Support

World class MS information at the touch of a button.

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:01:09 -0400

The largest charity (sorry Art, maybe we can be spared from your annoyingly constant bragging now) supporting people afflicted with MS has assembled the biggest, and most comprehensive, library of information on MS (including research papers in their entirety) in the world. Now perhaps some average Joe off the street can connect the dots, as it were, and figure out more in a couple of weeks of reading and charting than the experts.

Pretty cool. I always thought the Brits were a little quicker than we are.

For the MS Patient and/or caregiver - stay informed

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:54:55 -0400

MS Views and Related News is a site I created to help the MS community. Enter a place where information and knowledge are exchanged for the benefit of persons with MS and their families. Within this site you will find a link to register for our e-Newsletter, which is emailed each Thursday. Also, there are the two blogs (old and new) - where we keep our MS Archives and other important information from those e-Newsletters, a photo album, and a guestbook, where you can leave your comments. Be Empowered with MS information by visiting our site resources links and Video Library. Now added to our weblinks section, you will find MS information available in (11) different languages.

Warm Regards,

Stuart Schlossman
stuartschlossman@bellsouth.net

Stem Cells and Remyelination

art — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:37:56 -0400

The MSIF has a pretty good publication that reviews the current state-of-the-art (such that it is) of stem cell treatments and the promise of remyelination.

Lumosity: A Brain Fitness Program

snackakes — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:37:15 -0400

My doctor, who battled cancer two years ago, told me about a website
that she used/loves to improve her mind after the rigors of treatment left
her feeling less sharp than before.

Lumosity is a site that is made up of several fun, if not completely addicting exercises. It's based on the concept that we can improve our neuroplasticity by giving ourselves a mental work out. The site says users have experienced:

. Clearer and quicker thinking
. Improved memory for names, numbers, directions, etc.
. Increased alertness and awareness
. Elevated mood
. Better concentration at work or while driving

It's a pay site, ($10/month) but there is a two week trial so you can decide if it's for you. For me, it was $10 well spent. I frankly cannot get enough of the "Word Bubbles" game. If anyone knows of any sites that help with online word game addiction, please speak up. :-) Also - if anyone else feels like this site helps them, I'd love to hear that as well.

~Debbie Mellor

Student invents no-spill tray for walkers

art — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:42:51 -0400

A senior at Colorado University studying mechanical engineering on the Boulder campus, has partnered with his classmates to design and build an accessory tray for walkers, which incorporates a stabilizing device that consists of four polypropylene rails along with ball bearings. The device allows the tray to remain level while its user goes up and down ramps, or tilts from side to side. The accessory tray, which has gone through tests, also sustains low-speed impacts.

Use of technology at The Boston Home

art — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:44:17 -0400

This is a nice article on how a Boston area nursing home dedicated to people with MS uses technology to enrich the lives of those who have not fared very well with this disease.

MS Workplace - for people with MS in the workforce

art — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:11:06 -0400

Biogen Idec has launched a site called MS Workplace, which it bills as "the first-of-its-kind online initiative that provides MS-specific career advice, workplace tips, and job postings for the MS community."

You may also be interested in the Accelerated Cure Project's free booklet "Working with Multiple Sclerosis," which offers great strategies and tactics for managing a career with a chronic disease like MS. It is available as a PDF or in HTML.

MS: Troubleshooting Treatment

art — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:07:09 -0400

This document (PDF), written by Dr. Elliot Frohman, contains a great overview of things you should expect your neurologist to do (see second page - "Practice Pearls"). It's written for docs treating people with MS, but it works just as well for people with MS to set their expectations for their doc.

ACCESSIBLE HOME: Container Gardening

art — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:51 -0400

This article talks about how container gardening is ideal for people who use wheelchairs. In fact, the Action Online newsletter from the United Spinal Association has many interesting articles for the disabled. I recommend signing up for their mailing list if you like these sorts of tips.

Ethics of Placebo Controlled Trials in MS

art — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:05:50 -0400

Placebo controlled trials are used to test new drugs by comparing the results of those taking the active drug with those taking the inactive placebo. This allows us to know that the beneficial effects, if any, seen in the trial were due to the drug and not to some other aspect of the care surrounding the administration of the drug.

In a disease like MS, where there are several partially effective drugs, it becomes a concern to put someone on a placebo when they could be taking an approved medication. A group of clinicians, ethicists, statisticians, regulators, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry convened to discuss this topic and published their thoughts.

They concluded that for patients with relapsing MS for which established effective therapies exist, placebo-controlled trials should only be offered with rigorous informed consent if the subjects refuse to use these treatments, have not responded to them, or if these treatments are not available to them for other reasons (e.g., economics).