Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Immunosuppressive therapy significantly reduces relapses in elderly people with late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), with more than half of patients becoming relapse-free, a retrospective study in South Korea has found. Treatment also eased or stabilized disability for most patients, without a marked risk of severe infections, and was…

Treatment with rituximab significantly reduces the risk of relapse and lessens disability in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients with antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4), according to a long-term, retrospective Australian study. Most of the analyzed patients received an initial infusion of rituximab at 1,000 mg, given as two separate…

As many as half of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) experience depression, anxiety, and/or sleep problems, according to a new meta-analysis of published studies. Moreover, these symptoms were more frequent among NMOSD patients than in the general population. “There is a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and…

The clinical symptoms of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in people in their 50s or older may look like those of a stroke — which can delay proper diagnosis and treatment of the the progressive autoimmune disorder, according to a case report and systematic literature review. That’s what happened…

Out of four markers of nervous system cell injury, blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) were found to best predict disability worsening in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study showed. Measures of blood NfL levels at the time of an NMOSD attack were the only ones…

In a racially diverse group of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), rituximab worked better to prevent relapses than did oral immunosuppressive therapies, a single-center U.S. study showed. This result was particularly relevant for Black patients — who are usually underrepresented in NMOSD clinical trials but who, the…

Plasma exchange, a blood-cleaning procedure, is safe and helps to ease symptoms in elderly people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), despite the presence of other health conditions. That finding is from a Chinese study that assessed the safety and efficacy of plasma exchange in elderly NMOSD patients (older…

SPHERES, a real-world registry designed to better understand neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) — its underlying mechanisms, clinical course, and treatment effects — has reached a milestone of 200 enrolled patients. Standing for Synergy of Prospective Health & Experimental Research for Emerging Solutions in NMOSD, the SPHERES…

People who are younger at the onset of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and those with multiple organ involvement at the first attack by the disease have a higher risk of relapse during treatment with traditional immunosuppressants, a study showed. A reduction in the levels of antibodies against…

A rare case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in a patient positive for antibodies against both aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein and the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) was successfully treated with ofatumumab, a B-cell depleting medication approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), a case study reported. According to its researchers, this case represents…