Multiple Sclerosis, Fatigue, Expanded Disability Status Scale: A Cross-Sectional Exploration of Sleep Efficiency and Quantitative Sleep Parameters.

Background: Poor sleep quality and sleep disorders are more prevalent in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population. Poor sleep has been correlated with worse MS outcomes. Sleep efficiency (SE) is one of the most sensitive markers of sleep quality.

Effectiveness of rituximab versus oral immunosuppressive therapies in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in a racially diverse cohort of subjects: A single-center retrospective study.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune, inflammatory disorder characterized by severe relapses and high level of disability. In clinical trials of NMOSD, Black patients are under-represented, < 12%, compared to a relatively high prevalence of NMSOD in this population, 10/100,000. Despite the higher prevalence of NMOSD in Black and Asian patients, there is limited knowledge of the effectiveness of disease modifying treatments across racially diverse groups.

Effectiveness of ocrelizumab on clinical and MRI outcome measures in multiple sclerosis across black and white cohorts: A single-center retrospective study.

Objective: To examine differences in the therapeutic response to ocrelizumab in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who self-identified as either White or Black, assessed longitudinally by expanded disability status scale (EDSS) progression and MRI brain volume loss.

Methods: MS subjects treated with ocrelizumab were retrospectively identified. Clinical data were available for 229 subjects (White 146; Black 83) and MRI data from for 48 subjects (White 31; Black 17).

Clinical Characteristics of Multiple Sclerosis in African-Americans.

Purpose Of Review: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects nearly 1 million people in the USA and has the potential to profoundly affect physical ability and income potential at a young age. Since a landmark paper was published in 2014, few studies have looked at differences in MS disease characteristics between African-American and Caucasian patients.

Recent Findings: African-American patients often have a more severe MS disease course, as well as biomarker data which can portend a worse prognosis.

Reduction in ocrelizumab-induced infusion reactions by a modified premedication protocol.

Background: Ocrelizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against CD20+ B cells that is approved for MS. The most common side effect is infusion-associated reactions (IARs). This study examines whether a modified premedication protocol reduces incidence of IARs and further examines predictors of IARs.