CMSC 2022: What to Expect From the Annual Meeting

June Halper, MSN, APC-C, MSCN, FAAN

This year, on June 1-4 in National Harbor, Maryland, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) will host its annual meeting at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The meeting is packed with sessions and events for a variety of physicians and clinicians and the wider multidisciplinary care team.

The annual meeting is expecting almost 1500 attendees this year and will feature poster and platform presentations on timely issues involving basic and clinical research in MS, as well as patient care and treatment outcomes. The categories to be highlighted in these presentations include: diagnosis and prognosis; basic science; mental health and psychosocial issues; comprehensive clinical care and the team approach; disease modification and its outcomes; epidemiology, genetics, and epigenetics; neuroimaging and neurophysiology; quality of life;

rehabilitation research and strategies; symptom management; advances in technology; patient-reported outcomes; programs and methods of care; and case reports/series.

“The motif of the CMSC has been, and continues to be, the team approach to multiple sclerosis care and research,” June Halper, MSN, APC-C, MSCN, FAAN, the chief executive officer, CMSC, told NeurologyLive®. “This model of comprehensive care is well represented in the learning tracks of our program which is chock full of information for each MS professional specialty. We even have a patient program on Friday, [June 3,] whose faculty are expert, multidisciplinary clinicians whose topics focus on frequently encountered issues in MS.”

“The exhibit hall, poster session, and industry supported symposia will round out the agenda with networking opportunities, exciting new research, and information that will address the variety and possibilities of multiple sclerosis,” Halper added.

READ MORE: The CMSC 2022 Annual Meeting Program

Kicking off on Wednesday, June 1, morning at 8:00 AM, the meeting will begin with the first of 8 independently supported symposiums featured at the meeting, this one in conjunction with the National MS Society, titled “Advancing advocacy in MS: Access to affordable, high-quality care and treatments.” It is followed by three more that day, the second at 9:45 AM, called, “Delivering patient-centered, equitable multiple sclerosis care: The latest evidence and real-world perspectives,” and the third and fourth at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM, respectively, titled, “What can biomarkers tell us? Modern tools to assist navigating prognosis, monitoring, and therapeutic decision making in the long-term management of MS,” and “New developments in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: Expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment strategies, and the patient perspective.”

The first day also features the John F. Kurtzke Memorial Lecture, on COVID and MS, this year given by Joseph Berger, MD, professor of neurology, and associate chief, Multiple Sclerosis Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, at 12:45 PM. This lecture will be followed by a number of clinical courses and workshops on basic and advanced immunology for nonimmunologists, neuroanatomy for the MS clinician, telemedicine and digital tools, navigating the complex world of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) nutritional interventions for physical and emotional nourishment, Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and an interactive discussion on the interdisciplinary approach for patients and families with complex needs.

“I cannot identify one session above the rest since I am on the planning committee and it is like asking me to identify my favorite child,” Halper said, adding that, “all the sessions are exciting; all contain topics of interest. The most exciting thing about our meeting is that we are meeting once again. The pandemic is not over, but the situation is manageable with careful preventive strategies. We will be together with our colleagues to share information; learn from our faculty and from one another; and reinforce our determination to fight multiple sclerosis with our knowledge, skills, and determination. The CMSC has proven our commitment to fight MS by meeting twice in 8 months.”

In addition to symposia on diversity in the MS caseload, stem cell approaches in MS, the spectrum of cognition in MS, and assessment/management of complex systems, the second day of the annual meeting, Thursday, June 2, will feature a 9:00 AM symposium on hot topics, chaired by Patricia K. Coyle, MD, FAAN, FANA, and including the following presentations:

• 9:05 AM - 10:00 AM — Acquired Demyelinating Disease in the COVID 19 Era, Patricia K. Coyle, MD, FAAN, FANA
• 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM — Prodrome in MS: Emerging Evidence and Clinical Implications, Patricia Melville, NP-BC, MSCN
• 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM – Risky Business: Shared Decision Making and Risk Tolerance, Marijean Buhse, PhD, NP-BC, MSCN, FAAN

Another symposium, running concurrently on Thursday morning, will focus on building skills for thriving in a career for women in the MS field. This group of presentations, chaired by Carrie M. Hersh, DO, MSc, FAAN, will include panel discussions on sharing ideas and knowledge gaps as well as networking and mentoring opportunities taking place before and after the following talks:

• 9:30 AM- 9:50 AM — Self-Promotion, Mary Alissa Willis, MD
• 9:50 AM - 10:10 AM — 5-Minute Elevator Pitch, Mary Rensel, MD, FAAN
• 10:10 AM - 10:30 AM — Negotiation Tactics, Mary Rensel, MD, FAAN
• 10:40 AM - 11:00 AM — Preparing for Difficult Situations, Mary Alissa Willis, MD
• 11:00 AM - 11:20 AM — Having a Voice in the Board Room, Carrie M. Hersh, DO, MSc, FAAN
• 11:20 AM - 11:40 AM — Allyship and Success Stories, Amy Sullivan, PsyD, ABPP

Thursday will also feature a number of platform sessions, including one on DMTs and one on rehabilitation, as well as 2 others on disease management. The DMT session features presentations from Bruce A. Cree, MD, PhD; Davorka Tomic, PhD; Enrique Alvarez, MD, PhD; Jacqueline A. Nicholas, MD, MPH; Hans-Peter Hartung, MD, PhD; and Riley Bove, MD. Likewise, the disease management sessions will be headlined by Annette F. Okai, MD; Barry Hendin, MD; Hesham Abboud, MD, PhD; Lilyana Amezcua, MD; Tiffany Malone, MSW, MSCS; Odelin Charron, MSc, MSE; Jiwon Oh, MD PhD, and others.

These will be followed by clinical courses on how to perform the Expanded Disability Status Scale in practice; utilizing the MAGNIMS-CMSC-NAIAMS MRI guidelines; and considerations around pregnancy planning, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.

Additionally, this year’s meeting with feature the first annual Giants of Multiple Sclerosis™ award ceremony on June 2, at 7:15 PM, which will induct the 2022 class for the premier neuroscience award program that celebrates pioneers, innovators, and future generations of leaders who have been selected by their peers for their remarkable achievements in multiple sclerosis.

Click here for coverage of CMSC 2022.