Drug Slows Brain Shrinkage in Progressive MS

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2018 -- A drug that has long been used in Japan for asthma may slow down brain shrinkage in people with progressive multiple sclerosis, a preliminary trial has found.

The study, published Aug. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested an oral drug called ibudilast. It is not approved in the United States, but has been used for years in Japan as a treatment for asthma and for vertigo in stroke survivors.

Doctors Discover New Type of Multiple Sclerosis

THURSDAY, Aug. 23, 2018 -- A new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been identified by researchers, and the discovery changes understanding of the disease.

MS has long been considered a disease of the brain's white matter, where immune cells destroy the fatty protective covering (myelin) on nerve cells. The destruction of myelin (demyelination) is linked to nerve cell death that leads to progressive disability in MS patients.

Pain, Sleeplessness Often Precede MS: Study

WEDNESDAY, July 18, 2018 -- Pain, sleep problems and mental health disorders are common in the five years before someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a new study reveals.

Knowing about these symptoms could help doctors diagnose and start treating MS earlier, possibly slowing the damage it causes to the brain and spinal cord, says a Canadian team of researchers.