Sclerosis MDPI

24/12/2024

🎄✨ Season's Greetings from the Sclerosis Editorial Office! ✨🎄

A heartfelt thank you to our authors, reviewers, editors, and collaborators for your incredible contributions in 2024. Your dedication has driven advancements in research and inspired global scientific progress. 🌍✨

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday season. We look forward to achieving more together in 2025!

18/12/2024

Emerging evidence links dietary interventions to favorable multiple sclerosis (MS) outcomes; however, evidence for the efficacy of dietary interventions on functional disability remains sparse. A research by Allison R. Groux et al. pooled data from two 12-week, randomized, controlled pilot trials to investigate the efficacy of a modified Paleolithic diet (Paleo) on functional disability, as assessed by the MS Functional Composite (MSFC), among people diagnosed with MS.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4gDixwF

18/12/2024

This review "Biomarkers Differentiating RRMS and SPMS in Multiple Sclerosis—A Systematic Review" provides new insights into potential directions for future studies to investigate biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for SPMS.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZGnbmT

18/12/2024

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, multifactorial autoimmune disease characterized by widespread vascular damage and fibrosis. Pulmonary involvement is a significant manifestation of SSc, contributing to considerable morbidity and mortality. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers is of the utmost importance. This review by Issa El Kaouri et al. explores emerging biomarkers to enhance diagnostic accuracy, prognostic assessment, and disease monitoring in SSc lung involvement. They discuss recent findings in immunological biomarkers, inflammatory indicators, and other parameters that can function as potential diagnostic and prognostic tools.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3VLTYWB

18/12/2024

A recent study examined how personality traits affect disease management in MS patients. Using the NEO-FFI and Lüscher Color Test, Prof. Pasquale Calabrese's team found that MS patients had higher neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, with no effect on extraversion. Neuroticism was linked to a preference for green-blue colors (indicating avoidance of stimulation) and predicted higher anxiety and fatigue. Openness showed a trend toward preferring lighter color shades. While no significant links were found between personality traits and cognitive function, their findings highlight the importance of personality assessments in MS care to improve treatment and address emotional challenges.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3DvnnxK

18/12/2024

A recent study explored the relationship between caregiver burden and the quality of life in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Conducted between July 2021 and December 2023, the research involved 167 caregivers of 153 MS patients at a single center.

Learn more: bit.ly/3DplNha

18/12/2024

A review by Dr. Alexandros Tsoupras et al. examined the benefits of vitamin D including its anti-inflammatory promise against glomerulosclerosis and kidney diseases.

Read more: https://bit.ly/49JrORK

18/12/2024

Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), an emotional disorder characterized by uncontrolled laughing or crying, affects 2% to 10% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Clinicians should be prompted to consider PBA in the differential diagnosis of emotional disorders in the context of MS by using both clinical criteria and psychometric instruments. Further studies should be conducted to develop standardized diagnostic protocols and to optimize therapeutic approaches for the clinical management of this patient population.

Read this interesting systematic review at: https://bit.ly/49Ka6xw

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a high prevalence of emotional disorders affecting the health-related quality of life of patients and their families. Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), also referred to as pathological laughing and crying, is an under-recognized and under-treated co-morbidity. We....

18/12/2024

📚 Read our Opinion "The Conjecture of Poser on the Origins of : New Theoretical Considerations and Proposal" by Victor M. Rivera from Baylor College of Medicine.

🔺 Access the full text at: https://bit.ly/49GZ6AO

©️ Figure source: https://msif.org

18/12/2024

Following the success of the first edition, we're excited to announce the launch of the Special Issue "Neuropsychiatric and Quality of Life (QoL) Aspects of Multiple Sclerosis, 2nd Edition". We invite your submissions before the deadline 20 October 2025. Don't miss the opportunity to contribute! https://bit.ly/41GbYVT

18/12/2024

A recent study followed individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) for seven years to explore how lifestyle habits impact cognitive function and disability. Here's what they found:
🧠 Cognitive Changes:
Participants showed improvements in verbal memory but declines in psychomotor speed.
Mental agility was linked to higher physical activity and more technology use.

