Because of high out-of-pocket costs of new-to-market neurologic drugs that are of similar benefit as older agents, only a small percentage of patients with neurologic disorders have access to these cutting-edge medications, new research shows. “Our study of people with neurologic conditions found fewer than 20% were being treated with new medications,” study author Brian … Read more
Patients hospitalized for substance use disorder (SUD) are significantly more likely to die from other medical conditions later in life, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at mortality following a diagnosis of 28 different medical conditions, including heart failure, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and stroke, and found patients with a history of alcohol or drug … Read more
An internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) program specifically designed for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared to usual treatment, new research shows. Participants in the randomized controlled trial who received iCBT either benefits alone or in combination with weekly emails from therapists reported that persisted up to a year after therapy. Although … Read more
The study covered in this summary was published in medRxiv.org as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed. Key Takeaways Depression improved with add-on nurse practitioner (NP)–led care in comparison with usual neurologist care at 3 and 6 months for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): satisfaction with care was the same in both … Read more
High alcohol consumption may contribute to more severe neurodegeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) — and smoking may make a diagnosis of MS more likely, new research suggests. “Our results add to the understanding of how health-associated behaviors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, interact with neurodegeneration in MS,” lead author Iris Kleerekooper, MD, … Read more