Linda G. Hughes, MA

Up to 90 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis have spinal cord pathology.

Experimental stem cell therapy using a patient's own stem cells could offer long-term relief for many patients with multiple sclerosis, though questions still remain regarding cost, patient selection, and efficacy.

Research on spinal cord gray matter atrophy in terms of progressive multiple sclerosis has found the highest correlations between disability and gray matter volume loss within the spinal cord.

Alemtuzumab has been shown in clinical trials to be more effective than treatment with interferon beta-1a for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, the drug's side effect profile requires careful treatment monitoring and follow up.

Study results indicate that treatment with alemtuzumab reduces focal inflammation, with durable effects that may be due to the distinct pattern of lymphocyte depletion and repopulation after treatment.

Increased awareness of risk factors and symptoms among primary care physicians, prompt referral of suspected cases to specialists, and a growing armamentarium of disease-modifying drugs lead to better prognosis for patients.

A presentation at the 2015 CMSC annual meeting made the case that focal, specific, subacute, neurologic problems in otherwise healthy adults should be diligently followed, and MRI can be an useful tool in differential diagnosis.

Recent studies have revealed clues to the role played by the gut microbiome in a variety of diseases and conditions. Now researchers are looking at whether aberrant immune responses triggered by disruptions in the gut microbiome are to blame for multiple sclerosis.

Severely mentally ill patients often lack access to primary medical care compared with the general population, leading to increased risk of health care complications and emergency room visits.

More than one in three adults with a mental illness smoke cigarettes, compared with about one in five adults with no mental illness, according to the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Twenty percent of Americans smoke and one in five has a mental illness.

Addiction is a chronic and progressive brain disease of the reward, motivation, and memory pathway that moves from an impulse or positive reinforcement to compulsive and negative reinforcement.

Treatment failure can be caused by a variety of factors, including misdiagnosis of the primary psychiatric complaint, the presence of one or more comorbid conditions, and nonadherence to medication plans.

When treating patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, you should consult with their oncologist to brainstorm interventions that can help your patient have the best possible quality of life.

Prolonged exposure therapy can help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder overcome the fear, anxiety, and depression that can lead to avoidance behaviors and other responses that negatively impact quality of life.

A pattern of sleep disturbance is a risk factor for depression and suicide and also increases the risk of cancer, infection, hypertension, weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, osteoporosis, chronic pain, and arrhythmias. It can also have a significant negative impact on cognition and creativity.

How can clinicians help veterans with PTSD deal with depression and anxiety symptoms, and process intense feelings of shame and guilt stemming from actions and situations they experienced while serving?

Adolescent depression is a serious mental illness that results in negative health consequences and frequently recurs later in life. Although the prevalence rate of depression is around 20 percent among African American and European-American adolescents, the associated risks and utilization rates vary greatly.