🏠 Lifestyle Matters:
Those who maintained household activities had better cognitive performance and lower disability.
Verbal memory, processing speed, and psychomotor speed were notably better in those with active lifestyles.

💪 Takeaway:
Good lifestyle habits—especially staying active and involved in daily routines—can play a big role in managing MS. The study highlights the importance of combining lifestyle changes with medication for better long-term outcomes.

Read the full paper: https://bit.ly/3DlNFCI

Background/Objectives: People with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience sensory, psychomotor, and cognitive impairment, sphincter disturbances, and fatigue, which can affect their ability to perform work-related tasks, self-care, and daily activities. This study aimed to analyze the lifestyle ch...

18/12/2024

Organized by Prof. Dr. Pasquale Calabrese from University of Basel, the Special Issue "Neuropsychiatric and Quality of Life (QoL) Aspects of Multiple Sclerosis" has been concluded with 10 insightful papers. You can access all of them for free here: bit.ly/3ZGi3z9

11/12/2024

A recent longitudinal study investigated the evolution of social cognition (SC) and academic cognition (AC) in individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The findings suggest that social cognition may decline more rapidly than academic cognition in RRMS patients. Monitoring changes in SC could be crucial for tracking disease progression and guiding personalized interventions.

Read more:

Background/Objectives. Social cognition (SC), which implies the emotional and intellectual understanding of oneself and others, is an important facet of neuropsychological functioning concurrently to academic cognition (AC), which concerns non-social abilities (memory, language…). In relapsing-rem...

11/12/2024

In fibrotic disorders, the export of collagen from the endoplasmic reticulum is upregulated, disrupting normal tissue homeostasis. This review by Carol M. Artlett explores how inflammasome activation triggers the release of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines, which in turn promote collagen production. These cytokines also induce the expression of TANGO1, a key protein that helps manage the increased movement of collagen through the ER. While this process is essential for both normal and fibrotic cells, the exact role of TANGO1 in fibrosis remains unclear. This review dives into the latest insights on how inflammasome activation leads to TANGO1 expression and contributes to fibrosis.
Read more https://bit.ly/4iwFnYU

04/11/2024

Recent research highlights a significant link between lifetime stressors—such as poverty, violence, and discrimination—and the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS). While we know these stressors can affect MS outcomes, the underlying mechanisms and how they relate to cumulative disease severity are still not fully understood.

In a study involving 924 adults with MS, Carri S. Polick et al. used structural equation modeling to uncover the pathways connecting lifetime stressors to MS severity. Their findings revealed that resilience, mental health, sleep disturbances, and smoking play crucial roles in this relationship. Notably, lifetime stressors directly influence MS severity, with resilience acting as a potential buffer against negative outcomes.

Read more: https://t.ly/bsuG4

30/10/2024

Research indicates a potential link between and the development of calcinosis cutis in , shedding light on novel pathogenic mechanisms. Additionally, promising results from treatments such as sodium thiosulfate spurs interest in conducting larger, randomized controlled trials to validate these findings. Read more in this featured review by Dr. Anne Braae Olesen et al. https://t.ly/Qnuuz

Introduction: Calcinosis cutis (CC), the pathological deposition of calcium salts in the skin, is a frequent and challenging complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Despite its high prevalence, the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood, complicating treatment strategies. Material an...

30/10/2024

📚 Dr. Assunta Trinchillo et al. reported a case of a relapsing-remitting patient who developed panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma and hemophagocytic syndrome, but responded favorably to a combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin.

Introduction: Although panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma (SPTCL) and hemophagocytic syndrome (HSP) have been described as complications following immunosuppressive treatments, there are no reported cases of concomitant SPTCL/HSP and multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and Methods: We describe the cas...

30/10/2024

In a newly published review, Dr. Tsvetelina Velikova et al. examined recent preclinical and clinical data on therapeutic options for vascular abnormalities in and discuss the efficacy of current treatments, including pharmacological agents and emerging therapies, in mitigating vascular damage and improving patient outcomes.
Read more: https://t.ly/wDSdg