REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – Two Canadian studies presented at AAN 2015 focused on the common problem of comorbidities in patients with multiple sclerosis. Pain and fatigue were examined using the Health Utilities Index pain attribute score and the Fatigue Impact Scale for Daily Use (DFIS) in 949 consecutive patients recruited from four MS centres (Fiest et al. AAN 2015; abstract P1.114).

Mean aged was 48.6 years; and 72.4% had a relapsing-remitting course. Patients with one or more comorbidities were more likely to report that pain disrupted normal daily activities, and had higher fatigue scores. Pain was most disruptive among MS patients with comorbid irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Fatigue was worse in patients with anxiety, depression and fibromyalgia. Read More

REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – The TARGET trial evaluated low-dose sumatriptan powder delivered intranasally using a breath-powered device (AVP-825) in patients with acute migraine (McAllister et al. AAN 2015; abstract P1.300; full results published as Cady et al. Headache 2015;55:88-100). Read More

REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – A number of analyses of phase III studies have shown that about one-third of patients treated with a higher efficacy disease-modifying therapy can achieve no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), defined as no relapses, no MRI activity and no EDSS progression (see Optimizing patient assessment in MS: NEDA and beyond, NeuroSens, March 12, 2015).

Moreover, preliminary data suggest that 2-year NEDA rates are prognostic of better outcomes at long-term follow-up. In the STRATA extension study (which included patients from AFFIRM), at 7.4-year follow-up the mean ARR was 0.08 in those with NEDA in the first two years of treatment and 0.13 in those who didn’t achieve NEDA (O’Connor et al. AAN 2015; abstract P7.221). The cumulative probability of EDSS progression confirmed at 6 months was 23.3% and 37.5%, respectively, for the two groups. An improvement in EDSS scores was seen in 38.7% and 26.8%, respectively, in the NEDA+ and NEDA- groups.  Read More

REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – The GLORIA non-interventional study recently reported interim results of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) in the routine management of patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (Antonini et al. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2015;21:231-235). Read More