ACTRIMS Forum 2023
Neurofilament-light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have the potential to be useful biomarkers of axonal damage and neurodegeneration. However, additional research is needed to determine normative values and to track the significance of biomarker changes over time. A number of groups addressed these issues at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in MS (ACTRIMS) Forum 2023, held February 23-25, 2023 in San Diego CA. Read More
There is considerable discussion in the media (social and otherwise) about semaglutide (Wegovy), one of a class of drugs now approved for the treatment of obesity. Of further interest is the potential usefulness of these agents in a range of neurodegenerative disorders, including MS, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson disease. Read More
Three elements
Decision aids
Use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)
Switching therapy
SDM: strengths and limitations
The concept of shared decision-making (SDM) has gained momentum in recent years as the preferred approach to MS care. The emergence of SDM two decades ago can be traced back to an acknowledgement of the greater role patients wanted to play in their care decisions, in part due to the recognition that patients’ treatment goals may differ from those of the clinician (Kumar et al. Patient Prefer Adherence 2021;15:1515-1527); and a proliferation of treatments that were similar so that medication choices were preference-sensitive. The advent of social media provided a further spur to patients’ notions of empowerment and participatory medicine (Kantor et al. Neurol Ther 2018;7:37-49). Read More
Click here to watch Dr. Courtney Casserly discuss the case and the responses to the survey.
Janet, 58, currently works full-time running an animal grooming business. She is married with two adult children. She was diagnosed in 1997 with RRMS after presenting with two mild relapses. MRI at that time revealed a low T2 burden of disease. She was initially hesitant about starting treatment. In 2003, she initiated therapy with interferon-beta-1b after experiencing a moderately-severe relapse with some residual disability. EDSS was 1.5. Read More