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“I was diagnosed with M.S. more than 30 years ago. Back then it was a virtual death sentence because there were no drugs to help you out.” Although her gait is slow, and she uses a cane, Zoe Koplowitz has fought multiple sclerosis since her diagnosis. She has run 18 marathons, finishing dead last each time.
But while she’s overcome the physical aspect of the disease, it’s the lesser known mental complications that worry her. “I think that cognitive impairment is one of the things I fear the most because I love my mind.”
While multiple sclerosis is a disease known best for its effects on the nerves that control the muscles, resulting in weakness, fatigue, and impaired gait, cognitive impairment affects nearly half of all M.S. patients. According to Dr. Nick Lirocca of the National M.S. Society, the key is the brain chemical acetylcholine. Loss of this chemical in the brain causes diminished cognitive abilities. By increasing this chemical, you can improve memory and concentration. This holds for anyone, not just Alzheimer’s patients or M.S. patients.
Lirocca believes the cognitive loss of M.S. is a problem that has often been ignored by doctors. “It had been a taboo subject for a long time. I think that a lot of health care providers weren’t prepared to deal with the problem.”
But that’s now changing. New research shows the Alzheimer’s drug donepezil…trade name Aricept, can help improve the cognitive function of M.S. patients by increasing the levels of acetylcholine in the brain. The study, being presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in San Francisco, was done by State University of New York-Stony Brook researcher Dr. Christopher Christodoulou. He says, “Our primary test was a list learning task, those patients who took the donepezil remembered more words than those who didn’t. That was the primary outcome. Some of the patients reported that they no longer became lost while they were driving, that they were more likely to pay their bills.” The researchers say this is a relatively small study, so while the findings are significant, a larger study needs to be done. There are plans for a multi-center trail to confirm the findings.
Christodoulou says also that two-thirds of those people on the active medication felt that their memory had improved versus about a third on placebo. It’s new hope for M.S. patients like Zoe. “My mind never stops clicking,” she exclaimed. “The thought that one day I may lose that ability just gets me right at the core of where I live.”
For more information on multiple sclerosis, click here
http://www.nmss.org/
http://www.healthnewsconnect.com/page0017.html
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