcomes assessed. Notably, disease-modifying therapy start, adherence, and long-term mental health were all improved in the intervention group.

Patients and Clinicians Perceive Cognitive Deficits Differently in Multiple Sclerosis

Clinician-perceived cognitive deficits of patients with multiple sclerosis were significantly predicted by multiple factors, including cognitive scores, depression, and physical disability, but notably not fatigue.

Inaugural Class of Giants of Multiple Sclerosis Announced

The 1st annual awards ceremony was held during the CMSC Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.

Glatiramer Acetate Depot Shows Safety, Effectiveness in Progressive MS, Interim Results Suggest

Individuals with progressive MS demonstrated stable scores on Expanded Disability Status Scale, with no 12-week confirmed disability progression detected.

Women With MS Use Social Media to Augment Knowledge and Support: Riley Bove, MD

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]

EHR-Incorporated MS Smartform Significantly Cuts Down Patient History Review Time in MS

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.

Using a Holistic Approach to Improving Overall Patient Satisfaction in MS: Louise Palmer, MA

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]

High Density of Patients With MS in Midwest Driven by Unknown Environmental Factors

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.

Shifting Focus From Relapses to Neurodegeneration in MS: Michael Levin, MD, FAAN, FANA

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]

BTK Inhibitor Evobrutinib Demonstrates Long-Term Safety in Open-Label Extension

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.

Women With MS Utilize Social Media to Discuss, Share Safety Concerns on DMT Use During Pregnancy

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.

Herpes Simplex Virus Types Not Associated With Increased Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

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.

Plasma Neurofilament Level Correlated With Symbol Digit Modality Scores Following Ozanimod Treatment

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.

Tackling Neurodegeneration in MS Through A1 Antibodies: Michael Levin, MD, FAAN, FANA

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]

CMSC 2022: What to Expect From the Annual Meeting

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 Need to Find Valuable Parkinson Disease Biomarkers: Mark Lew, MD

The director of the Division of Movement Disorders at the USC Keck School of Medicine discussed the early reactions behind reflex tears as a potential biomarker for Parkinson disease. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Progress in Neurogenerative Disease Drug Development: Gregory A. Rippon, MD, MS

The chief medical partner of neurology, ophthalmology, and internal medicine at Genentech shared his perspective on the steps the field has taken to improve clinical trials and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Reactions to FDA Advisory Panel Decision on AMX0035: Justin Klee; Josh Cohen, BSc

The co-CEOs and co-founders of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals discussed their immediate thoughts to the recent FDA AdComm meeting, which voted against evidence of efficacy for AMX0035 in ALS. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

NeuroVoices: Mark Lew, MD, on the Validation of Tears as a Biomarker for Parkinson Disease

The director of the Division of Movement Disorders at the USC Keck School of Medicine provided insight on the next steps to justify whether reflex tears are a reliable biomarker for Parkinson disease.

Validating Tears as a Biomarker in Atypical Presentations of Parkinson Disease: Mark Lew, MD

The director of the Division of Movement Disorders at the USC Keck School of Medicine discussed the efforts needed to validate tears as a biomarker in patients who don’t present with typical Parkinson disease. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

The Future of Tears as a Biomarker for Neurodegenerative Disorders: Mark Lew, MD

The director of the Division of Movement Disorders at the USC Keck School of Medicine provided insight on the next steps in how we can expand on tears as a valuable biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]