Even decades before they were diagnosed, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) had a greater need for medical care compared to people without MS, according to a new study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and MS Canada. The study — Phenotyping Healthcare Use 2-3 Decades Before the First Multiple Sclerosis Demyelinating Event — was…
Study: MS Patients Showed Increased Need for Health Care Decades Before Being Diagnosed
Briefly: RESNA Schedules ATP Certification Session for July 24; NIH to Limit Access Fees to Publicly Funded Research
Featuring the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America and the National Institutes of Health.
Next RESNA ATP Certification Pop-Up Scheduled for July 24 The Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is holding its next Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification pop-up session on Thursday, July 24, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time. The free-to-attend certification pop-up events focus on ATP certification topics such as…
UK Study: MRI Results May Diagnose MS Without Need for Lumbar Punctures
New research showed multiple sclerosis can be diagnosed by looking for central vein signs within brain lesions.
New research in Neurology Open Access reported that central vein signs (CVS) on an MRI scan could diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) without putting a patient through an invasive, “often painful” lumbar puncture (LP). The research — “Comparison of the Diagnostic Performance of the Central Vein Sign and CSF Oligoclonal Bands Supporting the Diagnosis of Multiple…
New NIH, CMS Partnership Aims to Build ‘Data Platform’ for Research on Chronic Conditions
Despite assurances that patient privacy will be protected, some health-care stakeholders are wary about data sharing.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are partnering on a “real-world data platform enabling advanced research across claims data, electronic medical records, and consumer wearables,” the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) said in a May 7 press release. “We’re using this partnership to uncover…
Briefly: ‘Stronger Together’ Podcast Launches May 13; Parkinson’s Researchers Seeking Volunteers for Scratch-and-Sniff Test
Featuring United Spinal Association, M.A.R.C. Network, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
United Spinal, M.A.R.C. Network to Debut ‘Stronger Together’ Podcast on May 13 As part of their newly announced partnership, United Spinal Association and the M.A.R.C. Network are launching their “Stronger Together with Marc & Matt” podcast on May 13, starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. The first episode will feature Wheel with Me Adapt Fit…
United Spinal Launches Effort to Restore SCIRP Funding in 2026
The Spinal Cord Injury Research Program at the Department of Defense was eliminated in March.
United Spinal Association is urging stakeholders to join the fight to restore funding for the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) in 2026. “On March 15, the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program at the Department of Defense was eliminated,” United Spinal said in a May 1 bulletin. “There was no notice.…
University of Pittsburgh Study Seeks Input from Military Members, Veterans with SCI
Researchers are testing out a smartphone app to help veterans and caregivers manage medical issues.
The University of Pittsburgh is conducting a research study involving military members and veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI). In a social media post, Brad Dicianno, M.D., a professor in the university’s department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, school of medicine, said, “We are looking for veterans with spinal cord injury and their caregivers to…
Survey: SMA Patients Willing to Tolerate Significant Risks for Potential Treatment Benefits
The report from Cure SMA demonstrates that some needs of spinal muscular atrophy patients and caregivers are still unmet.
The results of a new Cure SMA study showed that people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and their caregivers are willing to tolerate a range of risks while seeking potential treatment benefits. The advocacy association released its research report on March 6. “In the 2022 Cure SMA Risk/Benefit Survey, we asked individuals with SMA and…
Researchers: Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Could Lessen ALS Nerve Damage
Study results suggest lowered risk of motor neuron diseases among people with a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
Results of a new study led by researchers at the University College London’s (UCL) UK Dementia Research Institute and the UCL Institute of Healthy Aging showed that increasing the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain cells of fruit flies with a certain gene mutation had a “dramatic” increase in their survival. The study…
Briefly: SMA Drug Submitted to FDA for Biologics License; Study Shows that Somatosensory Stimulation Can Affect Hand Choice
Featuring Scholar Rock and Scientific Reports.
Biopharmaceutical Company Submits SMA-Targeted Apitegromab for FDA Biologics License Scholar Rock, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based late-stage biopharmaceutical company, has submitted a Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for apitegromab, described as “a muscle-targeted therapy designed and developed to provide clinically meaningful improvement in motor function for people living with SMA [spinal…