MS Scan is a newsletter designed to keep healthcare providers up to date on the latest literature on topics related to the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Providing concise coverage of recent relevant articles, it also includes a guest editor's perspective on matters that arise in the clinical setting when treating your patients with MS. Please visit the MS Scan Editorial Board. MS Scan: First Look Click to read summaries of recent literature before they appear in print!

Issue 22 (2009)
Featured in this issue of MS Scan are summaries of recent studies aiming to demystify MS disease characteristics and risks, a study attempting to improve patient rehabilitation, and news about oral MS therapies in the pipeline.

Issue 21 (2009)
Featured in this issue of MS Scan are summaries of studies that aim to improve patient assessment. One study looked at the benefits of using patient questionnaires to help guide MS therapy, and another analyzed the reasons why MS patients seek medical information before an initial consultation. Another study examines the correlations between sexual dysfunction and the many other disabilities found among patients with RRMS. Also featured are an investigation into the concerns of women with MS at different stages of pregnancy and motherhood and an analysis of MS pharmacogenomics, a type of personalized therapy that attempts to predict individual responses to pharmacologic agents.

Issue 20 (2008)
Featured in this issue of MS Scan are summaries of studies that compare the reduced relapse frequencies of different disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), as well as a study that attempts to determine the prevalence of DMT use in MS patients and to differentiate the characteristics of patients who use, have used, or have never used DMT. This edition of MS Scan also includes summaries of a study analyzing whether visible or invisible MS symptoms cause more distress and of a theoretical model of chronic sorrow (episodes of sadness and grief) in MS patients.

Issue 19 (2008)
Featured in this issue of MS Scan are summaries of studies on the impact of resistance training and adherence to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) on the quality of life for people with MS, as well as a summary on the impact of clean intermittent self-catheterization (CISC) on quality of life. This edition of MS Scan also includes summaries on the treatment of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and delay of conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS), the prediction of cognitive impairment at the time of CIS presentation using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an update on the oral MS drugs that are on the horizon, and a report on the recent alert from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the cardiac monitoring and management of patients with MS who receive mitoxantrone.

Issue 18 (2008)
This issue of MS Scan describes recently published studies on quality of life assessment, therapy switching, and therapy adherence in MS patients.

Issue 17 (2008)
In this issue of MS Scan, we discuss recently published studies on the pathology, prognosis, therapy, and care of MS patients.

Issue 16 (2007)
In this issue of MS Scan, we discuss a recently published study about job satisfaction among MS-certified nurses.

Issue 15 (2007)
In this issue of MS Scan, we discuss recently published studies suggesting genetic factors are associated with MS.

Issue 14 (2007)
In this issue of MS Scan, we discuss the relationship between neuroprotection and testosterone therapy in men and we compare the cost of four disease-modifying therapies.

Issue 13 (2007)
Presented in this issue of MS Scan are summaries of articles on Vitamin D and primary-progressive MS (PPMS), as well as a summary on a subject often making the news, stem cell research.

Issue 12 (2007)
Issue 12 of MS Scan: Your Eye on the MS Literature is a roundup of some of the most interesting and relevant data presented at recent congresses.

Issue 11 (2006)
This issue of MS Scan: Your Eye on the MS Literature, provides you with summaries of some of the latest literature relevant to your patients with MS.

Issue 10 (2006)
This issue of MS Scan: Your Eye on the MS Literature, provides you with summaries of some of the latest literature relevant to your patients with MS.

Spring/Summer 2006
This issue contains an overview of a review article describing diseases that commonly mimic MS, making diagnosis and effective treatment difficult. Also included is a summary of a review on the ways that stress may trigger MS relapses, outlining different hypotheses on the physiological and psychological aspects related to stress and relapse. In addition, this issue provides a summary of a research article on predicting response to interferon treatment in patients with RRMS, and results show that disability may be the best marker of poor treatment response. An overview of the constantly evolving field of imaging is included, addressing both conventional MRI and advanced techniques used to monitor disease progression. Lastly, Patricia Kennedy of the Rocky Mountain MS Center provides a perspective from practice and insights into addressing the imaging concerns of patients.

Winter 2006
The winter 2006 issue contains an overview of a recent study examining bee sting therapy as an alternative treatment for patients with MS. Also included is an examination of the rising incidence of pediatric MS and a review of current pediatric treatments. In this issue, you will find a summary of a recent study regarding the benefits of a low-fat diet supplemented with fatty acids for patients on immunomodulatory therapy. An online-exclusive article summarizes the recent 2005 revisions to the McDonald Diagnostic Criteria. Finally, in this issue’s “Putting Research Into Practice” column, Patricia Kennedy of the Rocky Mountain MS Center discusses methods of managing the expectations of patients throughout their treatment.

Fall 2005
The fall/winter 2005 issue of MS Scan examines the controversial topic of cannabinoid therapy by summarizing a recent research article on efficacy and a recent review on the risks associated with cannabinoid treatment, suggesting that the risks could outweigh inconclusive benefits. This issue also covers one study that examined the use of therapy during pregnancy and another that compared the discontinuation rates of patients taking various immunomodulatory drugs. Finally, in the Putting Research Into Practice column, information regarding Medicare Part D is outlined. Two pieces are available exclusively on Neura.net—an article summary examining the experiences and roles of caregivers and a short overview of whether patients with MS should receive the flu vaccine.

Summer 2005
The summer 2005 issue of MS Scan reviews several studies that deal with some of the various immunomodulator drugs used in MS therapy and addresses the beneficial effects that each has if initiated soon after diagnosis. Also included is a summary of a study focusing on the health concerns of women with disabilities and a summary of a study that examines cigarette smoking and the risks that smoking poses in MS disease progression. Finally, in the Putting Research Into Practice section, this issue includes a discussion with Cira Fraser on ways to combat MS-related disability, with an accompanying online-only Q&A section on the topic. An article that deals with the benefits of exercise for patients with MS is available exclusively on Neura.net.

Spring 2005
MS Scan's spring 2005 issue addresses the news regarding the natalizumab (Tysabri) withdrawal from the market and attempts to answer some of the questions your patients may have about these developments. Also summarized are two articles in the recent literature on currently available disease-modifying therapies: one examining glatiramer acetate’s effect on fatigue and one discussing markers of response in patients taking intramuscular interferon Also included is a summary of an article focused on helping you identify risk factors for unemployment in patients with MS and, in an online exclusive, a brief analyzing the correlation between birth month and MS.

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