Cannabis may or may not be an effective treatment for MS
A three year trial in the UK evaluated whether cannabinoids could reduce muscle stiffness (tonic spasticity) in the arms and legs of more than 600 people with MS. Participants were given either oral capsules containing cannabis extract or a placebo for 15 weeks. Participants were not told which kind of capsule they were taking. Using an objective measurement scale, the researchers found no overall detectable change in muscle spasticity. About 2/3 of the people taking cannabis said they felt their spasticity was less, but so did almost half of those taking the placebo.
[Zajicek, J., Fox, P., Sanders, H., Wright, D., Vickery, J., Nunn, A., & Thompson, A. (2003). Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 362(9395), p. 1517.]
Levetiracetam reduces MS spasticity
In a study of 11 people with MS who took levetiracetam (Keppra) for 1-4 months, all participants had less muscle spasms and painful muscle cramps, called phasic spasticity. The drug worked as well alone as in combination with other MS treatments for spasticity.
[Hawker, K., Frohman, E., & Racke, M. (2003). Levetiracetam for phasic spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Arch Neurol, 60, pp. 1772-1774.]
Smokers more likely to develop MS
A study examined 22,312 people between the ages of 40 and 47 in Norway. Out of these people, 87 had multiple sclerosis. Of those with MS, twice as many were smokers as were nonsmokers. There was an average of 15 years from when the people started smoking to when they developed MS.
[Riise, T., Nortvedt, M. W., & Ascherio, A. (2003). Smoking is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis. Neurology, 61, pp. 1122-1124]
Study shows nerve cell death occurs prior to brain atrophy in MS
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton MR spectroscopy to examine the brains of 42 people with MS. They looked at the actual sizes (volumes) of the brains over time and checked for the presence of a protein in nerve cells. They confirmed what had been found in other studies: in MS, brain volume declines over time. They also found something new: the level of the nerve cell protein declined 3 times as fast as the brain volume, indicating that loss of nerve cells precedes volume loss.
[RSNA 89th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting: Abstract K13-969.
Presented 12/3/2003]
Treatment of MS with immunoglobulin
Four studies were been conducted to examine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is an effective treatment for relapsing-remitting MS, as in other autoimmune disorders. Overall, these studies showed that IVIG reduces the relapse rate, new lesions, and disease progression.
[Sorensen, PS. (2003). Treatment of multiple sclerosis with intravenous immunoglobulin: Review of clinical trials. Neurol Sci, 24 Suppl 4, pp. S225-230]
Natalizumab lessens development of brain lesions in MS
In a six-month study, people with either relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive MS were given either natalizumab or a placebo. Those that took natalizumab had fewer new brain lesions than those taking the placebo.
[Doggrell, S. A. (2003). Is natalizumab a breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis? Expert Opin Pharmacother, 4(6), pp. 999-1001]
Research adds to knowledge about osteopontin
Osteopontin is a body protein associated with MS lesions. Researchers in this study found significantly increased levels of osteopontin in the blood plasma of people with active relapsing-remitting MS, but not in primary and secondary progressive MS.
[Vogt, M. H., Lopatinskaya, L., Smits, M., Polman, C. H., & Nagelkerken, L. (2003). Elevated osteopontin levels in active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol, 53(6), pp. 819-822]
Study in Ukraine finds phlogenzym effective in MS treatment
A study followed 74 people with MS who took the drug phlogenzym for 1 to 3 years. The participants, especially those with relapsing-remitting MS, experienced fewer complications, longer remissions, and slower progress of their disease.
[Mialovyts’ka, O. A. (2003). Effect of phlogenzym in long-term treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis. Lik Sprava, Apr-Jun(3-4), pp. 109-113]
Prednisone does not enhance effects of beta-interferon 1a treatment
Researchers studied two groups of people with MS for one year: people treated with beta-interferon 1a alone and people treated with beta-interferon 1a and a low daily dose of prednisone. Beta-interferon 1a reduced the number of inflammatory factors in the blood of the people with MS, but adding prednisone did not enhance the effects of the beta-interferon.
[Salama, H. H., Kolar, O. J., Zang, Y. C., & Zhang, J. (2003). Effects of combination therapy of beta-interferon 1a and prednisone on serum immunologic markers in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler, 9(1), pp. 28-31]
Tongue function more severely affected than lip function in MS
Test scores for 77 people with MS showed that tongue function was significantly more severely affected than lip function. The researchers point out that tongue dysfunction can be detected early and can be a target for therapeutic interventions.
[Hartelius, L., Lillvik, M. (2003). Lip and tongue function differently affected in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Folia Phoniatr Logop, 55(1), pp. 1-9]
